Toledo’s identity is linked to its strategic location along the banks of the Maumee River as a gateway to the Great Lakes. There has been significant activity at the Port of Toledo over the winter months as a number of ships from coastal Great Lakes states and Canada laid over for repairs and maintenance before returning to ply the waters this spring. Although maritime commerce may seem somewhat antiquated in the new, digital millennium, the port has remained a major asset of our city and a constant, even in troubling economic times.
On July 18, 1955, shortly after the U.S. and Canada created the St. Lawrence Seaway system, the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority was established as the first port authority in Ohio. Civic leaders decided they needed to take advantage of the economic opportunities provided by this new international water passage. Between the 1970s and 2000s the Port Authority expanded its interest. The Port Authority now oversees major cargo operations at Toledo Express Airport and the rail shipping yards in North Toledo—creating seamless and coordinated methods for commercial transport. The region’s seaway and rail resources at the crossroads of interstate highways work like veins and arteries to deliver the lifeblood for healthy economic flow.
“A lot of times when the Port Authority makes the news, it’s for passenger traffic at the airport,” says Joe Cappel, the Port Authority’s Director of Cargo Development, “but what people may not realize is the port authority plays a pretty big role in the community in different areas related to transportation. People might think of only the grain terminals visible from I-75, but may not know about all the other activity going on, all the jobs generated and the money being brought into the community.” While it may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Toledo’s economy, the port remains part of the foundation of Toledo’s economic identity. The Port of Toledo supports around 7,000 local jobs and generates nearly $560 million for the regional economy. With its historical reputation and modern technical capabilities, Toledo’s seaport is one of the most efficient ports in the nation.
For Cappel, the Port of Toledo’s success is part and parcel of the success of the city. “I think a big role of the port is to keep current, introduce new technology, modernize the seaport and [ultimately] modernize the city. We’re always trying to bring those opportunities to the community, which benefits every- body really.”
Traditionally, steel manufacturing products and coal were imported in and grain was exported out, but now petroleum coke and other products related to alternative energy like wind turbine blades are unloaded right here in Toledo. And where trade was typically from Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa, in recent years Toledo has become a destination for ships hailing from emerging economies in Asia, Brazil, and Mexico.
The 15 terminals from the mouth of Lake Erie to the grain terminals seen from I-75, make Toledo the largest land mass port in the nation. The Port Authority has also upgraded it’s fleet in the last couple of years. The iconic gantry cranes “Big and Little Lucas” are joined by two new Mobile Harbor Cranes (which are the only ones in operation on the Great Lakes) and the largest Hydraulic Material Handler in North America, the Mantsinen RB 200. These upgrades to equipment give Toledo an unparalleled edge on the Lakes with capabilities to move and load large amounts of bulk materials quickly and efficiently. Add in the 600,000 sq ft of warehouse storage capacity and Toledo’s port becomes an attractive terminal for many multi- national corporations looking to load, unload and store an ever growing array of commodities.
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