FESCO Transportation Group, which has made the Port of Everett its Pacific Northwest shipping hub for Russian cargoes, will be expanding its export service in Everett to include roll on roll off (Ro/Ro) vessels.
Currently, the Port of Everett supports FESCO in the transportation, forestry, oil, gas and gold mining industries, Marine Terminals Director Dave Madill said. These shipments include mining machinery, oil extracting equipment, trucks, heavy equipment and food products. The majority of this cargo had been lifted on and off the ships by crane.
“This is tremendous news for our workforce, and the overall economic vitality of the community,” Madill said. “FESCO’s confidence in the Port of Everett is a true testament to our skilled workforce, quick turnaround times and excellent customer service. Adding Ro/Ro capabilities to the Port’s portfolio, coupled with our new rail line, will allow us to focus on cargo segments we have not been able to target in the past.”
In the seven years since signing the port-of-call agreement with FESCO, the Port has invested more than $20 million in terminal improvements to better support the needs of our customers, he said.
Some of the infrastructure improvements include installing two, 40 ton gantry cranes, upgrading the terminal pavement and lighting, investing in diverse cargo handling equipment, installing a new 2,500 foot rail spur on the terminals, and soon, the Port will be enhancing one of its existing berths to better accommodate Ro/Ro ships.
“We are very excited about expanding our service offerings from the Port of Everett and look forward to continuing and strengthening our partnerships,” said Mike Evans, President of FESCO Transportation Group, Seattle.
The new business will support hundreds of full and part-time jobs on the waterfront, and help the overall prosperity of the community through the export trade market. The first FESCO Ro/Ro ship is expected to arrive in Port on May 26, and is destined for Vladivostok – Russia’s largest port city on the Pacific Ocean.
For more information, please contact Lisa Lefeber, Public Affairs Administrator, at 425-388-0617 or by e-mail.
About the project partners: FESCO Transportation Group has been in business for more than a century. FESCO is now the country’s largest private intermodal transportation group, providing a full range of logistical solutions through a combination of shipping, rail, trucking and port services offered to clients through a world-wide network of sales offices. FESCO named the Port of Everett its Pacific Northwest port of call for its Russian cargoes in 2005. FESCO has been serving the Everett waterfront in many capacities since the 1970s.
Port of Everett is providing the loading facility. The Port of Everett serves a critical function in support of the manufacturing and construction base. The Port of Everett is the third largest deep-water port in Washington State, and is located 25 miles north of Seattle. The Port of Everett is served by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad and plays a vital role in support of the local aerospace industry. The Port handles 100 percent of the oversized oceangoing parts for the 747, 767 and 777 airplane programs. As a result, the Port of Everett was attributed with more than $9.2 billion in aerospace exports according to a U.S. Customs Report.
