Maritime transport: Whitmer, Buttigieg visit Port of Monroe

Lisa Vidaurri Bowling, The Monroe News
·2 min read
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All this week, The Monroe News is looking back at some of the stories and photos of 2023.

MONROE — The Port of Monroe welcomed visits from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg this year.

The marine terminal provides access to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway and is Michigan’s only port on Lake Erie. It was established in 1932 and serves 17 states.

In April, Whitmer announced the port is the first in Michigan to build a container terminal after being awarded a $5 million grant from the state with additional funding from the federal government. The award is in addition to the $11 million federal grant awarded to the port last year through the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD).

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addressed the local leaders, Port of Monroe staff and others Monday, April 3, 2023 after touring the Port of Monroe which will become the first port in Michigan to build a container terminal after receiving a $5 million grant from the state and additional funding from the federal government. The MV James R. Barker is an American bulk carrier that operates on the upper four North American Great Lakes was docked at the Port of Monroe.

Reported earlier: Gov. Whitmer tours Port of Monroe following multimillion grant award

Whitmer said the funds go toward construction of a cargo scanning facility and fund improvements and programming at the Opportunity Center. She said the work is critical and a lot of the facilities, built in the 1930s, have not been significantly upgraded until now.

Port of Monroe Director Paul LaMarre, left, talks with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg during a tour of the port Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2023. Behind them is the tug boat America.
Port of Monroe Director Paul LaMarre, left, talks with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg during a tour of the port Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2023. Behind them is the tug boat America.

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Earlier this month, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg toured the port allowing Port of Monroe Director Paul LaMarre the opportunity to show Buttigieg how investments in the port have benefitted the Monroe community.

More: Infrastructure investments at Port of Monroe highlighted for Secretary of Transportation

According to Lamarre, the focus is on the value of the cargo that moves through the port indicating more cargo leads to more economic activity.

As the 2023 shipping season draws to a close, LaMarre said the Port of Monroe moves steadily into the next chapter of its history.

Members of the media interview Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Port of Monroe Director Paul LaMarre (right) Monday after the tour of the Port of Monroe, Ventower Industries and formal remarks in front of the MV James R. Barker, an American bulk carrier that operates on the upper four North American Great Lakes docked at the Port of Monroe Monday, April 3, 2023.

“It has also proven our resilience and ability to embrace relationships as the most valuable commodity we handle,” Lamarre said in an email. “This has never been more evident than during the recent visits by Gov. Whitmer and Secretary Buttigieg, as their investment in our port is proof positive that we are making an impactful difference in our industry, community, and society.

“Thanks to this support, the port’s future will see the rejuvenation of our aged facilities and revolutionary cargo advancements that will bolster our long-term sustainability.”

— Contact reporter Lisa Vidaurri-Bowling at lvidaurribowling@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Maritime transport: Whitmer, Buttigieg visit Port of Monroe