The Port of Boston may not look any different than it did a year ago — ships are still being serviced at Conley Container Terminal, and the dredging of Boston Harbor continues. But 2019 feels like a lifetime ago. Last November, we were celebrating the end of another record-breaking season at Flynn Cruiseport Boston and another solid fiscal year at Conley Terminal.
This pandemic has taught us many important lessons. The most important are a reminder to be flexible and to not stray from the mission.
Ports have always been flexible. Companies merge, trade routes evolve, technology advances, and ships get bigger. This time, the health and safety of our workforce was threatened, as well as our finances, and we had to react quickly. Our employees are our top priority, so the first step was to distance staff, adjust work schedules, distribute masks, and begin sanitizing equipment. In collaboration with our partners, we figured out how to work safely.
As the industry has adapted to the pandemic, so has Conley. Furniture and textile importers have shifted business models to include PPE production. Traditional storefronts are now exploring e-commerce strategies in order to meet the demand for work and learn-from-home products. This past September was our busiest on record, reiterating demand through our congestion-free terminal.
For years, we have been laser--focused on making the Port of Boston big ship–ready. Our mission is to position the Port so that New England companies can compete in the global marketplace, and our major improvement projects are advancing. Today, as the Boston Harbor Dredging Project nears completion, we are finishing a new berth and purchasing three new ship-to-shore cranes, among other improvements.
We may not know what the new year will bring, but we will continue to adapt as needed.