Great Lakes ports and shipyards sign cooperation agreement
Captain Paul LaMarre III, President, AGLPA, Patrick Kelly, Chief Executive Officer, Fraser Industries and Brian Oszakiewski, Executive Director, AGLPA (Source: AGLPA)
The American Great Lakes Ports Association (AGLPA) and the Great Lakes Alliance of Shipyards have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening cooperation between the region's port and shipyard sectors. The agreement is described as the first formal partnership between Great Lakes ports and shipyards and is intended to support development and trade growth across the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system.
Under the arrangement, the organisations will coordinate on issues including fleet renewal, construction of US-built vessels, shiprepair and vessel modernisation, port and shipyard infrastructure, workforce recruitment and training, and advocacy relating to federal maritime policies and investment.
Although non-binding, the MoU establishes a framework through which public port authorities and shipyards can work together on shared priorities. The organisations said the partnership is intended to help expand industrial capacity, support cargo growth and strengthen the maritime industrial base in the Great Lakes region.
Captain Paul LaMarre III, president of the American Great Lakes Ports Association, said: “This agreement brings our ports and shipyards together around a common vision: expanding American shipbuilding, supporting economic growth, creating skilled jobs, and reinforcing the Great Lakes as a vital part of our nation’s transportation and industrial infrastructure.”
Patrick Kelly, chief executive of Fraser Industries, signing on behalf of the Great Lakes Alliance of Shipyards, said: “By working together, shipyards and ports can expand domestic vessel construction, improve supply-chain resilience, invest in skilled workers, and ensure this region remains one of the nation’s premier centres of maritime commerce and industrial capability.”
The organisations said additional shipyards and maritime stakeholders may join the initiative in future, creating a broader coalition to support shipbuilding, repair, infrastructure investment and maritime trade throughout the Great Lakes region.
