DETROIT, MI – U.S. Senator Gary Peters today announced that the Port of Monroe has been awarded $11,051,586 through the Port Infrastructure Development Program, funding that will be critical for strengthening and expanding the Port’s capabilities. The grant was awarded by the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD), an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Peters supported the Port’s application for this federal funding.

“The Port of Monroe is not only a critical resource for manufacturers in Michigan and across the Great Lakes region, but it also plays a crucial role in ensuring efficient trade and transport of products that families and businesses rely on every day,” said Senator Peters, Chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight, and Ports. “I was pleased to support the Port’s effort to secure this funding, which will expand cargo capacity, increase economic activity for the region and strengthen supply chains. I’ll keep fighting to make sure the Port is treated fairly, has the resources necessary to compete on a level playing field and reaches its full potential.”

“There are but a few rare moments in a Port’s history which can be considered monumental. This grant award represents the single largest investment in the Port of Monroe’s infrastructure since the organization’s creation in 1932 and will have profound effects on the sustainability and enhancement of our maritime infrastructure which supports the Port of Monroe’s continued growth as a regional hub for both domestic and international renewable energy cargoes,” said Paul LaMarre, Port Director of the Port of Monroe. “Senator Peters is the Port of Monroe’s champion. His unequivocal support for the Great Lakes maritime industry and Michigan’s role as the ‘Great Lakes State’ is second to none. His support of this grant and our continued efforts is humbly appreciated and will have far reaching effects on our Port’s future.”

The Port of Monroe Project award will go toward its Lake Erie Renewable Energy Resilience Project, funding four components: riverfront work, turning basin work, maritime readiness slip construction and shore power infrastructure.

1. Component 1—Riverfront work will include replacing the surface of the existing wharf, constructing a second riverfront wharf to be used exclusively for vessel transfer of wind energy cargos, and reinforcing shoreline stabilization;
2. Component 2—Turning Basin work will include rehabilitating the concrete dock cap, bollard and fender installation, and replacing roughly 390 feet of failed sheet pile;
3. Component 3—Small Boat “Maritime Readiness Slip” construction will include demolishing and rehabilitating an existing small boat slip to be used by harbor assist vessels; and
4. Component 4—Shore Power infrastructure will include removing existing overhead lines and providing shore power to the riverfront wharves.

Peters has been a strong advocate for increased funding for Michigan’s ports. During negotiations for the bipartisan infrastructure law, Peters pushed for and succeeded in securing increased investments for the Port Infrastructure Development Program to fund port infrastructure needed to improve freight mobility, address port congestion, and improve port competitiveness.

As Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Peters has supported funding for the Port Security Grant Program and has fought to support Michigan’s ports, especially the Port of Monroe, and ensure they receive fair treatment. Last year, he announced the Port of Monroe received a $770,983 federal grant to help upgrade cargo screening infrastructure and previously helped secure a $1.1 million federal grant for the Port to expand its maritime commerce operations. A bipartisan measure coauthored by Peters was signed into law requiring federal officials to assess all ports of entry, including finding ways to reduce wait times for passengers and cargo at the border. Peters has also repeatedly pressed U.S. Customs and Border Protection on why the Port of Monroe is being held to standards that are not applied to other ports in the region. He toured the Port of Monroe last year with Customs and Border Protection officials and Port of Monroe leaders to assess current operations and discuss resolving ongoing cargo clearance challenges that impact commerce at the port.

MONROE, MI: The Port of Monroe (Port) along with port tenant Ventower Industries (Ventower) and terminal operator DRM are working to develop and expand new renewable energy supply chain opportunities during the 2022 shipping season.

The Port and DRM are working to load wind tower sections manufactured in Monroe by Ventower for outbound shipment on US-flagged barges.  The wind towers are being transported to the Port of Oswego, New York where they will be staged with other components for delivery to a project site in upstate New York.

Ventower Industries is the only active wind turbine tower manufacturer in the United States located at a Port. The relationship between the Port and Ventower has been critical in developing these new supply chains. A load of tower sections was loaded aboard a foreign-flagged vessel in 2019 for delivery to a project in South America but this current project is a positive step forward for short-sea-shipping on the Great Lakes.

“The fabrication of utility-scale wind turbine towers is what we do best.  When you combine the skills of our manufacturing team and the capabilities we developed at our Port of Monroe manufacturing facility with a world class marine transportation facility next door, it creates an environment which allows us to serve our customers more effectively and makes our products that much more competitive in the region,” said Gregory Adanin, CEO/President at Ventower.

Ashton Marine Corporation, a Michigan-based tug company, is handling the transportation for the project.

“We are honored to partner with the Port, Ventower and DRM on this renewable energy project,” said Seth Andrie, President of Ashton Marine. “Transporting project cargo for our customers throughout the Great Lakes is one of our specialties.”

In 2016, the U.S. Maritime Administration designated the Port of Monroe as part of the Marine Highway Route M-90. As a Marine Highway, the Port and its stakeholders are committed to developing and expanding marine highway service options in the United States to expand the use of America’s navigable waterways.

“In a single project we have Michigan manufactured renewable energy components, built right here at the Port of Monroe, being transported under the American flag on a designated Marine Highway Route,” said Capt. Paul C. LaMarre III, Port Director at the Port of Monroe. “The Port of Monroe is proud to be at the forefront of domestic cargo diversification which will ultimately benefit the system as a whole.”

The Port recently welcomed a new Manitowoc crawler crane to the port which will be used to load tower sections. Funds to purchase the crane were awarded through the Marine Highway program.

The wind tower project is expected to be completed later this summer.

Ventower Industries, located at the Port.

Monday, August 16, 2021

MONROE, MI – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, today toured the Port of Monroe with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials, including Acting Commissioner Troy Miller, and Port of Monroe leaders to assess current operations and discuss resolving ongoing cargo clearance challenges the port faces. In recent years, the Port of Monroe has been restricted by CBP’s Detroit Field Office from accepting international break bulk cargo and prohibited the port from accepting international maritime containers, unless the port invested in significant and costly screening technology and infrastructure upgrades. Other Great Lakes ports have reported not being subjected to the same restrictions, which undermines Michigan’s economic competitiveness. As Chairman of the Committee that oversees CBP, Peters has long pressed CBP for answers on why there are these unequal requirements, and advocated for the Port of Monroe to be held to the same standards as other ports in the region.

“I appreciated today’s opportunity to show Acting Commissioner Miller and other Customs and Border Protection officials how the Port of Monroe is working to deliver critical products to families and businesses across Michigan and the Great Lakes region. We were able to see firsthand how Director Paul LaMarre and his leadership team are investing in stronger security screening and infrastructure so they can expand operations,” said Senator Peters. “Acting Commissioner Miller and I discussed how we can work together to resolve longstanding issues, that limit Michigan’s economic competitiveness and raise questions about whether these screening rules are truly effective and based on risk. We also discussed the economic engine of the Great Lakes and how expanded cargo services could increase economic activity for the region and the nation. I’ll continue fighting to ensure Michigan’s ports are treated fairly and have the resources necessary to ensure our state can continue to serve as a hub for international commerce.”

“The unrelenting advocacy of Senator Peters and the support of his legislative team has served as the fuel propelling the Port of Monroe to reach its potential as Michigan’s first maritime container terminal. The Senator’s deckplates leadership has never been more apparent than during this visit,” said Paul LaMarre, Director of the Port of Monroe. “Acting Commissioner Miller’s presence in our community and footsteps upon our dock represent USCBP’s commitment to ensure that the Port of Monroe, and all Michigan Ports, will be open for business as we strive to sustain the ‘Great Lakes State’s’ economic vitality during this challenging time. Following this meeting it is imperative that Michigan’s CBP leadership finds ways to ensure that Michigan’s Ports receive equitable allocations of personnel, tools, and technology as Senator Peters’ has continually legislated for their enhanced resources.”

During the visit Peters, Miller and other CBP officials met with the Port of Monroe’s leadership team to discuss the ongoing challenges and what additional resources are required to ensure that incoming cargo is safe and secure, assure reliable and consistent service, boost operations, and expand their capabilities to provide increased cargo services throughout the Great Lakes region. They also toured the Port’s existing facilities and discussed planned upgrades to ensure the Port can handle additional types of cargo.

In his role on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Peters has fought to support Michigan’s ports, especially the Port of Monroe, and ensure they receive fair treatment. He recently announced the Port of Monroe received a federal grant to help upgrade cargo screening infrastructure. A bipartisan measure coauthored by Peters was signed into law requiring federal officials to assess all ports of entry, including finding ways to reduce wait times for passengers and cargo at the border. Peters has repeatedly pressed CBP on why the Port of Monroe is being held to standards that are not applied to other ports in the region. Peters recently published an op-ed, outlining the importance of making sure Michigan’s economic competitiveness is not being undercut by unfair policies or practices. Peters also helped secure a $1.1 million federal grant for the Port of Monroe to expand its maritime commerce operations. In 2019, Peters authored legislation to authorize CBP to hire 600 additional CBP Officers each year until needs identified in the workload staffing model are met.

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Washington, DC (September 5, 2018) – The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership announces the release of Economic Impacts of the Port of Monroe, a report documenting the many contributions made by the Port and Great Lakes Seaway Shipping to the City of Monroe, Monroe County, State of Michigan and Great Lakes region.

The study reports that in 2017 the Port of Monroe and maritime commerce supported:

• 1,659 jobs
• $96 million in economic activity
• $121.1 million in personal income and local consumption expenditures
• $38.5 million in federal and state tax revenue

“The Port of Monroe represents the closest convergence of major freight assets anywhere in the region with deep-draft frontage on the River Raisin, direct rail Class 1 rail access, and immediate access to I-75. As Michigan’s only port on Lake Erie, the Port of Monroe serves as the gateway to the State of Michigan’s far reaching multimodal transportation network and this report highlights the significant economic impact that the ‘Biggest Little Port’ has on our region,” says Paul C. LaMarre III, Director, Port of Monroe. “This report is evidence that multimodal commerce is vital to the economic prosperity of our region. At the Port of Monroe, we proudly support the mariner and Great Lakes region.”

“The study reflects the important contributions the Port of Monroe provides to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region,” says Steven A. Fisher, Executive Director of the American Great Lakes Ports Association. “The jobs supported by the maritime industry include not only those located directly on the waterfront – shipyard workers, stevedores, vessel operators, terminal employees, truck drivers and marine pilots – but also grain farmers, construction works, miners and steelworkers. Many of these jobs would vanish if not for a dynamic maritime industry.”

The Economic Impacts of Port of Monroe full report can be downloaded at www.greatlakesseaway.org/economy.

The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway Navigation System

Economic Impacts of the Port of Monroe is a companion report to the broader Great Lakes-St. Lawrence study titled Economic Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region, a year-long study of the economic impacts of the entire Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway navigation system.

The study reports that in 2017 in Michigan, maritime commerce supported:

• $4.1 billion in economic activity
• 25,910 jobs
• 59 million metric tons of cargo handled
• $1.7 billion in personal income and local consumption expenditures
• $763.2 million in federal, state & local taxes

The study reports that in 2017 in the United States and Canada, maritime commerce supported:

• 237,868 jobs
• $35 billion in economic activity
• $14.2 billion in personal income and local consumption expenditures
• $6.6 billion in federal, state/provincial and local tax revenue

The Economic Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region Executive Summary and full report can be downloaded at http://greatlakesseaway.org/economy.

* The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System includes impacts of domestic and international cargo that has travelled at some point through the Great Lakes, its connecting rivers and the St. Lawrence Seaway (ending at St. Lambert Lock in Montreal). It excludes Quebec commerce that moves exclusively between Canadian ports on the lower St. Lawrence River, as well as commerce between these Canadian lower St. Lawrence River ports and overseas ports.

About the Port of Monroe

The Port of Monroe is Michigan’s only port on Lake Erie and serves as the gateway to the State of Michigan’s far reaching multimodal transportation network. Located on the deep-draft frontage of the River Raisin, with direct rail Class 1 rail access, and immediately adjacent to I-75, the Port of Monroe represents the closest convergence of major freight assets anywhere in the region. This accessibility coupled with efficient cargo handling, economic freight rates and a highly accommodating Port management team have earned us the reputation of being the “Mariner’s Port” to our customers and “The Biggest Little Port” on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway System.

For more information, please visit www.portofmonroe.com.

About the Great Lakes Seaway Partnership

The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership is a coalition of leading US and Canadian maritime organizations working to enhance public understanding of the benefits of commercial shipping in the Great Lakes Seaway region of North America. The organization manages an education-focused communications program, sponsors research and works closely with media, policy makers, community groups, allied industries, environmental stakeholders and the general public to highlight the positive attributes of marine transportation.

For more information, please visit www.greatlakesseaway.org.

About the Economic Impacts Study

The Economic Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region, which uses 2017 data, was conducted by economic consultants Martin Associates of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a global leader in transportation economic analysis and strategic planning. Martin Associates was retained to perform this analysis by a coalition of U.S. and Canadian Great Lakes and St. Lawrence marine industry stakeholders, including: Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, the American Great Lakes Ports Association, the Chamber of Marine Commerce, the Lake Carriers Association, and the Shipping Federation of Canada. The analysis was developed from comprehensive interviews with more than 750 individual firms with 1,105 operations throughout the region. The report provides the navigation community, transportation planners, government policy makers and the general public with an assessment of the economic impacts of the entire Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway navigation system.

Washington, D.C. (August 3, 2018) – The Port of Monroe achieved a 123 percent growth in international tonnage in their 2017 Navigation Season on Wednesday July 25, 2018. For this, the port was honored with the Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award from the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Craig H. Middlebrook, Deputy Administrator of the SLSDC, presented the award to the Port of Monroe board of directors. The Port of Monroe was one of only six ports to receive the Pacesetter Award for the 2017 season.

“The Port has constructed a new river front dock with $4 million of State funding.” Middlebrook commended the work of the Port of Monroe and their director, Paul C. LaMarre III. “This is your third Pacesetter award – and I’m sure it won’t be the last due to your dedication and continued efforts for the City of Monroe, State of Michigan and maritime community.”

Pictured Left to Right: Paul C. LaMarre III, Director, Port of Monroe; Dr. Arthur Sulzer, Founder, Maritime Academy Charter High School of Philadelphia & Advisory Board Member, Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation; Craig H. Middlebrook, Deputy Administrator, Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

Established in 1992, the SLSDC Pacesetter Award recognizes U.S. ports who have registered increases in international cargo tonnage shipped through their ports and through the St. Lawrence Seaway. Over the past 25 years, the SLSDC has distributed more than 140 Pacesetter Awards to 14 different Great Lakes/Seaway ports.

About the Great Lakes Seaway Partnership
The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership is a coalition of leading US and Canadian maritime organizations working to enhance public understanding of the benefits of commercial shipping in the Great Lakes Seaway region of North America. The organization manages an education-focused communications program, sponsors research and works closely with media, policy makers, community groups, allied industries, environmental stakeholders and the general public to highlight the positive attributes of marine transportation.

The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System is a marine highway that extends 2,300 miles from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. Approximately 143.5 million metric tons of cargo is moved across the System on an annual basis, supporting more than 237,868 jobs and $35 billion in economic activity.

For more information, please visit http://www.greatlakesseaway.org.