USA: Cement Shortage Not Expected

Green Bay’s shipping season is off to an early start. Passing some cargo early is important, especially for builders.

The S.S. Alpena, which brought cement, left Green Bay Monday morning. It’s one of two vessels that have been in port. The other exported petroleum.

Last year at this time, the brutal winter left thick ice, which delayed the start of the shipping season at the Port of Green Bay.

“Last year’s shipping season we lost a couple weeks, in the neighborhood of about four weeks, due to the ice conditions,” said Dean Haen, Brown County Port and Resource Recovery Director. “So this year we’re opening in a more normal shipping season starting here in the beginning of April."

That later starting date, and more project requiring cement in the area, created a problem for some construction companies.

This year they’re welcoming the more normal start to the shipping season before summer construction projects fully take shape.

“Things are definitely ramping up and in about a week to two weeks it’ll be at full capacity,” said Mike Ausloos, Northern Concrete Construction’s Director of Business Development.

About 200 ships are expected to use the Port of Green Bay this year. Officials anticipate those ships will transport more than 2 tons of cargo, including cement.

“We do still have some construction projects, road projects, the highway 41 reconstruction is still continuing,” Haen said. “We should see a high amount of cement coming into the port.”