Port Houston Celebrates Record-Breaking Performance, Major Milestones

Port Commission’s Meeting Spotlights Leadership, Community and Employee Recognition

On Wednesday, February 19, the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority met for its regular monthly meeting. Chairman Ric Campo opened the meeting by saluting Commissioner Dean Corgey, who leaves the Commission this month after reaching the end of his term-limited service as Port Commissioner.

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Vessels passing along the Houston Ship Channel. (Photo: Business Wire)

“We thank Commissioner Corgey for his work and contributions during the past twelve years, bringing leadership and extensive experience in the maritime industry to bear during inflection points in Port Houston’s history,” said Chairman Campo.

Following the Port Commission meeting, newly-appointed Commissioner Roland Garcia was sworn in, receiving a warm welcome from all as he takes Commissioner Corgey’s place on the commission on behalf of the City of Houston.

Houston Ship Channel Expansion, Project 11 Updates and Operations Highlights

During the meeting it was noted with excitement that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had approved the widened Houston Ship Channel from Redfish to Bayport, extending two-way traffic to fully use the expanded channel limits. In addition, the Houston Pilots lifted their daylight restriction reference point from South Boaters Cut to north of the Bayport Ship Channel, increasing the sailing window for daylight-restricted vessels by an additional 30 minutes. Overall, Project 11 has expanded the window for sailing by roughly two hours since the project began.

Chairman Campo paused the meeting to recognize the significant achievements of this billion-dollar project, noting that the work has been carried out expeditiously and on budget, and is expected to yield “more efficient operations, more jobs, and more value for the region.”

The Port Commission also acknowledged the 2024 completion of Bayport Ship Channel dredging work, which allows up to 17,000 TEU ships to call at Bayport Container Terminal. The Port Houston Channel Infrastructure team, working in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Houston Ship Channel partners, was recognized for this significant achievement.

Operations updates indicated that the total tonnage at all eight public facilities is up by 2% for January 2025 versus January 2024. TEU volumes totaled 347,019, making last month the biggest January on record for Port Houston. (See more details on cargo volumes here: https://porthouston.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Port-Houston-Record-Breaking-Volume-in-2024.pdf ).

Overall, general cargo is on the rise as well, with a 47% increase driven by strong exports out of Turning Basin and Jacintoport facilities. Import steel also had a great start to the year, with an 18% increase compared to January 2024.

ESGR Awards

The meeting provided an opportunity to highlight Port Houston’s partnership with ESGR (Employers Support of the Guard and Reserve), a Department of Defense office that promotes cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers.

Construction Inspector and Technical Sergeant Ruben Garcia, who while employed with Port Houston served on the Texas Guard from 2018-2024 with ten tours of duty, was recognized by Major General Richard Noriega on behalf of ESGR, and Port Houston was awarded the Above and Beyond Award, a national recognition acknowledging employers providing exceptional benefits to Guard and Reserve employees. In addition, Inspection and Survey Manager Gene Norman and Chief Surveyor Louis Bergman were each awarded the ESGR Patriot Award, recognizing their direct support during Sgt. Garcia’s tours of duty.

Additional Meeting Updates and Announcements

During the meeting it was announced that Port Houston had been recertified to the International Standard for Port Environmental Management Systems, known as ISO 14001, for systematically identifying environmental risks and opportunities while developing targets and objectives.

The Port Houston Fire Department recent badge pinning and promotion ceremony, recognizing firefighters who have moved up in the ranks or are new to the team, was also highlighted. With nine promotions, ten badge pinnings, and ten anniversaries, Port Houston honors the dedicated brave men and women who help maintain the safety of the channel and the more than 200 private and eight public terminals along it.

The 2025 community grants program deadline for letters of interest is on Friday, February 28. This year, Port Houston’s grant funding grows to $500,000, the largest yearly earmark since the program began in 2020. The program has sponsored a total of $1.65 million in community grants through 2024.

The Port Commission meets next on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.

About Port Houston

For more than 100 years, Port Houston has owned and operated the public wharves and terminals along the Houston Ship Channel, including the area’s largest breakbulk facility and two of the most efficient container terminals in the country. Port Houston is the advocate and a strategic leader for the Channel. The Houston Ship Channel complex and its more than 200 private and eight public terminals is the nation’s largest port for waterborne tonnage and an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas and the U.S. The Port of Houston supports the creation of nearly 1.5 million jobs in Texas and 3.37 million jobs nationwide, and economic activity totaling $439 billion in Texas and $906 billion in economic impact across the nation. For more information, visit the website at PortHouston.com.

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