In a region perpetually in search of economic diversification and revitalization, nothing symbolizes the opportunity for progress more than the rebirth of the former Avondale Shipyards as Avondale Global Gateway — an achievement that was announced Oct. 2, 2022. Purchased by the T. Parker Host company in 2018, Avondale is poised to be a major component of the river industries sector.
“There was nothing like it, and we couldn’t imagine that the doors were locked on it,” recalled Host Chairman and CEO Adam Anderson. “We wanted to bring Avondale back to life.”
While Host is headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, the firm has long had a presence on the lower Mississippi.
“We do logistics for ships that come in and out of the port,” Anderson explained. “It’s like putting on a wedding between the ship and the cargo.”
That process means working with ship pilots, shipping agents, customs, the ship’s crew, transportation connections and the port itself, among others.
“We deal with everything from sick crew members to wet grain to a ship going aground,” Anderson elaborated.
As Host has grown — the company celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2023 — it has moved into providing some of those services and facilities it coordinates. This made Avondale a highly attractive proposition. However, the amount of work involved is extensive, and Anderson moved to New Orleans three years ago to oversee the project directly.
“We are installing power, water, sewer, fire protection, road systems, transportation connections,” he said. “It’s like building a small city.”
Once completed, the facility will offer loading and unloading, storage and other shipping-related services. However, what excites Anderson is plans for value-added manufacturing on the site.
“We will be focused in three main areas,” he said. “We are building a food-grade processing center. We will work with the metals that come through, like aluminum and steel. And offshore wind energy is a huge opportunity. It’s not just manufacturing the windmill blades for the Gulf; we can serve the offshore wind market globally.”
All this is taking place against the backdrop of historically low water levels in the Mississippi, which poses problems for the entire shipping industry. Anderson considers one of Host’s biggest achievements of the year to be, in his words, “powering through this,” and even adding 100 new employees in the process.
His other biggest accomplishment was that in September, Host cleared the last regulatory hurdle relating to the Avondale redevelopment. “It’s a massive long-term project,” Anderson stated, “but we are really excited to be in New Orleans.”
