WASHINGTON – The Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority today received its seventh Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award from the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corp., an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
dministrator Betty Sutton presented the award to John Loftus, executive director of the Port Authority at a special event held at the Guardian Building. Attendees at the event included senior port officials, members of the Board of Directors, and the Norwegian Transportation Minister, Ketil Solvik-Olsen, who is in town attending the ITS World Seminar and also toured the Port.
The Pacesetter Award was instituted to honor the achievements of Great Lakes ports aggressively marketing international exports and imports. During the 2013 navigation season, the Port moved some 501,000 short tons through the Seaway, representing a 53 percent jump in tonnage over 2012 figures. Thirty-three shipments arrived from Canada, Belgium, Germany, and Sweden, as well as from India and China, most carrying steel for the automobile manufacturing sector.
In presenting the Award, Sutton commended the port staff for their efforts in helping drive economic development for the city and surrounding region. “Detroit has an excellent maritime team in place and their success is measured by the impressive cargo tonnage they moved last year. That global reach exemplifies the importance of the St. Lawrence Seaway – it connects the Great Lakes ports with world markets.”
In accepting the Award, Loftus said: “A strong and busy port is indicative of a strong local economy, and that’s what this Pacesetter Award is really about for us. The Port of Detroit stands to serve the southeast Michigan business community and looks forward to continual growth.”
