Service Offering for Ports

Starboard Alliance can assist port authorities market their businesses more
effectively and improve their service in a variety of ways.

1) Marketing Strategy Analysis

• Determining how to develop value-added marketing strategies that resonant with shippers
• Strategizing with port staff about new business sectors to target and determining market demand
• Conducting interviews with shippers to understand their port gateway selection processes and particular supply chain requirements

Representative Project Experience for Ports

• Abu Dhabi Port and Free Trade Zone (FTZ) Analysis:  In the port feasibility study conducted by HPA (Han Padron), Halcrow, and Mercator Transport Group, examined the potential market for a FTZ in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., by interviewing shippers, logistics service providers and government officials to understand Middle East trade flows, commodity and logistics patterns; and recommended the physical layout and target market for the FTZ
• Port of Halifax, Nova Scotia Transload Study and Follow-Up Marketing Study:  Performed in-depth interviews with major North American retailers as part of the MariNova Consulting team to identify retailer interest in using transload facilities at the Port of Halifax
• Port of Vancouver USA Maritime Marketing Study:  As part of the PB Marine and Mercator Transport Group team, performed a study to assess whether a market for warehousing and transload business at the Port could be developed as well as whether establishing containerized vessel terminal service was viable in a crowded marketplace
• Port of Portland Statewide Logistics Interview Project:  Interviewed 39 shippers across Oregon to determine how they use the multimodal transportation system and what infrastructure bottlenecks and issues they encounter
• Port of Portland Logistics Study:  As part of the Cambridge Systematics team, examined logistics patterns across Oregon by creating a questionnaire and interviewing a representative sampling of 23 Oregon shippers to understand their unique supply chains and the issues they face in getting goods to market, which enabled the Port of Portland to develop better policies to address efficient and cost-effective goods movement, improve marketing outreach efforts, and provide a justification for grant requests
• Port of Portland Transload Study and Marketing Study:  Performed a study of the U.S. transload market to determine how to attract more transload business to the Port of Portland; reviewed the Port’s marketing program, presentations and materials and made recommendations to improve effectiveness; participated in the Port’s Columbia River Service Committee and ad hoc task forces that evaluated issues and worked to attract ocean carriers to berth at the Port; and worked with the Columbia River Shippers Association (CRSA), a shippers association, to determine how to expand importer membership that would move cargo through the Port of Portland under CRSA ocean contracts 
• Port of Umatilla Market Development Project:  Performed multiple tasks to increase the Port’s business including:  assisting Port staff in developing a marketing strategy to attract more import and export business; evaluating the types of products produced in Eastern Oregon to identify export opportunities in the agriculture, raw materials and manufacturing sectors; arranging and participating in trade missions to China and Korea for Port management to meet importers and exporters potentially interested in moving cargo through the Port and to tour ports and terminals; coordinating the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a sister port relationship between the Port of Umatilla and Port of Yichang, China; identifying candidates for purchasing Port industrial lands for distribution centers, transload/warehouse operations, and manufacturing facilities; and creating a marketing brochure and revising the website content to feature its attributes in a more positive fashion
• Jacksonville, FL Distribution Center Market Analysis:  In collaboration with Chain Connectors, analyzed the strength of the warehouse and distribution market around Jacksonville and interviewed shippers to gauge their interest in locating distribution centers near the Port of Jacksonville for a commercial real estate developer
• Yantian International Container Terminal (YICT) Training Program Project:  Developed and delivered a two day training program for cross-functional staff at YICT in Shenzhen, China covering supply chain principles, shipper business models, and the dynamics of the logistics service provider industry for Hutchison Port Holdings, a global port terminal operator