Business and Finance

PLAQUEMINES PORT TRAVELS TO PANAMA

In September Plaquemines Port Executive Director Sandy Sanders lead a contingent of Plaquemines Port Commissioners to Panama to participate in a fact-finding mission designed to continue marketing port development opportunities in Plaquemines Parish and build relation-ships with Panamanian decision makers.

Along with Sanders were Port Chairman Dr. Stuart Guey and port commissioners Anthony Buras Jeff Edgecombe P.V. Griffin and Keith Hinkley. Port lobbyist Eric Sundstrom also attended.

Sanders said efforts underway at the Plaquemines Port correlate so well with huge expansions taking place in Panama. “Panama is the epicenter because of logistics infrastructure and the ability to move cargo quickly. We fit well logistically because we are the southernmost deep-water port on the Mississippi River about equal sailing distance from Panama as Charles-ton (SC) and Savannah (GA).”

“But when the ships come here our advantage is the ability to move cargo quickly to 33 states by barge highway and rail. We will also be able to service larger ships with the Mississippi River deepening project authorized by Congress. I truly believe cargo moving through the Panama Canal will need ports just like the port we are building to supply the needed volume for their scale” Sanders added.