Page 24: of Marine News Magazine (June 2005)

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For the third year running MarineNews was able to tap the minds of six prominent industry leaders in an attempt to deliver exclusive insights as to the direction of the workboat and shallow draft market for the coming years. Our annual “CEO Six

Pack” has become a perennial reader favorite, and this year we are fortunate to have yet another stellar collection of exe- cuitves, including: Al Anderson, Vice President of Gov- ernment and Public Affairs, CHS Inc. Raymond Butler, Executive Direc- tor, Gulf Intracoastal Waterways Associa- tion (GICA) Rick Calhoun, President and Chair- man, Cargill Marine and Terminal, Inc. Steve Golding, President, Golding

Barge Line, Inc. Gary LaGrange, President and

CEO, Port of New Orleans, and Paul E. Mauer, President, Trinity

Marine Products, Inc.

Al Anderson • CHS

MN: What is the most important message about the inland waterways industry that needs to be conveyed to the media and policymakers?

Anderson: The most important mes- sage for our industry to convey to both media and decision makers is that we exist and that we are economically and environmentally vital to the country.

It has always been amazing to me that the most demonstrably efficient and environ- mentally sound transportation mode is either totally ignored or gets bad press.

Because we are a small, at times insular industry, and because few reporters have any knowledge or understanding of water- borne transportation, about the only time we make the newspapers or evening news is when a tow hits a bridge or barges break loose.

This is especially frustrating in my area because there are so many positive stories that media people could be telling. When there are river cleanup efforts, for exam- ple, local shippers and harbor service companies lead the charge and provide a towboat and barges to haul away the tons of junk collected. Another story that was never told was how Upper River Services, a St. Paul harbor service company, along with Cargo Carriers, and Caterpillar, made it possible for Chad Pegrake and his river cleanup organization to have the tow boat they now use to clean up rivers around the nation.

I realize that the industry has been in an economic recession for many years and unable to afford a well funded public information campaign, but I think we as individuals and our company leaders can get to know which reporters might have an interest in the river industry and work with them on stories of mutual concern.

An excellent example of inexpensive ways this can be done is MARC 2000's recent list of the, "Top five endangered locks of the Upper Mississippi System."

This list has gotten wide coverage both in cities near the "endangered" locks and elsewhere when the Associated Press picked up the story.

MN: If you could have the federal gov- ernment change one policy, what would it be? 24 • MarineNews • June, 2005

The CEO “Six Pack”

Photo illustration by John Guzman

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