Port of Olympia Aims to Exceed Expectations for Breakbulk Cargo

The Port of Olympia’s marine terminal has played an important role in the South Sound’s economy since the formation of the Port, in 1922. The southernmost port on Puget Sound, the present 66-acre terminal has three deepwater berths with a total of 1,750 lineal feet, a 140-tonne Gottwald mobile harbor crane, an on-dock, open beam warehouse and on-dock rail service. As other West Coast ports concentrate on container cargoes, Port of Olympia has focused on a variety of breakbulk and heavy lift cargoes. In recent years, these operations have included forest products, livestock, bulk grains, steel, oil and gas products, minerals, military cargoes and layberth.

The marine terminal is centrally located to serve Puget Sound and the Columbia River Basin, providing ready access to local, regional and international markets. Its location - just one mile from Interstate 5, ten miles from the Olympia Regional Airport and sixty miles from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport – makes the port ideal for any breakbulk shipping needs. On-dock rail service is provided by Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroads with switching service provided by Olympia & Belmore Railroad (a Genesee & Wyoming company).

The port’s on-dock, 76,000 square foot, open beam construction warehouse facility features eight truck doors with self-leveling ramps and six drive-in doors with spans up to 78 feet wide. Its rail siding has a built-in fall arrest system and the capacity to handle multiple cars.

The Port of Olympia is part of the Green Marine environmental certification program, making it one of the first 40 port authorities to do so globally, and the fourth port in the region. Green Marine is a voluntary third-party certification program that requires participating port authorities to establish baseline performance indicators in multiple facets of marine terminal operations, then demon¬strate tangible year-over-year improvements to maintain certification. The certification system evaluates six distinct operational areas, including, spill prevention, dry bulk handling and storage, community impacts, environmental leadership, waste management and greenhouse gases.

Professional teamwork and partnership with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 47 and local stevedoring companies provides 24-hour availability with a reputation for productivity. The port and ILWU Local 47 both aim to exceed expectations and build relationships based on trust as their top priority. No matter the conditions, customers can trust Port of Olympia and ILWU Local 47 to get the job done safely and on schedule. 

Our team is waiting to discuss your bulk, breakbulk, heavy lift and project cargo needs. Contact us today at +1 (360) 528-8015 or visit us on the web at https://www.portolympia.com/. Succeed with Us. Choose Olympia. 

This article is sponsored by the Port of Olympia.