Letter from the Publisher
In the wake of the tragic collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, the Port of Virginia stepped up to offer its support and immediately began taking on any cargo needing to be redirected our way. Apparently caused by a power outage aboard the container ship that collided with the Key Bridge, the accident shut […]
Australian maritime co. to start sub/shipbuilding school in Hampton Roads
An Australian maritime company announced Tuesday it will set up a submarine and shipbuilding training institution in Norfolk for the short term and will seek a permanent home in Newport News. Quality Maritime Surveyors (QMS), based in the suburbs of Adelaide, Australia, is one of the pioneering companies to take the plunge into Virginia’s waters, […]
ODU maritime training alliance designated federal Center of Excellence
The Hampton Roads Maritime Industries Education Alliance (HRMIEA) has been designated a 2024 Center of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), Old Dominion University announced Thursday. HRMIEA received the designation, good for five years, on Feb. 16, according to Elspeth McMahon, ODU‘s assistant vice president for marit[...]
Port of Va. is already handling cargo diverted from Baltimore
On Tuesday afternoon, workers at the Port of Virginia’s Virginia International Gateway facility in Portsmouth unloaded cargo that had been scheduled for the Baltimore Harbor before a container ship struck and destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in a fatal accident that has left the shipping channel closed for at least several weeks to come. […]
Baltimore bridge collapse will drive ships to Port of Va.
After a container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing the bridge to collapse and possibly claiming multiple lives, ships bound for the Port of Baltimore will be diverted to other ports, primarily the Port of Virginia and the Port of New York and New Jersey. The Virginia Port Authority, […]
Biden executive order on Chinese cranes affects Port of Va.
President Joe Biden issued an executive order Wednesday addressing cybersecurity and espionage concerns over Chinese-made cranes in use at U.S. ports, including the Port of Virginia. Additionally, the Biden administration announced a plan to invest $20 billion on infrastructure security at U.S. ports, including support for domestic manufacturing of ship-to-shore cranes. National security concerns [...]
Va.’s maritime industry has $8B economic impact, report says
Virginia’s non-military maritime industry was responsible for one in five jobs in Virginia and more than $8 billion in state and local taxes during fiscal 2022, according to a recent study conducted by William & Mary. The Virginia Maritime Association and the Virginia Port Authority commissioned the study to demonstrate the industry’s economic impact. The […]
ODU supply chain/logistics school approved by SCHEV
Old Dominion University’s School of Supply Chain, Logistics, and Maritime Operations was approved Wednesday by the state’s higher education council, and it’s set to start programming on Oct. 1, according to the university. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) OK’d the new school, which will support ODU‘s Maritime Consortium, which was created [&h[...]
Transportation 2023: REAR ADM. WESLEY McCALL
McCall became the Navy‘s mid-Atlantic commander in May after Rear Adm. Christopher “Scotty” Gray was promoted to lead the Navy Installations Command in Washington, D.C. McCall previously commanded Navy Region Southeast, which includes operations in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and much of the Southeastern United States. He was based in Jacksonville, Florida, at its Naval Air […]
Transportation 2023: JERROLD ‘JERRY’ MILLER
A veteran in the region’s ship repair industry, Miller is spearheading the $100 million development of Fairwinds Landing, a maritime operations and logistics hub supporting Hampton Roads’ offshore wind, defense and transportation industries. The 111-acre project at Norfolk Southern Corp.’s Lambert’s Points Docks in Norfolk across from Portsmouth Marine Terminal is a joint v[...]
Transportation 2023: AUBREY L. LAYNE JR.
A former state secretary of finance and secretary of transportation under two governors, Layne currently chairs the powerful Virginia Port Authority, which oversees the Port of Virginia, one of the state’s primary economic engines. His five-year term on the board runs through June 2026. And in July, he marked two years at Sentara. Layne oversees […]
Transportation 2023: JOSEPH P. ‘JOE’ RUDDY
In 2021, Ruddy was tapped a second time to be COO for the Virginia Port Authority‘s nonprofit affiliate that operates the Port of Virginia, one of the state’s chief economic drivers. Ruddy, who held the same job from 2011 to 2014, is responsible for operations, information technology, safety, security, capacity expansion projects and maintenance at […]