Memphis Hosts International Transportation Officials
On May 14, a delegation of transportation and logistics counselors from embassies around the world (Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the European Union office) visited Memphis, Tenn. The counselors were taking part in a tour of Memphis’s river, rail, runway and roads. Their first stop was to the Port of Memphis, where Randy Richardson, vice president-port and industrial properties/executive director, welcomed the delegation.
Richardson provided an overview of the Port of Memphis, its history, structure, type of business and cargoes handled, its economic impact and strategic plan.
Deb Calhoun, senior vice president of Waterways Council Inc., (WCI) introduced the delegation to WCI and its mission, while giving a detailed overview of the intricacies of the inland waterways infrastructure, how the system is funded and maintained and its economic influence. Calhoun spoke to the “green” value of the towboat industry and how it is the most energy-efficient modal choice in the United States.
Ken Eriksen, managing member and strategic adviser of Polaris Analytics & Consulting, presented the importance of the navigation system to global trade through the New Orleans Customs District and among the countries represented. A discussion about the towboat and barge fleets using The Waterways Journal data and information provided a good understanding of the equipment and tow configurations used to move commodities and products to and from market positions.
Wepfer Marine, a Memphis based marine company, hosted a port tour aboard the 1.200 hp. towboat Chris Foster.
The delegation appreciated hearing about and experiencing the inland waterways and gaining greater appreciation of how the commodities and products they import from the United States move to market position. The delegation was astounded by the scale of the industry, the size of the barges and tow configurations and how energy-efficient the industry is, especially having the smallest carbon footprint among other surface transportation modes in the United States.
This is the second similar tour that WCI and Calhoun have organized with international delegations.
Caption for photo (click on image for full photo): Embassy transportation and logistics counselors pose in front of the mv. Chris Foster during a tour of transportation facilities in Memphis May 14. (Photo courtesy of Ken Eriksen)
