By Jack Lessenberry

Special to the Toledo Blade, 6/13/24

MONROE — Paul C. LaMarre III, the director of the Port of Monroe, loves tugboats. He photographs them, does vivid paintings of them, pilots them, and restores them.

Late last month, he took me out into Lake Erie and pointed at the New York, a new, multideck tug which looked like it could haul an island across the ocean. But as we set out, he gazed fondly down at his pride and joy, a comparatively tiny tug named America.

“Built in 1897,” he said, beaming down at the ship’s bright red pilot house. “Oldest working tug on the Great Lakes,” he said, still working, that is, because of all the time he’s spent restoring her.

What he doesn’t say is that in a very real sense, Mr. LaMarre is a tugboat himself — a human tugboat that has pulled millions into Monroe’s economy, and revitalized a port which a dozen years ago was almost dead.

Back in 2012, the port, such as it was, mainly functioned as a place where coal was brought in to power a nearby utility. It hadn’t had a port director since 1978. Then, Paul LaMarre, who had been manager of maritime affairs for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, was hired, and immediately began revitalizing it.

Mr. LaMarre, who was only 31 when he took the job, was no stranger to challenge on air, land, or sea. Twenty years ago, he was a U.S. Navy pilot, screaming across the skies in supersonic F-18 Hornet attack fighters. When he came back, he worked as a deck officer on ships, earned a degree in marine transportation, and then came to Toledo, where he took over the deserted old freighter that had been the Willis P. Boyer, restored her original name, and renovated her into today’s gleaming museum ship, the James M. Schoonmaker.

“Carty [Finkbeiner, the former Toledo mayor] gave me hell and said, ‘get this rusting old ship out of here!’” he laughed, but Mr. LaMarre doesn’t give up easily. In the end, the ship became the main attraction for the National Museum of the Great Lakes, and he was named a marine historical society’s historian of the year.

Monroe, however, was daunting. Within a few years, he’d managed to clean the place up, apply for grants, and begin attracting more cargo to Michigan’s only port on Lake Erie, which was soon being rebranded as the “Biggest Little Port on Lake Erie.”

Mr. LaMarre’s life, apart from his wife, Julie, and their two golden retrievers, is the port. But he is also a talented videographer with a gift for marketing, and misses no chance to tell his port’s story. People began to notice. U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, a fellow former naval officer, began paying attention soon after he was first elected in 2014.

In October, 2022, he announced an $11 million grant to improve the port’s infrastructure. “This funding will expand cargo capacity, increase economic activity for the region and strengthen supply chains,” he then said. That it did, but the Port of Monroe was already on a roll; in a decade, it had won an annual award for the most increased tonnage by any Great Lakes port seven times.

How much has this helped the surrounding community and Monroe County, which is not one of the more affluent in the state? An economic analysis by Martin Associates in Lancaster, Pa. found that in 2022, total economic activity created by the port was $85 million, including 520 jobs directly generated by the cargo and vessel activity at the marine terminals at the port.

Those, in turn led to more jobs created or supported in the regional economy by activity at the port, all of which generated $8.4 million in state and local tax revenue.

But what irks those at the port is that they feel they could do so much more if they weren’t being blatantly discriminated against by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency, which had been allowing Detroit and other ports to accept shipments of international maritime containers — but not Monroe.

Gregg Ward, the Port of Monroe’s international trade specialist, said “this was clearly the influence of Moroun,” the family that owns the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit, and who largely control the Port of Detroit, thanks to a sweetheart deal made with Detroit’s later disgraced and imprisoned mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick.

However, Senator Peters, who chairs a Senate subcommittee on ports, has pledged to “keep fighting to make sure the Port is treated fairly.” And late last year, another former U.S. Navy officer came to visit and spent much of a day touring the port: Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. “We aren’t political and we don’t take sides, but that was something,” said Paul LaMarre. “It wasn’t like a normal political visit. He was interested in everything.”

So, what’s next? Sam Hankinson, the port development coordinator, put it this way: “The future is unwritten, but when it is, Paul LaMarre will be the one holding the pen.”

Jack Lessenberry is a former national editor for The Blade. Contact him at: omblade@aol.com

The original story was published in the Toledo Blade and on Mr. Lessenberry’s personal site, Lessenberry Ink.

Lessenberry: Port of Monroe tugging economy forward | The Blade (toledoblade.com)

The Biggest Local Economic Success Story You Never Knew – Lessenberry Ink

The Port of Monroe celebrates the close of the 2023/24 shipping season with its established partners and stakeholders, as well as the new partnerships and relationships that have been forged throughout the year. While the 2023 season did not result in overall tonnage increases for the port, it represented another year of success.

Mark W. Barker and the Mythos AI boat Archie.

Highlights
In July, Port Director Paul C. LaMarre was elected president of the American Great Lakes Ports Association at the organization’s annual meeting. LaMarre also accepted the Port’s seventh Pacesetter award.

Through an innovative partnership with Newlab and Michigan Central in 2023, the Port is providing its facilities to test and scale new technology solutions in the transportation and zero-emission space. The Port’s relationship with Newlab and Michigan Central represents how a public port can engage with startup companies and emerging technologies.

The first pilot project with Newlab commenced in Fall 2023, when the Port partnered with Mythos AI on a hydrographic survey project. Mythos AI is an autonomous maritime technology company developing autonomous solutions for the maritime industry. The data collected by the Mythos vessel Archie will help the Port provide up-to-date information for waterway users.

In Fall 2023, the Port hosted “Heritage Days,” a one-of-a-kind event to celebrate the rich transportation history in Monroe County. The event was held for the community to celebrate the Port of Monroe and would not have been possible without support from sponsors and volunteers. The Port’s flagship, the Great Lakes Towing tug Georgia, was restored to its original name of America during the weekend festivities. Weeks later, the tug performed its first job with its restored name. The America is the oldest commercially operating tugboat in the world.

Check out the full Heritage Days gallery here!

Port Director Paul LaMarre with U. S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Recognition
The possibilities the Port of Monroe offers has been recognized by many, included top government leadership.

In April 2023, the Port was fortunate to host Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on a tour that highlighted the Port’s role as a transportation hub for renewable energy cargo and the opportunities that the Michigan Maritime Gateway will bring to the entire State of Michigan.

In November, U. S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited Monroe. The Port of Monroe was a recipient of the Port Infrastructure Development Program in 2022, which will provide funds for transformational infrastructure improvements.

Tonnage

A total of 2,432,844 short tons were received to facilities along the River Raisin during the 2023/24 shipping season.

The DTE Monroe Power Plant makes up a majority of that total. The plant received 1,748,541 tons of coal and petroleum coke, as well as 340,924 tons of limestone.

The Port and terminal operator DRM handled 72,577 tons of bulk and 141,065 tons of coiled steel products.

Michigan Paving & Materials received 129,407 tons of liquid asphalt to its Monroe storage and blending facility.

Visitors

Happy Ranger discharges a transformer generator.

The Port welcomed back the Happy Ranger this season. The specialized heavy-lift vessel discharged a transformer directly to a rail car at the Port’s turning basin dock. The BigLift vessel previously called on the Port in 2019 to deliver a generator stator.

The most frequent visitor to the Port in 2023 was the largest vessel on the Great Lakes, the Paul R. Tregurtha. The Queen of the Lakes logged 28 trips to the DTE Monroe Power Plant. The American Century followed with 16.

The articulated tug/barge Undaunted/Pere Marquette 41 made 11 trips to the Port, and the Harvest Spirit made 9.

Check out this page to see all the ships that visited the Port in 2023!

Infrastructure
The 2024 shipping season will be a season of construction for the Port of Monroe. The Port has received over $30 million from local, state, and federal sources to rehabilitate existing facilities and build new infrastructure.

The Port plans to begin construction on its PIDP grant, the Lake Erie Renewable Energy Resilience project. It will include the rehabilitation of the turning basin dock and riverfront dock, the port’s two main vessel operation areas. It will also include the construction of a second riverfront dock and a small boat slip next to the Port’s main office. Finally, shore power will be installing along the riverfront.

The Port continues to develop the Michigan Maritime Gateway, which will be the first maritime container terminal in the State of Michigan when it opens. The terminal will utilize the equipment necessary to scan and inspect international shipping containers.

Both projects are separate but once complete will enhance the capabilities and efficiencies the Port of Monroe offers. Investment in existing operating areas and the construction of new spaces will allow the port to designate different areas for specific cargoes.

Tug George Gradel passing the Paul R. Tregurtha.

On the horizon
The port is in an excellent position at the conclusion of the 2023 season as infrastructure improvements will soon be underway to completely transform the Port’s operations. Regular activities will continue during the construction.

The Port’s groundbreaking partnership with Newlab and Michigan Central have barely scratched the surface of what is possible, but the relationship represents a global example of how a port can engage with startup companies and emerging technologies to influence innovation.

The Port will continue to pursue opportunities that will benefit the City of Monroe, Monroe County, State of Michigan, and Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway while promoting the environmental and economic advantages of Great Lakes shipping.

Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn to stay updated on the Port of Monroe in 2024!

The Port of Monroe, located on the shores of Lake Erie, is undergoing a massive transition. The port is the beneficiary of funding from the federal, state, and local level to increase efficiencies and bring the port into the next generation of Great Lakes shipping.

Background on the port
The Port of Monroe has long been considered a port with massive potential due to its location between Detroit and Toledo and proximity to major markets. In 1927, a group of Monroe citizen formed a group called the industrial commission, which later became the Monroe Port Commission. The commission established the Port of Monroe in 1932.

A $390,000 appropriation from Congress funded harbor improvements that would help the new port capitalize on its maritime potential. A terminal was constructed on the east side of the River Rasin, which included a dock face, warehouse, two building-mounted gantry cranes, and rail spur.

The Monroe Harbor Terminal was completed in 1940, but the port continued to be defined by its potential rather than its activity. While the Port functioned as an import hub for Renault automobiles and a layup destination for United States Steel steamers in the 1960s, commerce into Monroe declined.

The construction of the DTE Monroe Power Plant at the mouth of the River Raisin in the 1970s generated a massive increase in maritime tonnage for the Monroe harbor, but the Port’s facilities further up the River Raisin struggled to generate consistent cargo. Eventually all staff positions were eliminated, including port director, as the Monroe Port Commission could not justify the jobs given the lack of activity.

Everything changed in 2012, when the port commission hired Paul C. LaMarre III from the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority to reinvigorate maritime operations in Monroe. Under LaMarre’s leadership, the Port of Monroe has rebuilt its image through strategic partnerships and niche cargo operations.

Rebirth and re “berth”
The initial focus for LaMarre was to analyze current supply chains in Monroe and determine if the Port could improve upon or create new transportation solutions. This effort found that synthetic gypsum produced at the DTE Monroe Power Plant was being trucked to a landfill. Through a partnership with DTE and DRM Terminal Management, this same product is being exported from the Port to beneficial reuse markets around the Great Lakes region. This early success story is how Monroe got back on the map.

In order to capitalize on new cargo opportunities, the Port required significant infrastructure upgrades. All that remained of the original terminal complex along the turning basin was the seawall. In 2017, the Port constructed a wharf alongside the River Raisin. The goal of this construction was to build a new cargo handling berth at the Port’s point of deepest draft. The project was financed through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s tax increment financing program.

Current cargoes
Today, the Port handles a number of different commodities. The DTE Monroe Power Plant continues to be the primary tonnage driver in the Monroe harbor, importing loads of coal and limestone and producing the synthetic gypsum and bottom ash byproducts that are exported from the Port’s facilities.

The port receives a large amount of coiled steel products by rail and vessel that are ultimately trucked to regional automotive manufacturers.

Monroe is the only port in the United States to have a wind tower manufacturer located within its complex. Ventower Industries has used the port to ship completed wind towers to domestic and international destinations.

Michigan Paving & Materials operates a large liquid asphalt blending facility at the Port. Michigan Paving is served by a pipeline from the turning basin dock.

The future
An important focus for any port is to identify new cargo opportunities and pursue new business. Great Lakes shipping is in a time of immense change.

Major steelmakers are moving away from basic oxygen furnaces in favor of electric arc furnaces to produce steel, and utilities like DTE Energy are moving away from coal fired power plants in favor of renewable energy sources.

These changes will create a ripple effect in the types of raw materials demanded, materials that have historically been transported by Great Lakes freighters. This has created an increased focus on diversification for ports and maritime transportation companies alike.

These opportunities cannot be fully realized without the proper infrastructure. In the last two years the Port of Monroe has attracted funding from federal, state, and local sources to build out new infrastructure that will strengthen the future of the port, diversify its cargo base, and support its network of partners.

Port Infrastructure Development Program
In October 2022, the Port of Monroe was awarded a Port Infrastructure Development Program grant for its Lake Erie Renewable Energy Resilience project. Funding for this project was secured by Senator Gary Peters and supported by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, in addition to many other regional and local stakeholders. This grant will help the port rehabilitate its existing facilities and build out new operating areas for future cargo operations.

New riverfront berth
The primary focus of Monroe’s PIDP grant is to reconfigure the port’s operating areas to increase the exports of renewable energy components manufactured at the Port by Ventower Industries. Ventower is the only wind tower manufacturer located at a port in the United States, and their towers have been exported to domestic and international markets.

The Port will construct a second berth on the River Raisin, identical to the existing one, that is dedicated for the handling of wind energy components. The addition of a new asset to be exclusively used in support of Ventower’s operations will increase the Monroe manufacturer’s competitiveness and allow the Port to concentrate its cargo operations in different areas.

The construction of offshore wind farms on the East Coast of the United States are a massive opportunity for Ventower. The tower sections demanded for offshore projects are much larger than the onshore sections that have been moved from Monroe, and the new dock will be capable of handling these larger components.

The Harvest Spirit at the Port’s existing riverfront wharf.

Turning basin dock rehabilitation
What remains of the original terminal along the turning basin continues to be a valuable part of current operations in Monroe. The Port plans to rehabilitate the entire concrete cap of the turning basin dock for future operations. There are three segments to this area; a section of steel sheet pile cells with a concrete face and cap; a section of steel sheet pile cells with a concrete face; and a section of a straight face steel sheet pile wall. The entire concrete cap and concrete face has greatly deteriorated after years of use and will be fully rehabilitated. Also involved in the planned work in this area is the replacement of the straight face steel sheet pile wall located immediately adjacent to the turning basin dock. Failure of the tie-back system in this section exacerbated by many storms and water level changes common on the tumultuous Lake Erie has resulted in the sheet pile wall collapsing in to the water.

The Port’s Turning Basin dock – originally built in the 1930s

Maritime Readiness Slip
In the 1970s, a small slip for personal watercraft was excavated next to the Port of Monroe’s current office building. This slip has deteriorated in condition to the point where further erosion limits its functional use and poses a significant safety and structural risk to the Port of Monroe office building. As a solution, and with the assistance of the PIDP funding, the Port is planning to completely rehabilitate this slip and make it a new operating area at the port. Once rehabilitated, the new “Maritime Readiness Slip” will accommodate fast rescue boats from the local fire and police department, small government vessels, and the Port’s harbor tug. By focusing on this slip, the new construction will sustain the ground near the port office and move smaller vessels to a dedicated area where they do not interfere with commercial vessel operations. This location next to the port office also makes it easier for groups to mobilize in the event of an emergency.

A view of the small boat slip that will be rehabilitated and its proximity to the Port’s main office.

Shore power
Another consideration given to the Port’s PIDP grant was shore power. The Port is currently working with its maritime stakeholders to understand the shore power needs of the different vessels that frequent the Port. The Port will determine a solution with its engineers to allow vessels to connect to shore power at both riverfront wharves as well as the new maritime readiness slip.

PIDP conclusion
Great Lakes ports have been unable to consistently improve and innovate their operations due to lack of available funds, and as a result have been slow to innovate. Vessels have traditionally been the change agents in the Great Lakes maritime industry with the development of self-unloading technology and the continuous improvement of these systems. Not only does the PIDP provide ports a dedicated source of funding to improve and expand operations, but it also allows authorities the opportunity to innovate and develop new solutions for the betterment of the entire maritime industry.

Container terminal – the Michigan Maritime Gateway
Great Lakes ports must consider containerized cargo opportunities in the future as demand for traditional cargoes fluctuate. The Port of Monroe has explored the opportunities associated with container handling for many years and will utilize funds from the City of Monroe, State of Michigan, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and United States Customs and Border Protection to install modern container inspection equipment at a preexisting building at the Port. The result will be the Michigan Maritime Gateway, the first maritime container terminal in the State of Michigan. The MMG will be the first terminal in the United States that will scan 100% of containers and breakbulk with by USCBP non-intrusive technology.

The container terminal is being developed and marketed as a new cargo handling capability for the Port, not as a large-volume container terminal and storage yard. The Port plans to build a niche container service in partnership with Spliethoff of Amsterdam that complements existing terminals on the Great Lakes in Cleveland, Ohio and Duluth, Minnesota. A network of container ports in the Midwest will expand opportunities for domestic short-sea-shipping routes within the Great Lakes. The Port will utilize a Manitowoc crawler crane, purchased with funds from the USDOT Marine Highway Program, to handle containers.

Not only will the Michigan Maritime Gateway provide Monroe County importers and exporters access to new markets, it will create a new supply chain link for the electric vehicle, semiconductor, and renewable energy investments that have been made in Michigan.

The Port of Monroe’s future will include container shipping.

Conclusion

The Port of Monroe is supported in its ongoing projects by the Monroe Port Commission. Engineering services are provided by the exceptional team at DLZ Corporation’s Waterford Office and Torrey Enterprises provides critical grant support.

Future infrastructure projects at the Port of Monroe will be complemented by the Maritime and Port Facility Assistance Office within the Michigan Department of Transportation. The new office will administer grants that will support and sustain Michigan’s maritime infrastructure. A key function of this state-level assistance program will be serving as the local match for federal grant programs like the Port Infrastructure Development Program. This will allow Michigan, the state with the most ports on the Great Lakes, to secure more federal funds for its diverse network of port facilities.

With over $30 million in grant funding secured from federal, state, and local sources, the Port of Monroe is finally capitalizing on its potential.

This article was written by Port Development Coordinator Samuel C. Hankinson for the January 2024 edition of (mt) magazine published by the Society of Naval Architects & Marine Engineers (SNAME)

From the Toledo Blade: https://www.toledoblade.com/local/transportation/2023/11/29/buttigieg-visits-port-of-monroe-to-tout-infrastructure-act-funded-project/stories/20231129116

MONROE — Ports like Monroe’s represent “a lot of untapped resources and logistical potential” throughout the Great Lakes and Midwest, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said following a tour Wednesday afternoon of the docks along the River Raisin.

“I’m inspired by the commitment and energy right here at the Port of Monroe,” Secretary Buttigieg said during a post-tour news conference on the wharf where the Tug America, at 126 years the oldest commercially working tugboat in the world, was docked.

Mr. Buttigieg’s visit comes about a year after the U.S. Maritime Administration awarded a $11.1 million grant for improvements to the Monroe port that include wharf expansion and repairs to existing docks.

The port also is using $5 million in state funds to build a marine container terminal scheduled to open during the second half of 2024.

At about 12 acres, the site won’t be anywhere near the size of coastal container ports. But Paul LaMarre III, the port’s director, said it will diversify Monroe’s capabilities and potentially attract higher-value cargoes.

The logistical potential in the Great Lakes and Midwest could be put to greater use, and that potential “is no less important to this country” than coastal ports and shipping, said Mr. Buttigieg, who, before joining the Biden Administration, was mayor of South Bend, Ind., and now calls Traverse City, Mich., home.

Mr. Buttigieg said he scheduled the local visit to call attention to how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed and signed several years ago is now producing results.

“This is shining a light on good work,” he said. “Now we’re seeing the literally concrete example of how it’s put to use.”

The federal funding provides for replacing the surface of an existing wharf and building a second along the River Raisin assigned to handling wind energy equipment; improvements to the turning basin area, including dock repairs, fender and bollard installation, and replacing about 390 feet of failed sheet pile dock face; remodeling a small-boat slip for use by harbor-assist vessels; and installing shore power infrastructure at the riverfront wharves.

The port director played two videos about the port before taking the transportation secretary on a brief tour of its grounds, with stops near the harbor crane, front-end loader, and reacher-stacker and then at the wharf by the tugboat, to which Mr. LaMarre cheekily referred as his “girlfriend.”

Along with the port’s efforts to develop markets for synthetic gypsum and bottom ash from the power plant, he said, neighboring Gerdau Steel has recently shipped some of its bar stock via lake freighters to a grinding-ball mill in Duluth, Minn.

Monroe Mayor Robert Clark said Mr. LaMarre’s success at identifying outbound cargo for ships that bring coal into Monroe has been especially valuable, while the port’s diversification is critical given that Detroit Edison plans to close the plant by 2031.

“We had a port, but it wasn’t operational,” the mayor said of the local harbor’s status when he first took office 14 years ago.

Mr. LaMarre said the Whitmer administration’s recent shepherding of a $5 million maritime program in Michigan was vital to the Monroe port’s ability to obtain federal grant money, to which the state funding serves as the required “local match.”

State funds of $3.2 million, partially matching the $11 million from the federal Port Infrastructure and Development Program, were needed, otherwise, it would have represented three years’ worth of the Monroe port’s entire annual budget, he said.

Mr. Buttigieg, during his time in Monroe, also visited the West Elm Avenue crossing of CSX Transportation railroad tracks, near Telegraph Road, where a $23.9 million federal grant awarded in June will pay for design and construction of an underpass. Construction is scheduled to start in late 2026 or early 2027.

Other coverage

MSNBC: Sec. Buttigieg: ‘We are not about the chaos and the drama’ (Port of Monroe is mentioned at the 4:45 mark of the video)

WTOL11: Transportation Secretary Buttigieg visits Port of Monroe after announcement of $11 million for infrastructure improvements

Michigan Radio: Transportation Secretary Buttigieg tours Michigan’s fast-growing Port of Monroe

Photo Credits: Chris Winters

Port of Monroe director Captain Paul C. LaMarre III was elected president of the American Great Lakes Ports Association at the organization’s annual conference in Chicago last week. AGLPA represents the interests of commercial ports and port users on the U.S. side of the Great Lakes. Its members include 16 public agency port authorities and more than 30 associate members representing allied companies and organizations.

“As a lifelong student of the Great Lakes maritime industry, I am humbled by the opportunity to serve our Great Lakes ports as the President of AGLPA, but most importantly to lead our association as ‘one port’ sustaining our region through relationships and relevance,” said LaMarre.

Also at this event, the Port of Monroe received a Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter award for the 2022 shipping season this week. The award was presented to LaMarre by Great Lakes Seaway Administrator Adam Tindall-Schlicht. It is the seventh Pacesetter award the Port of Monroe has received since 2013.

The Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award is an award presented to Great Lakes ports by the U. S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) that report increases in international tonnage during a shipping season. It was established in 1992 to recognize the achievements of U.S. ports whose activities resulted in increasing international tonnage shipped through the St. Lawrence Seaway, excluding Canada, in comparison to the previous year.

Capt. Paul C. LaMarre speaks at the American Great Lakes Ports Association annual meeting in Chicago. At left is Illinois International Port District director Erik Varela and at right is AGLPA Executive Director Steve Fisher.

Capt. Paul C. LaMarre III poses with Seaway Administrator Adam Tindall-Schlicht celebrating another Pacesetter award.

The international tanker Iver Bright delivered several cargoes of liquid asphalt to Michigan Paving & Materials at the Port of Monroe via the St. Lawrence Seaway in 2022.