b'34American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comWallenius Wilhelmsen signs multi-year contracts with equipment manufacturer and automotive distributorWalleniusWilhelmsenwithamendedratesinline hasrecentlysignedsignifi- withcurrentmarketlevels. cantcontractswithalead- Inaddition,WalleniusWil-ingglobalconstructionandhelmsenrecentlysigneda miningequipmentmanufac- multi-yearshippingcontract turer, as well as with one ofwith one of the largest automo-thelargestautomotivedis- tive distributors in the Ameri-tributors in the Americas. cas.Thecontract,which Themulti-yearshippingcommencedinearly2024, AMPORTS terminal in Jacksonville, FL contractwithoneoftheisvaluedatapproximately worldsleadingconstruc- USD200millionbasedon AMPORTS Kachroo takes ationandminingequipmentanticipatedvolumesovera manufacturers has a durationtwo-year period. Rates are in different route on auto logisticsofthreeyears,plusatwo- line with present market levels. yearextensionoption.TheBothcustomersagreements contract is valued at approxi- include direct support for Wal-AMPORTS new CEO Vee Kachroo has put the 60-year old auto pro- mately USD 1 billion in total,leniusWilhelmsensdecarbon-cessor on a new route in working with OEMs, railroads, ports andbasedonexpectedvolumesization initiatives, such as the use other supply chain partners. overthethree-yearperiod.of biofuel, technical and oper-A key long-term partner, theationalimprovementstothe By George Lauriat, AJOT renewedagreementcom- (CONTRACTScontinued on BackinAugustof2023,VeeKachrootry experiences have shaped Kachroos holisticmencedinNovember2023,page 36)was appointed CEO of AMPORTS, a Northapproach to the auto processor business. American auto processor with facilities on theIn an interview with AJOT, Kachroo offered East, West and Gulf coasts of theinsight into his business method-United States, along with facilitiesologyfortheJacksonville-based in Mexico.auto processor. Kachrooisacomparative outsidertotheautoprocessingaMPorts f ootPrintbusiness as he spent the bulk ofAMPORTS has eight primary his previous years working in theterminalsintheUS.Threeare railsector,principallywithCNlocatedinthePortofBaltimore, railwithwhichhespentnearlytwo more in Florida with sites in thirty years. For over 26 years, heJacksonville and Port Everglades, was vice president of CNs Indus-Vee Kachroo, AMPORTS CEO anotherinFreeport,Texas,and trial Products Division and later president oftwo in California, one in Antioch and the other Supply Chain Solutions. in Benecia. The auto processor also runs three The rail background along with other indus- (ROUTEcontinued on page 36) The Wallenius Wilhelmsen Parsifal docked at port.CHANGECHANNELYOURMove cargo more efficiently. Scale operations for future growth.Big changes are happening. The Freeport Harbor Channel will soon be the deepest in Texas with a new modernized berth and cranes to welcome larger vessels and over 500 acres of land available for development.Its time to change your channel.1.800.362.5743 | PortFreeport.com'