Evening everyone!
I heard on the local radio station that a Seattle Co (SAS, I think) was in the lead to take over. I'll see if I can find anymore info.
BTW - here's an article on Iraq for the naysayers on the shows:
'Job Is Getting Done' in Iraq, Despite US Press, Veterans Say
By Randy Hall
CNSNews.com Staff Writer/Editor
March 10, 2006
(CNSNews.com) - A group of veterans from Operation Iraqi Freedom said Thursday that U.S.-led coalition forces are getting the job done when it comes to defeating insurgents and helping Iraq establish a democratic government -- despite the U.S. news media's negative portrayal of the conflict.
"I am not here to debate the choices that were made, only to tell you that today, the job is getting done" in Iraq, Marine Corporal Richard Gibson said during a news conference hosted by the conservative group America's Majority at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
rest of the article is here:
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\Politics\archive\200603\POL20060310b.html
SSA. See http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1593991/posts?page=327#327 and related. What used to be P&O in the US may be parted out, or DPW may form a "fresh" oversight entity. It's all about money at this point, and structuring a transfer with "cash up front" / "cash flow" combinations that make sense for all the players.
Found it - it's SSA not SAS.
This info is from the Public Integrity org site. There's some interesting info on their Web site, including contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, how much they've made, and their political contributions. Below this info is info from SSA web site - - I'm a little perplexed because I've heard over the past few weeks that no company in the US handles terminal operations, but it appears they do and are growing.
I think it would be a hoot if they got it because, IIRC, the Longshoremen were all over Schmuckie and others and here's what the article says about SSA:
"The company is known for its hard-line towards labor unions and for favoring the use of more technology in the ports to reduce its labor costs. It has been called the "most anti-union maritime operation on the West Coast" by union leaders. In 2002, port operators, including Stevedoring Services of America, locked out International Longshore and Warehouse Union workers in West Coast ports. President George Bush had to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act to end the lockout."
Stevedoring Services of America
1131 SW Klickitat Way
Seattle, WA 98134
Phone: (206) 623-0304
Fax: (206) 623-0179
http://www.ssamarine.com
Stevedoring Services of America, founded in 1949 and one of the largest marine terminal operators in the world, had an estimated $1 billion in sales in 2002. The family-owned and -run company is a private venture which operates in more than 150 locations worldwide and employs more than 10,000 people. The Smith and Hemingway families have owned the company since it was founded, and maintain an active management role.
In spring 2003, the company decided to shorten its name to SSA Marine. According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, the new name is intended to reflect the fact that SSA Marine has expanded its business beyond loading and unloading cargo. During the re-naming process, Carrix Inc. was created as a new parent company for SSA Marine.
The company is known for its hard-line towards labor unions and for favoring the use of more technology in the ports to reduce its labor costs. It has been called the "most anti-union maritime operation on the West Coast" by union leaders. In 2002, port operators, including Stevedoring Services of America, locked out International Longshore and Warehouse Union workers in West Coast ports. President George Bush had to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act to end the lockout.
Stevedoring Services of America spent $80,000 lobbying Congress on transportation appropriations, water resources development and maritime security in 2002. In its mid-year report for 2003, the company had also added lobbying on activities related to the reconstruction in Iraq to that list. Stevedoring Services of America paid $40,000 to Denny Miller Associates, a lobby firm with strong ties to Washington State where Stevedoring Services of America is headquartered.
From 1990 through 2002, the company had 18 contracts with the U.S. government worth a total of $86,117,000.
Iraq contracts
USAID gave a $14.3 million contract to operate and manage the Iraqi Port Authority to Stevedoring Services of America on March 24, 2003. The award is listed on the USAID web site, but was not included in a list of contracts the agency supplied through a Freedom of Information Act request. The contract to operate and manage the port, which includes duties such as the handling of cargo, shipment tracking and managing security and customs, can be extended through 2006. The contract amount of a possible extension was not disclosed.
Another company, Bechtel, under its Iraqi reconstruction contract, started dredging the key southern port of Umm Qasr—Iraq's only deep-water port—in May 2003. In an assessment report to USAID, Stevedoring Services of America said that in order for the port to receive humanitarian aid, more than $90 million in repairs were necessary. In July 2003, Congressman Norm Dicks, D-Wash. criticized USAID, saying the agency's reluctance to make funding decisions and follow up on Stevedoring Services of America's proposals, limited the progress at Umm Qasr. A spokeswoman for USAID defended the agency and told the News Tribune in Tacoma, Wash., that "this is about setting priorities with the limited use of American taxpayers dollars."
In July 2003, shippers throughout the Persian Gulf region accused Stevedoring Services of America of "gross profiteering" because of the rates it charged. Local agents contended that the rates were high not just by regional standards, but also by international standards, according to media reports. Bob Watters of SSA Marine told the Center that the company "does not make any money from tariffs at all." The company is covered by the USAID contract and does not stand to profit from the tariffs. SSA Marine made a recommendation to USAID on tariff rates based on the agency's goal to have a self-sustaining port, Watters said.
Legal Action/Investigations
The Umm Qasr port contract was the first USAID awarded contract that prompted questions on Capitol Hill. Of the three companies USAID asked to submit bids, Stevedoring Services of America did not have federal security clearances—an agency requirement for the contract. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, it was only after members of Congress raised questions that USAID explained that "the security clearance was no longer necessary once military operations got under way" and that it needed the work to begin quickly. According to Stevedoring Services of America, none of the companies invited to bid for the contract had top security clearance. An internal investigation by the USAID inspector general found that the agency ignored its own rule regarding the security clearance requirement.
Updates
As of March 31, 2004
The Center for Public Integrity received a partial copy of the contract USAID awarded to Stevedoring Services of America for the operation and management of the Iraqi Port Authority. The documents reveal that USAID tasked Stevedoring, now known as SSA Marine, with providing an assessment of the Umm Qasr port, valued at $642,370, an improvement implementation plan costing $280,987, and at least partial operation of the port under a cost plus fixed fee of $3,895,628. These activities are "to ensure that USAID-provided materials and supplies, and other cargoes including urgent food assistance and materials for reconstruction and rehabilitation, flow smoothly through seaports designated by USAID, specifically the Umm Qasr port in Iraq." No amendments or task orders were included to detail spending activities.
According to USAID, the amount spent ($14.3 million) on the contract has not changed since October 2003.
—André Verlöy
http://www.publicintegrity.org/wow/bio.aspx?act=pro&ddlC=56
From SSA web site:
Today, SSA Marine and our affiliates operate more cargo terminals than any other company in the world. Our operations and its diversity of cargo, volumes and commercial models and ports are unprecedented in our industry. We strive to ensure that our size and tremendous network of resources continue to add value for our customers.
SSA Marine provides a full spectrum of transportation services including:
Terminal management
Stevedoring
Rail yard operations
Project development management
Technology system design, installation and training
Equipment procurement
Marketing support
Trucking
Warehousing
Off-dock yard operations
Feasibility studies
Few transportation service companies in the world extend as far and wide as SSA Marine, but we continue to look for new opportunities at ports and intermodal facilities around the world.
And this:
March 7, 2006
Media contact:
Bob Watters
206.654.3575
SSA Marine’s U.S. Container Terminal Operations Grow by over 22%
Seattle, WA – SSA Marine, the largest U.S. owned container terminal operator, reported 2005 container volume of 7,300,000 TEU’s at its eleven U.S and International marine container operations, a 15% increase over 2004. Container volume at SSA Marine leased and operated U.S. container terminals grew 22% topping the 4,300,000 TEU mark. International container terminal operations grew by 6% surpassing 3,000,000 TEU’s, while their container stevedoring operations at Port Authority operated terminals grew 40% to exceed 1,500,000 TEU’s. SSA Marine’s sister company, RMS, handled 12,700,000 TEU’s at its 42 intermodal rail terminals it operates for U.S. class I railroads. “This continued growth is a testament to the commitment and professionalism of our employees and the support we receive from our, ocean carrier customers and partners”, stated Jon Hemingway, CEO. “We are particularly encouraged by our growth at our seven U.S. marine container terminals and the close working relationship we enjoy with the Ports of Seattle, Oakland and Long Beach.”
Mr. Hemingway continued, “We are bullish on the future of the U.S. marine container terminal industry and our role in expanding crucial port infrastructure. In Texas City, supporting the Houston market, we are privately financing and building a $250,000,000 container terminal. On the West Coast, we are working with the Port of Seattle and our partner Matson to double the size of our T- 25 container terminal by including the T- 30 container terminal lease area. And while we are expanding our terminal capacity in both the U.S. Gulf and West Coast we are working closely with our local communities to improve service, air quality and traffic. We have several initiatives underway to prove the feasibility of using biodiesel and even cleaner fuel sources and to virtually eliminate truck idling at all our facilities.”
About SSA Marine
SSA Marine a subsidiary of Carrix, Inc., is the largest U.S owned and the largest privately held container terminal operator and cargo handling company in the world, handling approximately 22 million container TEU’s per year. The nearly 60 year old company serves more than 120 locations worldwide, including port operations throughout the U.S. as well as internationally in Panama, Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica, South Africa and New Zealand.
http://www.ssamarine.com/index.html