Economic conditions have been uncertain for so long that in order to remain competitive, organizations must recognize that factors beyond the flagging economy may be affecting their business results.
The marketplace waits for no one, and in this sink-or-swim environment 2012 will be a year for many ports and businesses to do what they can to deliver stakeholder and customer value. It will be another year for many of us to test assumptions, ask tough questions and drill deeper into data so we can make very calculated decisions about where to strategically focus and best invest our resources.
In Los Angeles, a silver lining around the gray economic clouds has been two years of strong export volume, and we’re creating new ways of facilitating that trend through our export education and sector-based export promotion efforts. At the same time, all the major North American cargo gateways are looking at how they can best prepare for and capitalize on the changing competitive landscape in the coming years. We spent the better part of the past year reassessing our position and place in this landscape, and we have emerged with an even stronger resolve to stand toe-to-toe against intensifying competition.
In line with gearing up for competition amidst an election year and continued deliberations around the debt and deficit, my hope is that we will achieve passage of a surface transportation reauthorization bill with a national freight strategy aimed at U.S. competitiveness. The bipartisan support of MAP-21 is encouraging, and it will take our continued advocacy — from ports, our partners throughout the supply chain, and the businesses and consumers we serve — to ensure that the country has a national freight system that can keep our businesses competitive and deliver the economic return that the American people expect.