SSA Marine reports record revenue

SSA Marine reports record revenue    SSA Marine, the largest U.S.-owned container terminal operator, Tuesday reported 2005 container volume of 7.3 million TEUs at its 11 U.S. and international marine container operations, a 15 percent increase over 2004.
   Container volume at SSA Marine leased and operated U.S. container terminals grew 22 percent, topping the 4.3 million TEU mark. International container terminal operations grew 6 percent, surpassing 3 million TEUs, while container stevedoring operations at port authority-operated terminals grew 40 percent to more than 1.5 million TEUs.
   SSA Marine's sister company, RMS, handled 12.7 million TEUs at the 42 intermodal rail terminals it operates for U.S. class I railroads.
   'We are bullish on the future of the U.S. marine container terminal industry and our role in expanding crucial port infrastructure,' said Jon Hemingway, SSA chief executive officer, in a statement. 'In Texas City, supporting the Houston market, we are privately financing and building a $250 million container terminal. On the West Coast, we are working with the Port of Seattle and our partner Matson to double the size of our T-25 container terminal by including the T-30 container terminal lease area. And while we are expanding our terminal capacity in both the U.S. Gulf and West Coast, we are working closely with our local communities to improve service, air quality and traffic. We have several initiatives underway to prove the feasibility of using biodiesel and even cleaner fuel sources and to virtually eliminate truck idling at all our facilities.'