HAWK LANDS AT PORT
 Hawk Corporation is expanding its domestic U.S. manufacturing capacity with the addition of a new world-class plant at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa. The 240,000 square foot facility will manufacture friction products as part of the company’s Wellman Products Group and will incorporate production formerly housed in Ohio.
Ronald E. Weinberg, Chairman and CEO of Hawk said, "We continue to believe in the importance of premier domestic production of our products. After all, the United States is still our largest market and we need to be able to offer our customers’ rapid logistics support, top quality manufacturing and competitive pricing. We will be able to continue to meet these goals with our new facility." Hawk expects to recognize approximately $2.5 million in annual cost savings from the new facility once the operation is in full production.
Hawk Corporation is a leading worldwide supplier of highly-engineered products. Its friction products group is a leading supplier of friction materials for brakes, clutches and recreational vehicles. Their customers are in the industrial, agriculture, powersports, and aerospace sectors and include Caterpillar, John Deere, Eaton, BF Goodrich and Bombardier.
The new plant was constructed by Fleming Building Company, Inc., headquartered at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, for a local development group, Springdale, LLC. The plant will sit on a 30-acre site on the northeast edge of the Port of Catoosa’s industrial park. The area was undeveloped and is receiving significant off-site improvements including a new road, utilities, and highway access.
According to Jerry Goodwin, chairman of the City of Tulsa-Rogers County Port Authority, "The Authority will expend approximately $1 million on this work. The Port has applied to the State of Oklahoma Department of Commerce for a combination $750,000 grant and loan package to help offset these costs.
Tulsa’s Port of Catoosa Facilities Authority will also contribute $675,000 in development financing for site improvements including dirtwork and a rail spur. This work will make the site comparable to other 'shovel ready' sites, our typical offering," said Goodwin. The plant will immediately hire more than 200 workers and expects to grow to 300 in the next three years.
The company has applied to the State for financial incentives under the Quality Jobs program and the Career Tech Training for Industry programs. It has also been awarded a training grant from the Rogers County Industrial Authority to train its new Oklahoma workers.
The Tulsa Port of Catoosa, situated at the head of navigation for the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, is one of the country’s largest inland, ice-free ports and intermodal transportation centers. The Port’s 2,000-acre business complex offers industrial sites for lease or sale. Many of the companies are located at the Port because of the transportation options and savings that waterway shipping can bring.
The 445-mile waterway links Oklahoma and the surrounding five-state areas with ports on the Missouri, Ohio, Illinois, and Mississippi river systems, and foreign and domestic ports beyond by way of New Orleans and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
TULSA PORT OF CATOOSA AND PORT OF NEW ORLEANS JOIN FORCES ON HEAVY EQUIPMENT MOVE
The successful shipment of a 583-metric-ton reactor that will be used to remove sulfur from diesel fuel and gasoline, highlights the heavy-lift capabilities of both the Port of New Orleans and the Tulsa Port of Catoosa.
The reactor was built in Japan and shipped to the Port of New Orleans on the vessel Rickmers Singapore. It was trans-loaded in New Orleans onto a flat deck barge heading for the Tulsa Port of Catoosa in Northeast Oklahoma. From the Tulsa Port of Catoosa it was transferred by rail to the Valero Ardmore Refinery in Ardmore, Oklahoma.
The cylindrical steel reactor measured 101 feet long and 18 feet in diameter with a wall thickness of 8 inches.
Rickmers began phasing in the new shipping service to the Port of New Orleans about two years ago. This was one of the heaviest pieces of cargo to be shipped by them to date.
The Port of New Orleans and the Tulsa Port of Catoosa began a joint marketing
effort promoting the Mississippi River and the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System as an all-water route for project cargo. The shipping route connects the Lower Mississippi River, one of the world’s busiest waterways, with Oklahoma’s industrial complex - particularly the petrochemical industry.
"This shipment underscores the powerful partnerships that we are putting together at the Port of New Orleans and the Tulsa Port of Catoosa. The relationships that we are building between our port authorities, shipping lines, barge companies and terminal operators are helping connect America’s heartland to the world," said Gary LaGrange, president and ceo of the Port of New Orleans.
"The Tulsa Port of Catoosa has been handling shipments of this size and weight for decades," said Jerry Goodwin, chairman of the City of Tulsa-Rogers County Port Authority. "We welcome the opportunity to partner with the Port of New Orleans on projects like this.
"The ability to ship very large pieces of equipment safely by barge is a significant benefit, and the cost savings of water transportation can be enormous. We hope this alliance with the Port of New Orleans will increase our visibility and the importance of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System," said Goodwin.
The Rickmers Pearl String Service is an eastbound, round-the-world service consisting of nine sister ships. One of them calls on New Orleans every two weeks.
The reactor was loaded in Higashi Harima, Japan, on November 28 and arrived in New Orleans on December 27.
This is one of the heaviest pieces of cargo that we have moved since the ships have come in service. It’s the kind of cargo that this ship was designed to carry," said Jerry Nagel, president and ceo of Rickmers-Linie America Inc. The Singapore and her eight sister ships all have ship’s gear with 640-metric-ton capacity.
Nagel said that he anticipates the partnership between New Orleans and Tulsa will continue to generate new cargo.
The Tulsa Port of Catoosa is at the head of navigation for the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. The 445-mile long waterway links Oklahoma and the surrounding five-state area with ports on the U.S. inland waterway system, and foreign and domestic ports beyond by way of New Orleans and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
The 2,000-acre Port industrial complex offers industrial sites for lease, and its Riverview Business Park, adjacent to the Port, has property for sale. Together they are home to 60 companies employing nearly 3,000 people.
DEBRUCE GRAIN COMING TO THE TULSA PORT OF CATOOSA
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"The number of trucks, railcars and barges traveling to and from the Tulsa Port of Catoosa is about to increase significantly," according to Jerry Goodwin, chairman of the City of Tulsa-Rogers County Port Authority.
The Port Authority approved a motion to lease approximately 10.5 acres of Port property to DeBruce Grain, Inc. DeBruce is building and will operate a new waterfront terminal where they will store and handle dry fertilizer, grain, and grain products. Construction of the new facility, which will have the capacity to store 30,000 tons of fertilizer product and 500,000 bushels of grain is under construction. Their waterway shipments are projected to increase Port tonnage by as much as 20 percent in the next few years.
DeBruce is a privately held agri-business headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. DeBruce and its subsidiaries own or operate 30 terminals handling grain, fertilizer and grain by-products. These facilities are located in six states and Mexico.
The company was founded in 1978 by Paul DeBruce and in 2003 was ranked as the 129th largest private company in the United States by Forbes Magazine. It reported over $2-billion in sales in 2003.
Their combined storage capacity, totaling more than 89-million bushels, makes them the 8th largest grain company in North America
DeBruce Fertilizer, a subsidiary of the company, is a merchandiser and operator of wholesale distribution terminals and retail facilities for fertilizer throughout the Midwest. Other subsidiaries include DeBruce Transportation, a business involved in the merchandising and transportation of bulk materials, and DeBruce Feed Ingredients, a business that merchandises feed ingredients. DeBruce business enterprises include the merchandising of aggregate, steam flaking, ethanol, feed and seeds.
"You can’t argue with success," said Goodwin. "It is just an outstanding opportunity for the Port to grow its barge business almost overnight by partnering with an industry leader."
"We are very excited to be a part of the Port of Catoosa family," said Paul DeBruce, CEO of DeBruce Grain, Inc."
More than 2 million tons of cargo are shipped through the Port annually in 1,300 barges.
Since the Port opened for business in 1971, the facility has served more than 33,000 barges carrying more than 52 million tons of cargo.
The Tulsa Port of Catoosa is at the head of navigation for the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. The 445-mile long waterway links Oklahoma and the surrounding five-state area with ports on the U.S. inland waterway system, and foreign and domestic ports beyond by way of New Orleans and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
The 2,000-acre Port industrial complex offers industrial sites for lease, and its Riverview Business Park, adjacent to the Port, has property for sale. Together they are home to 60 companies employing nearly 3,000 people.
FORMER MAYOR HONORED AT TOWBOAT DEDICATION
 Approximately 200 people came to the Tulsa Port of Catoosa to honor former Tulsa Mayor James Hewgley Jr. and to witness the christening of the Port’s new towboat the "m/v James M. Hewgley. "The "m/v" signifies "motor vessel".
Hewgley, a Tulsa area business and civic leader, has been a staunch advocate of waterway transportation in Oklahoma for many years. During his two terms as Mayor of Tulsa, (1966-1968 and 1968-1970), he worked tirelessly and successfully to convince voters to approve the bond issues to fund the building of the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, and once approved, to keep the project moving.
Hewgley, a WW II veteran and retired independent oil operator, has remained an active proponent of the Tulsa Port of Catoosa and the barge, rail and truck transportation it provides to its industrial clients. He is the longest-standing member of the City of Tulsa-Rogers County Authority, having served for 30 consecutive years including four terms as board chairman. He was inducted into the Arkansas River Historical Society Hall of Fame in 2002 in recognition of his waterway achievements.
The m/v James M. Hewgley, built by Verret Shipyard, Plaquemine, La., joins the Port’s other towboat, the m/v Col. Babe Wilson, in harbor barge shifting and fleeting duties.
"It’s a quite a vessel," said Jerry Goodwin, chairman of the City of Tulsa-Rogers County Port Authority. "We’re quite pleased with it. It’s good looking, outfitted with the latest marine equipment and appears to handle well. It is slightly larger than our other boat, the m/v Col. Babe Wilson.
Although the boat has a full galley, including a refrigerator, microwave and a four-burner electric range along with a mess area including table, chairs and a couch on its second deck, the vessel is designed primarily as a "dinner bucket boat", said Dick Voth, Deputy Port Director and Operations Manager of the Tulsa Port of Catoosa. "There are no sleeping quarters and the crew goes home at the end of their shift."
The m/v James M. Hewgley measures 51 feet long, with a 22-foot beam. It is powered by two Cummins N14 diesel engines producing 880 hp. The hull is eight feet deep. The operator’s eyelevel in the pilothouse is 28 feet above the water. The pilothouse is outfitted with a two VHF radios, a loudhailer, and a depth finder. It is equipped with a 500-watt xenon searchlight, an incandescent light and air horn. The first deck includes a large workroom forward and a full head [bathroom facilities].
The boat is equipped with two 20-ton winches, and has tankage for 7,000 gallons of diesel fuel, 3500 gallons of potable water and 240 gallons of lube oil.
The new boat will be kept busy. More than 2 million tons of cargo are currently shipped through the Port annually in 1,300 barges. Since the Port opened for business in 1971, the facility has handled more than 31,000 barges carrying 50-million tons of cargo.
The Tulsa Port of Catoosa is at the head of navigation for the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. The 445-mile long waterway links Oklahoma and the surrounding five-state area with ports on the U.S. inland waterway system, and foreign and domestic ports beyond by way of New Orleans and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
The 2,000-acre Port industrial complex offers industrial sites for lease, and its Riverview Business Park, adjacent to the Port, has property for sale. Together they are home to more than 50 companies employing more than 2,500 people.
ATS EQUIPMENT ON JAMAICAN CRUISE
 Four million pounds of fabricated steel components were loaded onto an ocean-rated flat-deck barge at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa's low-water wharf for shipment to the Bogue Power Station in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
ATS/Express LLC, Tulsa, Oklahoma, an associate of Express Metal Fabricators, Inc., Locust Grove, Oklahoma, recently loaded 2,000 tons (4 million pounds) of fabricated equipment manufactured at four different locations in northeast Oklahoma onto an ocean-rated, flat-deck barge at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa's low-water wharf. Its final destination was Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Eight heat transfer modules, each measuring approximately 45 ft. x 14 ft. x 12 ft., and weighing as much as 120 tons, were the first to be loaded, followed by steam drums, ducting, piping, ladders, railings, platforms, mechanical skids, and shipping containers with miscellaneous bits and pieces as the loading crew worked late into the hot Oklahoma nights and throughout the weekend.
All of these components will be assembled in Jamaica to form two heat recovery steam generators behind two GE Frame 6B oil-fired combustion turbines in a combined cycle power plant capable of generating 40 MW of power each. One megawatt is 1,000 kilowatts, which is enough power for up to 1,000 homes.
"ATS/Express and its associates design and manufacture heat recovery steam generators, fired heaters and other custom heat transfer equipment for the power and petrochemical industries," said Tim Freed, QA/QC manager for ATS/Express. "We employ some 250 people in the Tulsa area. While many of ATS/Express competitors are struggling to survive the aftershock of the recent problems in the energy trading and electric utility markets, ATS/Express continues to thrive due to responsible senior management and a company focus on bringing value-added solutions to new customers.
"Not many people realize they can ship oversize cargo by water to ports around the world from northeast Oklahoma," said Freed, "This shipment will only stop once between here and Jamaica - in New Orleans for customs inspection."
The Tulsa Port of Catoosa is at the head of navigation for the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. The 445-mile long waterway links Oklahoma and the surrounding five-state area with ports on the U.S. inland waterway system, and foreign and domestic ports beyond by way of New Orleans and the Gulf Intercostal Waterway.
The 2,000-acre Port industrial complex offers industrial sites for lease. Riverview Business Park, adjacent to the Port, has property for sale. Together they are home to more than 50 companies employing almost 3,000 people. |
