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1 Share this You are receiving this because you signed up for our mailing list. If you're having trouble viewing this message, view open it in a browser window. Welcome Aboard May 2013

2 Congressman Ted Poe, AAPA Port Person of the Year Congressman Ted Poe, who until this year represented the Port of Beaumont in Congress, was one of two recipients of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) 2013 Port Person of the Year award. Poe, (R-TX) along with Congresswoman Janice Hahn (D- CA) were given the award at a luncheon at The Renaissance Hotel in Washington D.C. March 19. The Port of Beaumont joined ports in Southern California in the joint nomination of Representatives Poe and Hahn for the award. AAPA selected Reps Poe and Hahn to jointly receive this award based on their commitment to bringing together lawmakers from all across the political spectrum to work together on strengthening and securing America s seaports. Congressman Ted Poe and Congresswoman Janice Hahn are recognized as the co-founders of the Congressional PORTS Caucus. The bipartisan PORTS Caucus now includes more than 80 U.S. House members from across the country. The Port of Beaumont was honored and very pleased to nominate Congressman Poe for this important award, said Beaumont Port Director Chris Fisher. Congressman Poe is always very supportive of the issues affecting the ports of Southeast Texas and continues to be an effective voice in Washington for the industry. Upon receiving the award, Poe commented, Port activity directly or indirectly impacts every home in America. Strong ports are vital to America s national and economic security. I am grateful to the AAPA for this award and I look forward to working with Representative Hahn and the rest of the PORTS Caucus to educate Members of Congress about the importance of our nation s ports and the challenges they face.

3 Heavy Lift Project A unique piece of equipment arrived March 25 on the heavy lift ship, Tramper. An 833,400 lb. transformer, originating in Spain, moved through the Port of Beaumont on the way to its final destination at the NRG Energy Plant in Jewett, TX. NRG is a pioneer in developing cleaner and smarter energy choices for their customers; they operate some of America s most innovative power plants. The move took place on March 26, utilizing dedicated heavy lift gear on the ship. The dimensions of the transformer were 34.6 ' long x 17.6 ' high x 13.6 ' wide. The extreme weight and size of the transformer required the use of a unique railcar and designated staff provided by Specialized Rail Transport in Tulsa, OK. The weight was evenly distributed between 20 axles. The piece moved out of the port safely and onto its destination via rail on BNSF. This project reinforces the array of special cargo options available at the Port of Beaumont.

4 Port & Army Join City of Beaumont Trash Off Port of Beaumont employees teamed up with the U.S. Army 842nd Transportation Battalion to participate in a city-wide campaign to help clean up the streets of Beaumont March 5. The group picked up trash and debris along the port s property line from the main gate for about one mile along two city streets. The combined efforts of the port employees and the Army resulted in the removal of 240 pounds of trash off Beaumont streets and into the landfill.

5 Commissioner Henry "H.M."Nix Retires Friends, family and port employees gathered to deliver grateful sentiments to retiring Port Commissioner Henry H.M. Nix at a program and reception following his last board meeting on April 22. The program included an opening prayer by Reverend Jim Fuller, Pastor of Calder Baptist Church. Fuller recognized Nix as an exceptional individual who has dedicated his life to the betterment of others. Chris Fisher, port director commented on Nix's many years of dedicated service to the port. Port Commissioner President, C.A. Pete Shelton delivered a speech in honor of Nix in which he commented, Nix has been a trustworthy, conservative, dedicated port commissioner." Fisher and Shelton presented Nix with an engraved gimbal box clock and a memory DVD of photos. Joseph Egland of the International Longshoremen s Local presented an engraved plaque and praised Nix for his leadership and contributions to labor and the port. After thanking everyone for their support, Nix said, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have served the Port of Beaumont for 30 years,

6 it has been an honor to serve the citizens of Jefferson County. A veteran of over 42 years in the banking profession, Nix was first elected to the Board of Commissioners of the Port of Beaumont Navigation District in He served as vice president from 1989 through 1995 and from 2002 to the present. He also served as secretary-treasurer in 2001 and Henry Nix is one the most conscientious and caring men I have ever known. His leadership and mentorship have been invaluable to our port. On behalf of the port commission and staff, he will be truly missed, said Chris Fisher, port director.

7 Congressman Weber Visit The Port of Beaumont was pleased to host a visit by Congressman Randy Weber and his staff from Washington and Beaumont on April 4. The group enjoyed a tour of the port with Commissioner Lee Smith, and Port Director Chris Fisher. There were two major purposes to my job tours, roundtables and town halls. I want the community to put a face to a name with my staff, whether they are in the district or up in Washington. We are in the customer service business and I want to make sure all of my staff is readily available to my constituents, said Weber. In addition to the port tour the group visited the Beaumont Rice Mill. The historic mill is owned and operated by the family of Port Commissioner Louis Broussard, Jr.

8 Railcars Coming Soon to Orange County A new state-of-the-art petroleum transload terminal located on the Orange County side of the Port of Beaumont will soon begin receiving railcars full of crude oil from Canada, the North Dakota Bakken shale fields and the Eagle Ford fields in Texas. The crude will be loaded onto barges for a short voyage down the Sabine- Neches Waterway to local refineries. The expansion project to the wharf and rail facility is a partnership between the Port of Beaumont and Jefferson Refinery. Jefferson secured about $50 million in industrial bonds to develop the terminal. The new site will include a barge dock next to the berth currently in use by the port. Jefferson will utilize the port's existing multi-purpose berth while the new barge dock is under construction. The first shipment is expected in mid June. Jefferson Refinery plans to build storage tanks with a minimum of 200,000 barrel capacity at the site, said Al Salazar, CEO. Initially, the terminal will be able to offload 65,000 to 70,000 barrels per day. The Port of Beaumont is working with the three railroads that serve the site to improve rail access to the property. A rail loop and rail access consisting of approximately 25,000 feet of rail was constructed by the port. Future plans include improved access from I-10 and an overpass over the two main rail lines into the terminal. Road, rail and wharf improvements to the 240- acre site on the Orange County side of the Neches River is the newest expansion project for the Port of Beaumont, said Chris Fisher, port director. More than $65 million in capital improvements are completed or nearing completion including new interchange and holding rail space and additional infrastructure improvements in preparation of the expected

9 increase in shipments. Jorge Quijano, CEO Panama Canal Receives Awards at Lamar University Lamar University Alumn, Jorge Quijano picked up two awards in honor of his distinguished career with the Panama Canal Authority on a recent visit to Beaumont. Quijano, Administrator of the Panama Canal Authority shared updates on the $5.25 billion expansion project and highlighted the impact of the expansion to U.S. Gulf ports, focusing on those located in Texas. Quijano was given honorary Texas citizenship, courtesy of State Sen. Tommy Williams, and received the Texas Industrial Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award. International Security Program Showcases Beaumont The Port of Beaumont joined the education efforts of Coast Guard Officers from the International Port Security Program by hosting a port tour on April 12 to three officers from the Trinidad Coast Guard. Chief Stephen Davis, Port of Beaumont Port Chief of Security/FSO, and former Coast Guard Senior Chief Petty Officer led the tour. The group had the opportunity to watch a nine minute DVD presentation of port operations and ask questions regarding port security. The food and hospitality in the States has

10 been wonderful, said LCDR Ronald Alfred. The multiple railway access to the port here is a new concept for us; we currently only load from trucks. Alfred and his comrades Lt. Sheldon Degunnes and Petty Officer Sunil Mohammed were escorted by LCDR Niel Marcelino and Chief Petty Officer Gary Sanchez from the Portsmouth, VA Coast Guard office. Welcome New Commodore Bill Carpenter, port deputy director, Joe Guivas, Military Sealift Command Gulf Coast Director of Ship Operations and Port Director Chris Fisher welcome Military Sealift Command - Atlantic Commodore, Captain Dean Vesely to the Port of Beaumont during a recent visit.

11 Postcards From Our Past... The historical KCS railroad lift bridge was built in It crosses over the Neches River at the Port of Beaumont entrance. The land to the left in the photo was referred to as Harbor Island, or Goat Island. The area was filled with sand dredged from the riverbed in the early 1970's and is now home to docks, warehouses, and railroad yards. The structure on barges in the photo was fitted to the two towers visible in the center of the photo to become a lift bridge that still allows trains to cross the river. The bridge was refurbished and strengthened in Additional improvements allow trains to pass over the bridge at 20 miles per hour. The bridge is currently used by KCS, UP, BNSF and Amtrak according to KCS engineers in Kansas City.

12 The Port of Beaumont...Where Main Street Meets the World Questions? Please direct all inquiries and comments to: The Port of Beaumont, Public Affairs Phone: ext. 223 Fax: website: Main Street, Beaumont, Texas, 77701, USA If you don t want to receive s from us anymore, click here to unsubscribe.