CEO’S LOG

“Nothing ever seems impossible in spring, you know.”

That quote from L.M. Montgomery rings true to me as I reflect on this season. Spring is a time to reflect, reset and renew and that’s what we are doing at the Port of South Louisiana. The first quarter of 2023 has been particularly exciting. “New” is a recurring word that can be heard through our hallways. New Headquarters, New Projects, New Initiatives, New Wins, New Faces, New Look.

We continue to put our nose to the ground everyday and focus on building on the successes we saw in 2022. Last year, our Port saw nearly 240 million tons of cargo move through our jurisdiction. The annual increase of 10 million tons was the first net increase in tonnage PortSL had seen in six years. The global shipping market continues to recognize the elite position our Port operates along the Lower Mississippi River, connecting 31 states and two Canadian provinces to the world. Our Commission and staff have taken giants steps to position ourselves for even more growth.

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The Port of South Louisiana has a new home. Earlier this year, our Commission cut the ribbon on our new Headquarters Building. This state-of-the-art 30,000 square foot facility located on our Globalplex property in Reserve houses our entire administrative staff. The building features space that we offer to local civic and business organizations and officials can gather for meetings and workshops. We truly envision the Headquarters to be a beacon and incubator for economic development in the River Region and the state of Louisiana.

The Port of South Louisiana also launched a new brand. Under the direction of Staff and with the help of Red Six Media, the Port sought a branding message that would drive awareness, tell the Port’s story more succinctly, and create and strengthen relationships by featuring the kinetic energy and growth potential of the Port of South Louisiana. The new logo features the Port’s unique access to all four modes of transportation by water, rail, road and air. Those features along with our position as the second largest tonnage port in the United States with room for further development also inspired a new tagline for PortSL: “A Better Way To Cargo”

This year, PortSL was fortunate to receive funding from the State of Louisiana’s Port Priority Program for critical projects. The Port of South Louisiana secured $10 million in funds that will be used to finance an expansion of the NATCO cold storage facility and renovations and repairs to the floor and conveyor system at Building 71 at Globalplex. These investments help facilitate economic development and create and maintain jobs for Louisiana families. Our team is in constant contact with our industry partners here at the Port to figure out their needs so that we could help facilitate economic growth.

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Our Commission and Staff at PortSL know that maintaining relationships and forging new ones often lead to collaborative initiatives and successes. We were proud to host and attend events at the Port, like the Aviation Awareness Day event held at our Executive Regional airport which you will read about in this issue. We also host events outside of our jurisdiction, even in our nation’s capital. In January, the Port of South Louisiana had the honor of hosting the River Region Economic Development Inititaive breakfast at the historic Washington Mardi Gras event in the District of Columbia. This event allows political and business leaders to hear from the state’s congressional delegation and our region’s Parish Presidents. Events like these often lead to further initiatives being developed and drive awareness to the important work happening at the Port and in our region.

I hope that this issue of Port Log is informative and shines a light on some of the major things happening at Port of South Louisiana. I continue to wish all of you success. As always, our Commission, Staff and myself have an open door and should be of assistance to you in any way, please do not hesitate to reach out. Happy Spring!

Paul Matthews

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Chief Executive Officer