[fvcrew22]

This is great news, it's great to see a forward thinking resident get this whole thing going! Hopefully we'll see more things like this in the future.

Port finds new anchor
New maritime contract bringing welcome business to port, downtown
Carlton Proctor • cproctor@pnj.com • March 21, 2010

On his daily commute from Gulf Breeze to his downtown Pensacola restaurant, Buddy McCormick couldn't help but notice something big missing from the Port of Pensacola.

Namely, ships.

As a former top executive in the maritime industry, the port's nearly empty docks during much of 2008 and 2009 not only stirred McCormick's imagination but also his business savvy.

"Going back and forth to Gulf Breeze, I kept thinking 'What a great location that is for a port,' " he said. "It would be a great spot for deepwater support boats because it's so close to the Gulf."

And, as a downtown investor, McCormick knew what's good for the port would be good for his business, Ragtyme Grill, and many others in the downtown area.

So, in early 2009, McCormick contacted his former company, Offshore Inland Marine and Oilfield Services of Mobile, and got its executives talking with port Director Clyde Mathis.

Offshore is a supplier of repair, upgrade and modification services for offshore drilling platforms. After lengthy negotiations, Mathis and company officials agreed to a year-long lease, which began in December.

The result has been the berthing of four large ocean-going supply ships at the port.

And to say they've been a much-needed shot in the arm for port revenues — hit hard by the sharp economic downturn of the past 18 months — would be an understatement.

"What really excites me about Offshore is the job creation and economic impact it is having on Pensacola," Mathis said. "At the port we're as much about creating job and economic impact as anything else."

Mathis is working on a long-term contract he hopes to send to the City Council next month.

Pensacola City Councilman P.C. Wu, chairman of the Enterprise Operations Committee, which oversees the port, said the Offshore contract appears to be a "win-win" for the port and the city.

"It's bringing in high wages, and the crews are spending money in hotels, restaurants and businesses downtown," Wu said. "I think it's wonderful for the port, and wonderful for the city."

Article continued: http://www.pnj.com/article/20100321/...nds-new-anchor

Picture from PNJ: