The Port of Tacoma recognized its strong, supportive relationships with customers and tenants by honoring four with the second annual Summit Awards for their outstanding contributions to Port business and the Pierce County community.
Presented May 23 at the Port’s Annual Breakfast, award recipients included Port tenant Targa Sound Terminal for Livable Community, Trident Seafoods for Environmental Stewardship and Washington United Terminals for Business Magnet. The selection committee also honored SAFE Boats with a special fourth Business Investment award.
“We are so proud of the Port’s many customers and tenants who understand that business, environmental stewardship and livable communities go hand in hand,” Commission President Don Meyer said at the event.
Award winners were recognized in the following categories:
- Livable Community: Targa Sound Terminal
Targa Sound Terminal works with a variety of nonprofit organizations to demonstrate its commitment to the community, with two main areas of focus: Rebuilding Together South Sound and Tree House. Rebuilding Together South Sound helps elderly, disabled, military and low-income families stay in their homes by providing necessary home repairs at no cost. Tree House is MultiCare Health System’s temporary housing complex designed to offer a place to stay for parents whose children are being treated at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital.
In 2012, Targa’s 47 employees donated nearly 1,000 hours in support of local charities, raising more than $100,000.
- Environmental Stewardship: Trident Seafoods
Trident Seafoods installed an advanced stormwater treatment system to improve water quality in Commencement Bay. The system filters out particulates and such pollutants as zinc and copper without using chemicals.
- Business Magnet: Washington United Terminals
Washington United Terminals successfully attracted the business of the Grand Alliance, made up of Hapag-Lloyd, OOCL and NYK Line, and associated carrier ZIM, as well as Hamburg Sud. This business has generated more than 1,000 direct new family-wage jobs and increased economic activity in our community. Increases have been notable in trucking, distribution and third-party supply chain services.
The terminal also has increased rail volume by about 50,000 lifts, which helped support greater rail efficiency and intermodal yard use for all rail users in the Port industrial area. To support this increased business, Washington United Terminals invested more than $20 million in new and upgraded equipment.
The nominees in the Business Magnet category were so strong, the selection committee decided to honor another nominee with a separate award.
- Business Investment: SAFE Boats
When SAFE Boats received a contract to build large patrol boats for the U.S. Navy, the company invested its own money to upgrade the Earley Business Center. Investments included re-siding part of the building, installing gas service and heating for the warehouse, repairing fencing, installing new rolling doors large enough to accommodate the finished boats and installing new energy-efficient lighting.
Once the site of naval shipbuilding during World War II, the Earley Business Center has a rich history of boat building. SAFE Boats has brought back this important industry, creating 60 new jobs in Tacoma.
It also has provided new business for other tenants in the Earley Business Center, including Citadel Marine Center, as well as local marine suppliers, service providers and skilled fabricators.
Recipients were selected by a panel of community and business leaders led by Meyer. The panel included Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland and Debbie Fischer of the Customs Brokers & International Freight Forwarders Association of Washington State.
Learn more about the Summit Awards at www.portoftacoma.com/summits.
To receive updates about the awards and the Annual Breakfast, subscribe to the Port’s email list.
About the Port of Tacoma
The Port of Tacoma is an economic engine for South Puget Sound, with more than 43,000 family-wage jobs in Pierce County and 113,000 jobs across Washington state connected to Port activities. A major gateway to Asia and Alaska, the Port of Tacoma is among the largest container ports in North America. The Port is also a major center for bulk, breakbulk and project/heavy-lift cargoes, as well as automobiles and trucks.