Former Jaxport CEO Speaks: Instability drove him to Tampa

[tufsu1]

Lake your argument negates the value of containerization. Those smaller ports that serve smaller ships are going the way of the dodo bird. The container on moves to the nearest port that can handle Post Panamax on the railroad or highways.

not entirely true...as noted in the article (and bantered about for a few years now), there are plans for intermediate ports (transshipment)....these are places where cargo from the larger ships will be offloaded to smaller ships and then delieverd to other ports.....these secondary markets can and should be where Jacksonville excels

[Ocklawaha]

Gypsum, concrete, coal, sand, gas, oil, are not going to do much for Jacksonville as a warehousing, distribution, assembly hub.  Giving up on Post Panamax will relegate our port to a position of a non-player and many distribution-logistics jobs are going to pass us by.  If ocean shipping follows the railroad example the only 'little' ports that survive long term will be the small single commodity types.

There might be a few exceptions to that rule but the more time that passes since Post Panamax to more these little ports will shut down.

The way I see it, if I'm the CEO of a major ocean shipping company and I have 'x' dollars to invest in either a single Post Panamax or perhaps two smaller ships, I'm not going to have a job for long if I choose those smaller ships. Why build a new ship when it's operating cost is 33-50% more per TEU or Ton?

Jacksonville's port tonnage fell off a cliff between 2008 and 2010 but our container business climbed from roughly 3,500,000 tons in 2008 to nearly 5,000,000 tons in 2011. I'd advise they continue the pursuit of Post Panamax capabilities without the distraction of a imaginary 'deadline.' Meanwhile since we have identified our growth market (containers) aggressively adding infrastructure, rail, roadways and marketing the same.

[thelakelander]

If I'm the CEO of a major ocean shipping company, it would depend on what my company's market is.  Sort of like selecting the right fixed rail mode to serve your community.  Sure heavy rail can move more people quicker and efficiently but if I'm Jax, I don't have the necessary demographics to invest in such a system.  Thus, it may make more sense for me to consider commuter rail or streetcar. 

Nevertheless, at some point, if you are a Jacksonville you can't continue to stick your head in the sand and ignore the fact that the world is moving forward without you and that this has a significant impact on whatever dreams you may have.  Right now, we're behind just about everybody and we're no step closer to resolving this issue than we were two years ago.

[If_I_Loved_you]

Double-Wide: Who's Set to Benefit From the Expanded Panama Canal?

Read more: http://www.minyanville.com/business-news/markets/articles/natural-gas-port-canal-Panama-Canal/8/17/2012/id/43178#ixzz2IqOeaQrj

[Ocklawaha]

Double-Wide: Who's Set to Benefit From the Expanded Panama Canal?

Read more: http://www.minyanville.com/business-news/markets/articles/natural-gas-port-canal-Panama-Canal/8/17/2012/id/43178#ixzz2IqOeaQrj

Actually northeast Florida DOES have a deep water channel. The entrance to the St. Marys River all the way to the southward bend past Old Town is generally over 55 feet deep. The actual port 'alongside' in Fernandina is only around 32 feet. Considering Nuke Submarines go up the river and turn north into the Kings Bay Naval Station, there is some seriously deep water in that area. Damn shame that Fernandina isn't another terminal of JAXPORT.