The Port of Pensacola has its supporters for it remaining an industrial port. Both here in Pensacola and at the state level.
On June 21, the Pensacola City Council sat through a Florida Chamber of Commerce presentation on ports, logistics and trade. The speakers, State Rep. Lake Ray (R-Jacksonville), Joshua Calandros of CSX Railroad and Frank Ryll and Carrie Blanchard of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, talked about the Florida Logistics Study, which had been published in December 2010 by the Florida Chamber Foundation.
The Florida Chamber has long advocated investing more funds into the state’s 14 ports. Its study recommended that an increased focus in that area could lead to an additional 143,000 jobs in the state due to the state’s geographic position and the expansion of the Panama Canal within the next three years.
Florida Logistics Study identified seven action items:
• Support the leadership of the governor as Florida’s economic development officer and trade ambassador to market Florida as a trade and logistics hub.
• Expedite plans to create at least one seaport with 50 feet of channel depth and with an on-dock or near-dock rail connection by 2014, the scheduled completion of the Panama Canal expansion. The Port of Miami appears to be that port.
• Identify global trade and logistics as a statewide targeted industry and a focus area for Enterprise Florida, Workforce Florida, the Florida Department of Transportation and other state agencies.
• Continue efforts to double the value of Florida-origin exports over the next five years by pursuing opportunities to place Florida goods in the many containers and other vehicles which currently enter Florida full and leave empty.
• Identify investments needed to maintain and expand Miami International Airport’s role as a global hub, as well as the potential benefits of creating a second-tier air cargo hub elsewhere in Florida.
• Advance planning for an integrated statewide network of trade gateways, logistics centers and transportation corridors.
• Provide sufficient and reliable funding for future state investments in Florida’s trade, transportation and economic development systems.
While the report didn’t specifically discuss the Port of Pensacola, the speakers didn’t want to see the city diminish the facility. They argued that the port and logistics jobs are well paying jobs, with the typical wage 29 percent higher at around $53,000 per year.
Rep. Ray, who Ryll introduced as the legislature’s expert on ports, talked about how the state’s funding for its ports has increased from $8 million to $117 million in the current budget. He said the Florida hasn’t been stable because of its economy has been too dependent on agriculture, tourism and real estate development.
Ray said that it had become obvious to him the ports and international trade were significant in stabilizing Florida’s economy. He asked the city officials to be put together a vision for the Port of Pensacola that could be part of the state’s master strategic plan.
Blanchard, who worked on the study, said the ports of Pensacola and Jacksonville could play big roles in shipping goods received from international businesses to domestic markets. She said that state incentives are available to help the port attract new business.
State Rep. Doug Broxson, (R-Milton), spoke in favor of the port. “We have a new sheriff in town. Gov. Scott is traveling and telling the whole world that we are a business-friendly state….We may have more business than we’ve ever had to consider..â€
He called Pensacola the “belly button of what could be the central part of this country.â€
Read study.