Fed up with supply chain delays, Wisconsin company turns to Twin Ports shipping service to move goods
In a word, Charles Wachsmuth describes ongoing supply chain disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic as a “cluster.”
The vice president of Menomonie-based Chippewa Valley Bean ticked off a list of challenges the family-owned company has been forced to navigate as the self-described largest processor and exporter of kidney beans nationwide. The company has struggled with a global shortage of shipping containers, inadequate rail service and congestion at the Port of Montreal. Seeking alternatives, Wachsmuth said they moved containers of kidney beans to Chicago, which were then loaded onto trains headed for East Coast ports. Even then, shipments that made it to ports overseas waited weeks for overbooked ships to move their product to its final destination.
Wachsmuth said that’s why company officials jumped at the opportunity when the Duluth-Superior port began shipping cargo containers over water for the first time in years. “We’ve been processing beans since ’73, and the whole supply chain issue was a fatal threat to us,” Wachsmuth said. “So, this is allowing us to move forward.”
On Saturday night, nearly 200 shipping containers holding almost 9 million pounds of kidney beans from Chippewa Valley Bean departed the Port of Duluth-Superior aboard the vessel Nunalik. The containers are bound for European ports, including Salerno and Antwerp.
The exports mark the first maritime container shipments from the Twin Ports in recent years. Until last fall, the port had been restricted to moving shipping containers over land by truck or rail. With the recent expansion of service, Duluth-Superior is the only U.S. port besides Cleveland, Ohio, that’s capable of handling maritime container shipments on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System.
“We’re really excited about this opportunity and possibilities for the future,” said Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.
Port officials announced in October that Duluth’s Clure Public Marine Terminal could begin handling larger volumes of international shipping containers. The Duluth Seaway Port Authority and Lake Superior Warehousing Co. have been partnering to provide seamless cargo handling through Duluth Cargo Connect. The latest expansion of container capabilities has been touted as a way to bypass bottlenecks at other coastal ports.
Jon Lamb, president of Lake Superior Warehousing, said supply chain disruptions from COVID-19 has created greater urgency for alternative options to move cargo. ”While our approach hasn’t changed in our goal to get the service, the marketplace is perhaps more conducive to having alternatives in place. It’s probably pointed more opportunities our way sooner than later in the current environment,” Lamb said.
A broader range of alternatives has become vital for companies like Chippewa Valley Bean. Wachsmuth noted they’re leasing more than 200 climate-controlled containers for the first time in a multi-million dollar agreement with Nexyst 360, which was recently acquired by Minneapolis-based company Realm5. He said that decision was driven by the lack of service elsewhere. “And, if we don’t get the service, we don’t survive,” Wachsmuth said.
He said the company had 100 to 200 loads of beans waiting to move for months that resulted in the company cutting back production. Wachsmuth hopes having more control of their supply chain will eventually allow their business to grow. He feels the capability to ship containers from Duluth-Superior to overseas ports allows the entire region to do more business.
DeLuca said serving the regional economy and providing flexible solutions for businesses were a driving force behind efforts to expand the port’s container capabilities. “We’re always seeking to grow cargo diversity through the port, and that’s another reason the Great Lakes ports as a whole have been seeking to develop container trade,” she said.
Other ports on the Great Lakes are looking to provide maritime container shipments, DeLuca said, although she declined to name any specific locations. She and Lamb voiced cautious optimism about the ability to grow more business through the new service. Other customers and shippers have expressed interest in utilizing maritime container shipments, including from the manufacturing and agricultural sectors.
Lamb noted farmers are having an especially difficult time finding containers to ship their products overseas. “There’s a lot of pent-up demand for the exports right now, and obviously that’s as hot as anything in terms of that sector and the level of interest to use the service,” Lamb said.
Agricultural and food products in Wisconsin accounted for almost $4 billion of the state’s exports last year to nearly 150 countries, according to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection.
Wachsmuth said the company’s president, Cindy Brown, plans to meet with two shipping lines in Europe soon to inquire about possibly sending more ships to the Twin Ports to meet their needs for service. Looking ahead, he projects they’ll be able to export around 27,000 metric tons or roughly 59.5 million pounds of beans this year.
WPR
Shepler’s Ferry adds new adventure to 2022 Lighthouse Cruises lineup
MACKINAW CITY, MI – Thousands of vacationers hop on a Shepler’s ferry each summer for a quick trip to or from Mackinac Island. But then there are the adventure-seekers who step on board seeking a whole different kind of experience: They want to see some amazing Great Lakes lighthouses up close and hear snippets of their fascinating history. They want to be carried across the water while gazing up at the night sky, learning about star lore in such an enthralling way that they’ll never look at the constellations quite the same way again. Or maybe they want an exclusive waterfront tour of the Les Cheneaux Islands’ archipelago.
Shepler’s is kicking off its Lighthouse Cruises and Night Sky Cruises this month with one new kind of cruise and some other fresh sights added into an always-popular lineup.
“For the 2022 season, we will be offering 19 tours of our lighthouse cruises in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron with your choice of five different cruise routes,” Shepler’s said. These include up-close views of 20 lights.
“New this season we will be offering one early morning Westbound lighthouse cruise to enjoy daybreak illuminating the lights on the peaceful waters of Lake Michigan. Our lighthouse cruise schedule starts the first week of June and will run until the middle of September. We end our season with our exclusive and popular Les Cheneaux lighthouse cruise on September 11th. While onboard, you will hear maritime history and stories from our narrator from the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association.”
Read the rest of this article at this MLive link: https://www.mlive.com/news/2022/06/sheplers-ferry-adds-new-adventure-to-2022-lighthouse-cruises-lineup.html
MLive
Obituary: Dave Falconer
David N. Falconer, age 66, passed away peacefully on March 30, 2021 at his home in East Lansing, Michigan. He worked as an engineer for various Great Lake, river, and international shipping companies for several years, serving on a variety of vessels including Great Lakes freighters, tugboats on the Mississippi river and saltwater ships in the Caribbean. He later was employed as an engineer at the Michigan State University T.B. Simon Power Plant, where he was active in his union, serving as steward and other advisory roles. He retired from MSU in 2015.
David grew up in Roscommon, Michigan, and graduated from Roscommon High school. He attended the University of Texas for his freshman year, playing in the Texas Longhorn Band. He transferred to Michigan State University where he completed his undergraduate degree and was a member of the Spartan Marching Band. He then attended the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City, graduating in 1980 and subsequently obtaining his US Merchant Marine Engineers license. Dave’s classmates at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy remember him as a wonderful friend and a true shipmate (always to be counted on at any time).
David was preceded in death by his parents, Barbara (Reisdorf) Falconer and Ralph Falconer; and sister, Caroline. He is survived by his Reisdorf and Falconer cousins, many devoted friends and dear friend, Kim McKeon.
Throughout his adult life, Dave maintained his love of music and connections with the MSU Music Department and member of the MSU Alumni band. He also performed in the DeWitt Community Band, Grand Ledge Community Band and later with the Central Michigan Area Concert Band as a percussionist.
A celebration of Dave’s life will be held at a future date. Those wishing to honor his legacy may contribute to the Central Michigan Area Concert Band, MSU Softball or Field Hockey, or the charity of their choice (links provided below).
Read more or leave condolences and memories at www.greastlansing.com
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