This year, the port took home the award for its Virginia International Gateway (VIG) infrastructure project: a three-year, $312 million investment that reimagined and re-engineered one of the nation’s most state-of-the-art terminals. The project doubled VIG’s container and rail capacity, extended its berth to accommodate up to three ULCVs and incorporated the port’s own Trucker Reservation System — called TRS — for motor carriers that is dramatically increasing productivity at the gates. “As trade patterns shift, the ships calling our coast will get larger and the cargo owners are seeking ways to get their goods to market faster,” said John Reinhart, the Virginia Port Authority’s CEO and Executive Director. “We are driving efficiency and creating a new model for moving cargo. The results we are achieving are truly best-in-class and resonating throughout the industry. “While it’s humbling to be recognised for our efforts, it’s also an affirmation of the work to which have been committing ourselves. It tells us that the industry is watching and the effort we are putting into making The Port of Virginia the East Coast’s global gateway is being recognised.” The Excellence in Port Management and Infrastructure award recognises the company, port authority or terminal that has maintained the highest standards of operational efficiency and customer service. Judges also relied, in part, on the annual Lloyd’s List Top 100 Ports survey and Lloyd’s List Intelligence data on time in port, time at terminal and berth, turnaround times and fuel accessibility. In the Port Operator of the Year category, the competitors included California-based Ferrini Container and Portonave S/A – Terminais Portuários de Navegantes, a terminal in southern Brazil. A panel of 15 judges from across the industry evaluated the applications. The categories included: Deal of the Year, Excellence in Data and Technology Innovation, Excellence in Decarbonization towards 2050, Excellence in Environmental Management, Excellence in Future Fuels Solutions, Excellence in Maritime Law, Excellence in Port Management and Infrastructure, Excellence in Safety and Training, and Excellence in Supply Chain Management and Innovation.
The trophy was accepted by Rodney W. Oliver, the Virginia Port Authority’s Chief Financial Officer. A panel of 15 highly-respected judges evaluated the applications and the winners were named recently at a ceremony held in Houston. The Port of Virginia has earned four nominations over the past three years in the annual competition.