PART
PART OF
PART OF TOLEDO'S IDENTITY IS BEING A PORT CITY. AGAIN . LOGISTICS .
BY
EXPRESSWAY, RAIL, SHIP OR PLANE
.
BEING A LOGISTICAL HUB GIVES YOU
GREAT OPPORTUNITIES
FOR GROWTH AND JOB CREATION.
SO MAYBE IT
STANDS TO REASON THAT OUR PORT
AUTHORITY HAS BECOME THE
LEADER IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT .
CERTAINLY IN
TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY . BUT
ALSO REGIONALLY. LAST YEAR,
LEADERSHIP OF THE PORT AUTHORITY
CHANGED HANDS BUT THE TRANSITION
COULDN'T
COULDN'T HAVE BEEN SMOOTHER. THOMAS WINSTON NOW SERVES AS THE PRESIDENT AND C.E.O. OF THE
TOLEDO-LUCAS COUNTY PORT
AUTHORITY. HE HOLDS A MASTER OF
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DEGREE
OUT OF CHICAGO'S LOYOLA
UNIVERSITY . THE CITY OF WHICH
HE'S
A NATIVE. BUT HE'S BEEN AT OUR
PORT
AUTHORITY SINCE 2010 AND, LET'S
FACE IT, WAS THE GUY "ON DECK" .
WHEN PAUL TOTH TOLD ME I KNOW
WHO THE NEXT PRESIDENT WILL
BE,
BE, OR
BE, OR SHOULD BE, I'VE BEEN "GROOMING HIM" FOR SOME TIME. THAT PERSON WAS YOU. DID YOU
KNOW THAT? AND HOW HAS THAT
HELPED THE TRANSITION?
HELPED
HELPED THE TRANSITION?
BUT
BUT STILL
BUT STILL 7 STRAIGHT YEARS OF PASSENGER GROWTH AT THE AIRPORT. HOW DO YOU MAKE IT 8 .
AND MORE? >>BY THE WAY, IS IT
STILL
STILL EXPRESS? AREN'T WE SUPPOSED TO
SUPPOSED TO
BE
BE CALLING IT GENE KRANZ AIRPORT, IN HONOR OF THE NASA MISSION CONTROL ICON FROM
TOLEDO? >>SOME HEAR PORT
AUTHORITY
AUTHORITY AND THINK SEAPORT. THE SHIPS THAT DOCK IN TOLEDO . DELIVERING STUFF AND FLOATING
OTHER STUFF AWAY. THOSE
DELIVERIES DOWN . BUT MUCH OF
THAT BEYOND ANYBODY'S
CONTROL. MANY FARMERS COULDN'T
PLANT ANY CORN, FEW BEANS, THIS
PAST YEAR BECAUSE OF
HISTORICALLY WET WEATHER.
STILL,
IN TERMS OF OTHER COMMODITIES,
THE SEA PORT WAS UP?
AND STEEL/ALUMINUM COMING BACK
AFTER BEING
AFTER BEING
DOWN
DOWN BECAUSE OF TARIFFS? >>THE CLEVELAND CLIFFS PROJECT HAS
CREATED
CREATED HUNDREDS OF JOBS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
CONSTRUCTION
PHASE.
PHASE. WHERE ARE WE ON THAT PROJECT THAT THE PORT AUTHORITY HAD A HAND IN . AND WHAT KIND
OF
JOB BASE WILL IT TAKE TO OPERATE
THAT FACILITY? >>SPEAKING OF
JOB BASE, I HAVE TO ASK YOU
ABOUT
ABOUT
WORKFORCE
WORKFORCE ISSUES. QUANTITY AND QUALITY. IT'S BEEN DISCUSSSED HERE AS A CHALLENGE, A PROBLEM .
DO YOU SEE
THAT,TOO? AND WHAT CAN THE PORT
AUTHORITY DO ABOUT THAT?
>>JUST
>>JUST GOT WORD OF A $16-MILLION DOLLAR GRANT THE AUTHORITY
RECEIVED.
RECEIVED. HOW WILL THAT BE USED? >>YOU GUYS HAVE A HAND IN THE BIG SOLAR PROJECT AT THE
OVERLAND PARKWAY DEVELOPMENT.
THIS IS A TOLEDO COMMUNITY
FOUNDATION PROJECT, BUT THE LAND
IS YOURS . ENERGY CREATED WILL
HELP SUPPLY JUICE TO THE NEW
DANA FACILITY THERE .BUT THEN
THERE'S THIS ELEMENT OF MONEY
GENERATED FROM GENERATING
ELECTRICITY WILL BE FUNNELED
BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY? >>THE
PORT AUTHORITY HAS BEEN
INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS BECOME MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT. BUT THAT,
NOW IS BEING EXPANDED STATEWIDE
THROUGH SOMETHING CALLED
"RESTORE AMERICA". EXPANDED INTO
RESIDENTIAL APPLICATIONS?
>>WHEN TRYING TO ATTRACT
COMPANIES HERE, ONE QUESTION
WHICH I'M TOLD ARISES, DEALS
WITH OUR FRESHWATER SUPPLY. YOU
GUYS ARE SUPPLYING MONEY TO THE
GRASSY ISLAND WETLANDS
RESTORATION PROJECT . WETLANDS
RESTORATION A BIG PART OF THE
STATE'S H2OHIO PROGRAM. IS
THERE A CONNECTION THERE? >>YOU
THINK I-75 CONTINUES TO BE A
CORRIDOR FERTILE
CORRIDOR FERTILE
FOR
FOR ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT? >>CREATED OR RETAINED OVER 19-THOUSAND JOBS THROUGH 575
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
WHAT'S YOUR FORECAST FOR THE
REST OF THIS YEAR AND NEXT?
MY
MY THANKS
MY THANKS TO THOMAS WINSTON, PRESIDENT AND
CEO
CEO OF
CEO OF THE TOLEDO-LUCAS COUNTY PORT AUTHORITY FOR KEEPING US ON THE LEADING EDGE OF GROWING THE
ECONOMY IN THIS GREAT PORT CITY.
I'LL BE RIGHT BACK.