New upgrades are coming for the Port of Cleveland, that its backers say will make for safer and cleaner operations.
Nearly $8 million will cover the cost of two new cranes, a warehouse, and equipment to better facilitate the trans-Atlantic trade route between Cleveland and Antwerp.
Will Friedman is CEO and President of the Port. He says commerce for U.S. ports nationwide has increased 43 percent since 2007, with a total economic value of roughly $5 trillion last year. And that activity includes Cleveland.
“If you look down at the Port today, we’re really booming," says Friedman. "We’ve got usually multiple ships in port each day, our docks are very full with cargo. And we need to make some improvements to make up for the demand.”
The new cranes will replace ones that have been in service since the 1970s. Friedman says they’re not only faster, but also have fewer emissions and burn less fuel. The funding comes from several federal grants and loans.