Maher looks forward to its relationship with Prince Rupert

With last weeks grand opening starting to fade from memory, the actual task of getting down working on the docks at Fairview is getting closer and closer. Maher Terminals which will be handling the containers when they arrive in Prince Rupert is ready to get to work and very happy to be part of the Prince Rupert employment scene.

The Daily News had a feature interview in Monday’s paper with Brian Maher, the chairman and CEO of Maher Terminals who had some positive things to say about his company’s arrival on the North Coast.

RESIDENTS CRUCIAL TO PROJECT: MAHER
Brian Maher impressed with the local attitude
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, September 17, 2007
Pages one and three

One of the reasons Maher Terminals took interest in developing a large new container terminal in the town of Prince Rupert was because its residents wanted it done.

Speaking to dignitaries during the opening ceremony last week, the chairman and CEO of Maher Terminals, Brian Maher said he was really impressed with the new facility and the workforce assembled by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 505.

“One of the things that got me interested in this project was that this was something the community wanted. We weren’t coming here and forcing it on people, this was something people wanted,” said Maher.

“We have built here a workforce we think is going to do a great job on this terminal and I give a lot of credit to Glenn Edwards and Local 505.”

Maher is the largest container terminal handler in North America, with its primary operations in New York/ New Jersey.

The company was recently purchased by RREEF Infrastructure, a division of the Deutsch Bank, and there were several representatives from RREEF at the event.

“I have seen a lot of container terminals in my day and I am impressed I came here yesterday and I was impressed. Things like this don’t just happen, especially in an environment like this were you have so many issues – environmental issues, political issues and economic issues,” he said.

“We had excellent partners and we have an excellent coalition here,” said Maher. He credited the Maher, CN and port management teams for making the project a reality.
“That’s my name on those cranes but the only thing I did was say ‘okay’. Because it was everybody else, those folks who said this is a good project and all I had to do was say ‘okay’, he said.

Joining Maher was Feng Zhang, COSCO Container Lines America, executive vice-president.

“Today is very important day in the history of COSCO and I am very happy to be here,” said Zhang.

He had read the story of Prince Rupert through the internet – that the city was founded in the early 1900’s by Charles Melville Hays as the terminus for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway with the intent of serving Asian trade.

“We can only hope that great success and fortune will be brought to Prince Rupert making his (Hays) dream a reality.”

He acknowledged the economic advantage Prince Rupert offers to COSCO as well as the economic development Western Canada.

“COSCO’s vision is clear, it includes strong growth in trade between China and North America and given the facilities developed in Prince Rupert… COSCO will be able to build on the advantages and become a long time supporter of the gateway in Prince Rupert,” he said.

The Kalmar's are coming, the Kalmar's are coming

A Swedish equipment manufacturer is proudly trumpeting the news that Maher Terminals of Prince Rupert will be using Kalmar machinery at the Fairview Container Port.

Kalmar will be providing 17 reachstackers and 34 terminal tractors, All of which will be commissioned by the terminal’s opening in October 2007. The units will feature increased load capacities of 45 tonnes in the first row, 35 tonnes in the second row and 18 tonnes in the third row.

The decision to use Kalmar machinery continues a long standing arrangement between Maher Terminals of New Jersey and the manufacturer, which has seen them provide many of the heavy equipment in use on the docks of New Jersey.

Videos and still pictures of the Kalmar product line can be found on their website.

(Pictured above: one of the 17 DRF reachstackers ordered by Maher Terminals of Canada Corp for its new container handling operations at the Port of Prince Rupert. The New Jersey-based marine terminal operator will also outfit the new facility with 34 Kalmar terminal tractors.)

Kalmar Industries AB
Maher Terminals partners with Kalmar to launch its Prince Rupert operations
2007-08-15 16:06

Maher Terminals of Canada Corp has opted to outfit its new container handling operations at Fairview Terminal in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada with multiple types of Kalmar equipment. The New Jersey-based marine terminal operator has ordered in the last year a total of 17 DRF450-60S5X reachstackers and 34 terminal tractors. All units will be commissioned by the terminal’s opening in October 2007.

As a longtime user of Kalmar equipment, the latest order from Maher Terminals reinforces the strategic partnership between the two companies. Maher Terminals in the Port of New York/New Jersey is Kalmar’s largest global straddle carrier customer with 183 units, which were recently equipped with Kalmar’s Smartpath®, a container position verification system, and Fleetview, a system for monitoring and coordinating container handling equipment. The marine terminal operator also took into operation three Kalmar reachstackers in 2005 for handling containers for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Millennium Marine Rail facility.

Maher Terminals’ new Kalmar reachstackers will be employed at the Port of Prince Rupert’s new Fairview Container Terminal to support container yard and intermodal on-dock double stack rail operations. The units will feature increased load capacities of 45 tonnes in the first row, 35 tonnes in the second row and 18 tonnes in the third row.

The Port of Prince Rupert offers the shortest route between the Far East and North America, the deepest harbour in North America, and on-dock access to Canadian National (CN)’s high capacity double stack rail network. Phase 1 of the Prince Rupert container terminal project – a joint venture between CN, Maher Terminals of Canada Corp and the Prince Rupert Port Authority – will provide an annual container handling capacity of 500,000 TEUs, which will be increased during Phase 2 to two million TEUs.

Eyes on the western horizon for arrival of giant cranes

The cranes that will soon change the skyline of Prince Rupert are on their way, Maher Terminals says that the cranes have set sail across the Pacific from the ZPMC manufacturing facility in Shanghai, China.

They expected to arrive at Fairview sometime between the middle and end of August. Their arrival will signal a turning point for the Port of Prince Rupert which has transformed the formerly under used bulk port into what they hope will be one of North America’s fastest growing container terminals.

The Daily News examined some of the background on the cranes and what they symbolize for both the port and the city’s future.

PORT PROJECT REACHING NEW HEIGHTS AS CRANES ARE SET TO ARRIVE
By Christian Webber
The Daily News
Monday, July 30, 2007
Pages one and three

The massive cranes that are set to dominate the Prince Rupert landscape in the years to come and which are an integral part of the development of the port of Prince Rupert are now making their way to the city.

Frans van Riemsdyk, the senior vice president of Maher Terminals says he is very excited about the imminent arrival of the Fairview Terminal cranes.

He said it is certainly a milestone event that complements the great progress the Prince Rupert Port Authority has made on the construction front.

“The cranes will be arriving mid the end of August and are on schedule,” said van Riemsdyk.

They had originally talked about having the cranes arriving as early as July, but the later date is not an impediment to the planned October start-up, he added.

Van Riemsdyk said it is an enormous part of the terminal operation to see the cranes arrive.

“We are also thrilled for the community of Prince Rupert, we recognize that this started off as a dream and there was a certain amount of skepticism about whether this would all come about,” said van Riemsdyk.

Second only to the arrival of the ships in October is the arrival of the cranes as a sure sign that the business will start flowing through Prince Rupert, said van Riemsdyk.

He said this year has been a very good year in terms of validating the confidence that they have all had in Prince Rupert, the Port Authority has overseen production on time and on budget.

He added that having signed China’s largest ocean carrier, China Ocean Shipping Company, to commence calling at the Port of Prince Rupert is a great show of confidence and viability in the route.

“So I think the combination of those two things underscore our tremendous confidence in the project,” said van Riemsdyk.

The cranes are en-route right now, they were manufactured in Shanghai at the ZMPC facility, probably the largest manufacturing site of container cranes in the world.

“We are looking forward to having them arrive at the harbour, from what I’ve heard they will be the tallest structure in Prince Rupert and will actually dwarf the Highliner Hotel, they will be big cranes able to handle the world’s largest container ships,” said van Riemsdyk.

The first port of call will be Prince Rupert, the crane delivery will emulate what ocean carriers will do in terms of delivering cargo to Prince Rupert through the quickest route from the Far East.

Van Riemsdyk said it will take a week or so for the cranes to be off loaded, there sill be some further commissioning and testing of the cranes along with local training. All of those steps are on schedule to support an October start-up of operations.

There will be a big celebration sometime during September, that the Prince Rupert Port authority will announce to celebrate completion of construction and arrival of all the equipment.

Prince Rupert’s newest resident is Maher Terminals general manager, he has arrived as part of their commitment to Prince Rupert.

“I think in terms of management employees that are now supporting the operation locally, we have built that up to about 10, so the early promises of generating jobs and economic spin-off is starting to show some real signs,” said van Riemsdyk.

Maher confirms COSCO deal

A press release from Maher Terminals added their company to the list of stakeholders in the Fairview Container port, wecloming the COSCO shipping line to the Northwest.

The Daily News presented the Maher perspective as part of Thursday's front page.

Maher welcomes deal with COSCO
The Daily News
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Page one

Maher Terminals confirmed yesterday that it too has completed an agreement with China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) to commence calling Maher's new container terminal at the Port of Prince Rupert.

According to Maher, COSCO will begin calling the terminal on a weekly basis during the 4th Quarter of 2007. Earlier this week, the Canadian National Railway company (CN) announced that it had also reached an Agreement with COSCO to provide rail service via the new Prince Rupert container terminal to key North American markets.

"Maher Terminals is delighted to welcome COSCO to the Port of Prince Rupert as its first ocean carrier container terminal customer. COSCO's commitment is a great vote of confidence in the viability of this new route and in the success of our partnership with CN, the Prince Rupert Port Authority, and the federal and provincial governments of Canada and British Columbia, all of whom are key stakeholders in the terminal's development," stated M. Brian Maher, Chairman and Chief Executive, Maher Terminals, LLC.

"The City of Prince Rupert and communities throughout the Northwest Corridor have been very supportive of this project from its early planning stages. We are pleased that with
this announcement these communities now have the opportunity to participate in the economic benefits of opening this new trade corridor."

The Port of Prince Rupert offers the shortest route between the Far East and North America, the deepest harbour in North America, and on dock access to CN's high capacity double stack rail network.

Phase 1 of the Prince Rupert container terminal project will provide an annual container handling capacity of 500,000 teus, which will be increased during Phase 2 to two million teus.
"Maher Terminals has a long and valued relationship with COSCO. We are pleased that COSCO has seized the opportunity to provide to its customers the benefit of the added transportation capacity that the Prince Rupert trade corridor will make available," said Don McBeth, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Maher Terminals, LLC.

Maher Terminals, LLC is headquartered in Berkeley Heights, NJ, currently operates the Port of NY/NJ's largest marine terminal, and has recently completed a $400 million modernization and expansion of its facility, container handling equipment fleet, and technology. Maher's NY/NJ operations provide import shippers with direct access to over 125 million consumers.

Germans pick up major investment in northwest

The Daily News provided a bit of local feedback to the purchase of Maher Terminals by RREEF Infrastructure, a division of Deutsche Bank.

As we recounted on the Podunk site on Tuesday, the giant German financial group has agreed to purchased Maher, giving them a hold on two important gateways to North America, one in new Jersey and the soon to be completed container port at Fairview here in Prince Rupert.

The Daily News story was the page one headline in Wednesday’s paper.

MAHER TERMINALS BOUGHT BY INTERNATIONAL PLAYER
Division of the Deutsche Bank brings deep pockets
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Page one

The Port of Prince Rupert sees the purchase of Maher Terminals - the operator of the new Fairview Container Terminal - by RREEF Infrastructure as a good thing.

RREEF Infrastructure, a part of the RREEF Alternative Investments, global alternatives asset management business of Deutsche Bank’s Asset Management division, announced yesterday it has agreed to purchase Maher Terminals, a privately-held operator of Port terminal facilities in Port Elizabeth, New Jersey, and the Port of Prince Rupert.

“This can be viewed as a positive development for the Prince Rupert project,” said Don Krusel, president and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority.

“Container ports operate on a global scale and require mega dollars to ensure they are built and remain competitive.”

The acquisition will be made through Deutsche Bank Americas Holding Corp., a RREEF affiliate.

“This brings to the equation new owners with deep pockets,” said Krusel.

“I suppose you can read in to this that the Prince Rupert project is seen as a favourable investment.”

Maher Terminals was selected as the operator of the new 500,000 TEU (containers per year) terminal in Prince Rupert more than a year ago.

The new terminal is a $170 million partnership between Maher, CN Rail, the federal and provincial governments and Port of Prince Rupert.

Meanwhile, the port is already planning Phase Two of the terminal, which will expand to capacity to two million TEU’s annually and discussing Phase Three, a second terminal on Ridley Island.

Apparently, the new port facility was part of the attraction for RREEF Infrastructure.

“We believe Maher Terminals represents the best assets combined with the very best management team in the industry,” said David Kerr, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager with RREEF.

“We are excited to have this opportunity to operate in both Port Elizabeth and the Port of Prince Rupert, two of the most prized and most promising terminals in North America.”

RREEF had $73 billion in assets at the end of 2006, and was named the world’s largest alternative investment manager in a survey last September.

“As the environment changes in the port industry, RREEF provides Maher increased ability to compete on a global level,” said M. Brian Maher, Chairman and CEO of Maher Terminals. “Their vision of growth and value creation will lead us into the future as we grow our existing terminal business and compete additional capacity in the North American market.”

The company will retain the Maher name and the acquisition will not affect the leadership of Maher Terminals.

It will also keep its headquarters in New Jersey.

The purchase is not expected to speed up the pace of development for Phase Two, said Krusel, as that pace is set by outside factors such as the speed of permits and engineering design.

New owners for Maher Terminals

One of the key partners in the Fairview container port project has a new owner today. Maher Terminals based out of New Jersey has reached an agreement with RREEF Infrastructure, the global alternatives asset management business of Deutsche Bank’s Asset Management division.

A major player in financial matters world wide, Deutsche Bank’s division is touting the purchase as an opportunity to be involved in “two of the most prized and most promising terminals in North America.”

The company will retain the Maher name and the acquisition will not affect the leadership of Maher Terminals, with the current board of directors and managers intending to stay on board with the new ownership group.

The financial move certainly moves the Prince Rupert container project into a new realm of visibility, with the financial muscle of Deutsche Bank, the prospect for expansion and a larger presence in the global shipping world probably has increased.

It will be worth watching to see how the new ownership examines the future plans for the Terminal and where they might wish to steer the course of the ports development.


RREEF Infrastructure Agrees to Purchase Maher Terminals
Acquisition will Enable Maher to Compete on a Global Level

March 20, 2007 09:49 AM Eastern Daylight Time

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RREEF Infrastructure, a part of RREEF Alternative Investments, the global alternatives asset management business of Deutsche Bank’s Asset Management division, has agreed to purchase Maher Terminals, a privately-held operator of Port terminal facilities in Port Elizabeth and Port of Prince Rupert. The acquisition will be made through Deutsche Bank Americas Holding Corp., a RREEF affiliate.

“We believe Maher Terminals represents the best assets combined with the very best management team in the industry,” said David Kerr, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager with RREEF. “We are excited to have this opportunity to operate in both Port Elizabeth and the Port of Prince Rupert, two of the most prized and most promising terminals in North America.”
“As the environment changes in the port industry, RREEF provides Maher increased ability to compete on a global level,” said M. Brian Maher, Chairman and CEO of Maher Terminals. “Their vision of growth and value creation will lead us in the future as we grow our existing terminal businesses and compete for additional capacity in the North American market.”

The company will retain the Maher name and the acquisition will not affect the leadership of Maher Terminals. M. Brian Maher will continue to serve as Chairman and CEO, and Basil Maher will remain as President. Maher Terminals will keep its headquarters in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey.

Deutsche Bank acted as financial advisor to RREEF for the acquisition. Greenhill & Co., LLC acted as financial advisor to Maher Terminals.

About RREEF

RREEF Infrastructure is part of RREEF Alternative Investments, the global alternative investment management business of Deutsche Bank’s Asset Management division, and invests predominately in economic infrastructure assets such as transportation, and utility generation and distribution. RREEF Alternative Investments consists of four businesses: Real Estate, Infrastructure, Private Equity and Hedge Funds. Headquartered in New York, RREEF Alternative Investments employs more than 1,400 investment professionals in 16 cities around the world to help investors meet a wide range of objectives – from diversification, to preservation of capital, to long-term performance. Named the world’s largest alternative investments manager in Watson Wyatt’s Alternative Survey, September 2006, RREEF has $73 billion in assets under management worldwide as of 31 December 2006.

About Maher Terminals

Maher Terminals operates the world's largest independent multi-user container terminal in the United States, which is strategically located in Port Elizabeth, New Jersey, a preferred commercial location within the Port of NY/NJ. Maher has received approval for and is constructing a terminal in Prince Rupert, Canada, which should be completed in the fall of 2007. Maher’s operation serves as a vital link in the cargo movement chain, enabling companies to compete in the world marketplace by handling their cargo as expeditiously and economically as possible.