Caption: Bipartisanship and collaboration were on full display at the Project 11 Dredge Kick-Off Celebration event on June 1st, with the Port Commission, and Congressional, State, and Local delegations, leading the way.

Partnership, progress, and potential were on full display at the Port’s Project 11 Dredge Kick-Off Celebration on June 1^st. Over 200 stakeholders and elected officials gathered to commemorate the kick-off for the $1 Billion project hosted by Port Houston and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the USACE Galveston District Headquarters.

A joint effort across various federal, state, and local agencies helped bring Project 11 to life. The project received a major boost from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in January 2022 when $142 million was allocated to the project to help complete Segment 3, the Barbours Cut Container Terminal section. At 82% funded, Project 11 has received wide-spread support from a diverse group of elected officials and it’s on track to be completed by the end of 2025.

Ric Campo, the Chairman of the Port Commission delivered remarks to the crowd highlighting the partnership it takes to bring a project of such magnitude to this point. Chairman Campo also pointed to the potential and progress the project represents, citing that over 75% of the jobs sustained and created by the Houston Ship Channel are located in disadvantaged communities. Once completed, Project 11 will generate an additional $134 million annually in economic impact, equating to $367,123 a day in added benefits for the American worker and their families.

The newly retrofitted clean Dredge Carolina, owned by Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, arrived to Galveston for the event. Dredge Carolina is equipped with Selective Catalytic Reduction technology to significantly reduce NOx emissions, resulting in 38% cleaner than Tier 3 equipment. Lasse Petterson, CEO of Great Lakes Dock and Dredge Company, states “Dredge Carolina is one of the largest dredges in the United States. She is 340 feet long, 65 feet wide, and has about 16,000 horsepower.”

USACE Southwestern District Commander Col. Kenneth N. Reed stressed how important Project 11 is for the Galveston District and the District’s higher headquarters. “As the federal agency that maintains and constructs much of the nation’s public infrastructure, the Army Corps of Engineers continues to work with Port Houston on one of the most impactful infrastructure projects nationwide.”

The work of widening and deepening the Houston Ship Channel will have tremendous positive economic, safety, and environmental benefit for the entire nation. To learn more, visit www.expandthehoustonshipchannel.com.

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Caption: Attendance at the Port Houston Business Equity Program Launch Event in July 2021. (From left to right) Harris County Commissioner Precinct #2 Adrian Garcia, Port Commissioner Cheryl Creuzot, Houston Minority Supplier Development Council President Ingrid Robinson, Port Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther, Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Dr. Laura Murillo, City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Port Commissioner Wendy Montoya Cloonan, Harris County Commissioner Precinct #1 Rodney Ellis, SBA-Houston District Director Tim Jeffcoat.  

Business Equity Program Anniversary

Approximately one year ago, Port Houston created a new Business Equity program to create greater equity for minority and woman-owned business enterprises participating in its procurement and contracting processes. In 2022, Port Houston is continuing to focus on promoting opportunity for all by increasing collaboration with community and industry stakeholders. We are increasing the number of S/MWBE enrollments and participation to support our goal of developing and strengthening external partnerships.

Port Houston’s Business Equity Program is a valuable resource for S/MWBEs looking to grow and expand their business. We host several business networking events to help businesses network as well as learn from one another. Port Houston’s Interagency Mentor Protégé Program (IMPP) helps businesses foster long-term relationships between contractors, Port Houston certified S/MWBEs and other partnering agencies. There are also safety programs and industry-specific forums to pinpoint opportunities.

Below are some S/MWBEs enrolled in Port Houston’s Business Equity program who are making a difference in the greater Houston community.

Visual AV LLC is a Port Houston certified small, minority-owned technology company and graduate of the 2021 OpPORTunity U training program. Visual AV specializes in providing innovative technology solutions that help customers collaborate more effectively. Visual AV sells A/V and IT Equipment that can be used in various settings across multiple industries. Their large interactive displays allow the user to create digital lessons and activities that can be easily reused and shared.

Sweet Dreams Gourmet was established in 2013 by Danielle Green. It is a Port Houston registered minority, woman-owned small business and graduate of the 2021 OpPORTunity U training program. Sweet Dreams Gourmet specializes in dessert and light bites catering offering affordable services for all occasions from children’s birthday parties to large scale corporate events. They strive to promote fresh ideas and innovative trends in catering.

Founded in 2019 by Aril Mejia, Jr., Elite Construction and Engineering Services, LLC (ECES) is a firm specializing in civil engineering services. ECES is a Port Houston registered minority-owned, small business and currently enrolled in the 2022 OpPORTunity U training program. Their objective is to exceed expectations by providing high-quality services to clients delivering products on time and within budget.

The Port Houston Business Equity team has the knowledge, skills, and resources to help your small, minority- or woman-owned business succeed. We have multiple pathways for your business to obtain the necessary tools to compete for procurements and grow your business. See how your business can work with Port Houston today by enrolling at https://porthouston.com/business-equity-enrollment/.

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Business Growth with Port Houston

In her journey of growth, Shanita connected with Port Houston staff to learn more about the Port Houston Small Business Program and how it could help her business when applying for contracts with the port. She attended training classes, workshops, events and networked as much as she could to spread the word about her venture.

“The port small business team helped me by first confirming the areas where I was ready, and the program gave me the tools to strengthen our responses to requests for proposals (RFPs),” Johnson said. “For example, the mentor-protegee program has a workshop on responding to RFPs. This helped me to better understand the importance of each RFP component.”

Shanita’s persistence and hard work would pay off in 2017 when she became a subcontractor, supporting the Port Houston information technology team to perform IT project management services. Then in 2019, she was awarded her first prime contract with Port Houston and in 2021 she again received a prime contract award for coordination services. Johnson states “We are currently handling the project coordination services for the NextGen ERP Phase II project. With this award we were able to hire a full-time employee to perform the services.”

Moving the Business Forward

Leveraging the connections made through the program, Shanita now holds certifications from the City of Houston, METRO, the Houston Minority Supplier Development Council, Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance, and the State of Texas HUB Program and is registered as a small, minority- and women-owned business with Port Houston.

Through the program, Shanita has expanded her network and reach to continue providing cutting edge information technology management solutions for growing businesses around the country. She has used her 20 years of information technology experience to lead multi-million-dollar projects for Fortune 500 clients and knows her team can deliver large scale IT projects thanks to their passion for excellence.

“Get involved with Port Houston’s Business Equity team and the Small, Minority- and Woman-Owned Business program because they are here to help us succeed,” Johnson avows. “They offer many opportunities like Port University and the Mentor Protegee program to help us better understand Port Houston’s procurement process, how to do business with the various departments within the Port and most importantly they help us get prepared. To the MBEs looking to win contracts with Port Houston, my advice to help you succeed is to prepare, persevere, show up and show out, understand the business culture, and prepare again!”

Learn more about BKJ Global Management Consulting, LLC by clicking here.

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Ecommerce Steadily Rising

 “With a trillion-dollar year on the visible horizon, coupled with the size and continued growth of the Houston area, I wholeheartedly believe Houston’s industrial market is primed for a windfall of e-commerce leasing activity in the coming months and years,” said Justin Tunnell of Lee & Associates. 

The City of Houston is still in its infancy for e-commerce, as it has historically been served by regional distribution centers in Dallas, noted Justin Robinson of Stream Realty Partners. “However, that model has rapidly changed due to accelerated delivery expectations of consumers,” Robinson said. “As a result, e-commerce companies have established facilities in Houston to more efficiently and effectively meet consumer needs.”

Distribution Center Locations

Much of the cargo activity has occurred around Port Houston. Stream has been involved with Principal Real Estate’s Bay Area Business Park, which has grown a 3.3 million square foot Class AA industrial development and minutes away from the Bayport and Barbours Cut Container Terminals.

A host of distribution centers already had been taking shape in the greater Houston region in recent years. For example, furniture distributor IKEA acquired more than 143 acres at Generation Park in northeast Houston for a distribution center that will top 1 million square feet. Additionally, Dollar Tree, Inc. is building a new distribution center in Rosenberg, investing $130 million in the facility. Retailer Five Below has completed and is occupying its new 860,000-square foot facility located in Houston suburb Conroe. Retailer Ross Dress for Less is building a large distribution center in Waller County, southeast of Brookshire. Amazon has also expanded its footprint around the city building two more centers to bring its total to five distribution centers in the Houston area. Proximity to the Houston Ship Channel remains a prime area for distribution centers keeping logistics practical and more efficient.

Growth for the City and Port Houston

“Port Houston continues to be among the fastest-growing container ports in the country, fueled by an increasing number of import distribution centers in the Houston region and a robust manufacturing base in the state of Texas,” NAI wrote.

That growth is projected to continue, CBRE said in a newly released report.

“Houston is a growing port of entry to supply the Southcentral U.S, which is projected to increase in population by 7.1 percent over the next five years,” stated the report, entitled “The Changing Flow of International Trade.”

The growth of imports has factored into the decision-making by Port Houston leadership to continue to expand infrastructure. Three new Neopanamax electric cranes for the Bayport Container Terminal, which is still being built out, are under construction now. The $35 million ship-to-shore cranes, which are for Wharf 5 at the Bayport Container Terminal, are expected to be operational in the summer of 2021 and will be capable of handling 18,000-TEU ships. The cranes will bring Port Houston’s fleet of ship-to-shore cranes to 29.

Retailers in Texas and beyond are banking on that kind of growth and investing in Houston. The port and city drive home Houston’s fast-emerging image as a major gateway for imports.

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Chief Commercial Officer John Moseley presents to AAPA group.

Port Houston welcomed nearly 30 industry professionals at the American Association of Port Authorities Business Development Workshop April 3.

The one-day conference focused on port business development skills training. The program featured sessions on corporate diplomacy, negotiation, case studies in supply chain data sharing and blockchain technology.

Melissa Baldo with Lamar University led a negotiation skills training session. Port Houston’s Chief Commercial Officer John Moseley spoke about case studies in supply chain data sharing and blockchain technology. The port was involved with the Maersk-IBM blockchain pilot program, a venture exploring the global trade digitization platform.

Guests of the conference were invited on the Sam Houston boat tour, Port Houston’s public tour vessel since 1958.

AAPA represents public seaports and agencies throughout the Western Hemisphere. AAPA offers events, resources and partnerships that connect, inform and unify seaport leaders and maritime professionals who deliver prosperity.

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Port Houston’s Senior Director of Small Business and Education Outreach Gilda Ramirez provided a port and small business update at the Hispanic Houston Chamber of Commerce’s December Networking Breakfast and Business Development Forum.

The chamber’s annual forum event program features keynote speakers sharing current market trends and product innovations with attendees.

The chamber’s president recognized the port with opening remarks. “Port Houston is the running model for growing small business programs. They do excellent engagement,” said Dr. Laura G. Murrilo, President and CEO.

Ramirez highlighted the port’s significance as an economic engine for the region. “We continue to grow because tremendous investment has been and continues to be made in our ship channel region, to produce or distribute goods that are destined to be imported or exported through our port,” said Ramirez.

The port’s small business development program is designed to help contractors made good faith efforts to include small business participation in a variety of contracts.

This year marks the program’s 15^th year of actively supporting the community’s workforce and Port Houston has reached a new milestone: providing over one half billion dollars in awards and commitments to small businesses.

“The port’s education efforts also well align with our small business development efforts since job creation is such a key aspect of both,” noted Ramirez.

The event was held at the Amergy Bank Building in the Houston Galleria.

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