MILWAUKEE — Over the past two months, you may have seen some rather large boats docked at Port Milwaukee. If you are extra observant, you'll recognize that this happens every year around this time. There is a very important reason, and it helps keep a multi-billion-dollar shipping industry afloat.
Every winter for about two months, large cargo vessels are docked at Port Milwaukee receiving crucial maintenance. The work ranges from upgrading electrical wiring to installing new communication systems to repairing worn-out steel.
“These vessels are pretty old. They’ve had some past lives in different areas of the world," Amelia Harrison, a port engineer with Andrie, a maritime logistics company, said.
These barges transport goods like cement, aggregate, food, and anything else that keeps people and businesses moving in the Great Lakes region.
“I like the big engines. I like that we push ourselves around the Great Lakes. I love that we support the infrastructure of America," Harrison said.
During the winter layup, these boats aren’t moving cargo, which means they’re not making money. Work has to be done fast during this time to ensure economic success for the shipping companies, the ports, and all the businesses that receive the goods.
A specialized labor force is needed to make sure all that works gets done - especially since they are cramming months of maintenance into just 60 days. To stay on schedule, there are groups of about five crew members that rotate 28 days on and 28 days off. Their daily shifts are 12 hours long, and they live on board. Additionally, there can be anywhere from 15-20 contractors on the boat at anytime. The contractors do not live aboard the vessel.
“This gets in your blood. It’s, you know, just being on the boat, you have to run. It’s high paced," Dan Rankin, the owner of Hi-Tec Fab, a fabrication company, said.
One of the boats in Port Milwaukee is the Integrity, which is owned by Amrize. The company produces and ships concrete throughout the United States.
“The carrying capacity for this vessel is 12 to 14,000 tons, depending on water levels, and for the season, this vessel will probably haul 600,000 plus tons of cement," John Tomshack, the marine model manager for the Great Lakes for Amrize, said.
That's a lot of product that needs to reach ports and eventually be used by companies all across the region. Amrize chooses Milwaukee because of its skilled labor force.
“The city of Milwaukee is a great place for us to have access to skilled trades, steel workers, electricians, things like that," Tomshack said.
Each boat has a different departure date. The Integrity is scheduled to begin navigating the Great Lakes on March 15th.
Watch the story to see work being done on a barge during a winter layup...
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