The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) is proud to announce its 2020 North Star Award winners, recognizing SSA Marine with the Environmental Stewardship Award and MacMillan-Piper with the Cargo Anchor Award.

The Environmental Stewardship Award recognizes businesses that support the continued health of the environment while promoting trade and economic development. SSA Marine was selected for the implementation of several of environmental programs that are reducing pollution here in the Puget Sound region.


Member of the North Star Awards Selection Committee and 2020 Co-Chair, Commissioner Peter Steinbrueck said, "SSA Marine is very deserving of this recognition. Their commitment to executing programs that support their operations, employees, and the environment is an inspiration for other stakeholders in our gateway."

By exchanging traditional light bulbs to LED, SSA Marine reduced their energy consumption by 1.2 million kilowatt-hours. Their commuter benefits program incentivizes 'greener' commuting options by providing 'last-mile' connections between transit services and SSA Marine headquarters, reducing CO2 emissions by 157 tons annually. SSA Marine also transitioned to compostable products at their Harbor Island corporate headquarters, removing 26 tons of waste from landfills each year. 

The Cargo Anchor Award is presented to an organization whose activities have grown cargo volumes in the NWSA gateway, spurring economic growth in the region. MacMillan-Piper was chosen for the 2020 Cargo Anchor Award based on warehouse expansion in the Tacoma harbor coupled with the start of a new logistics division, which provides freight brokerage services throughout the United States. These efforts increased employment by more than 18% year over year, with MacMillan-Piper committing to continue to grow jobs, capacity, and revenue by more than 50% over the next five years.     

"MacMillan-Piper has benefitted our region and the movement of cargo around the Puget Sound for the past 50 years," stated North Star Award Selection Committee member and 2020 Co-Chair Commissioner John McCarthy. "They continue to expand their services and deepen their commitment to customers and employees, providing more jobs and strengthening our regional economy."

In addition to the North Star Award winners, the Northwest Seaport Alliance also recognizes the Honorable Mention nominees. The African Chamber of Commerce is recognized as an Environmental Stewardship Honorable Mention for its role in supporting the launch and implementation of NWSA's Clean Truck Program. Northland Services, a subsidiary of Lynden, is recognized as Cargo Anchor Honorable Mention. Northland Services has recently extended its partnership with NWSA making significant capital investments in dock and rail infrastructure at Terminal 115 in the Seattle Harbor to support operations, brining substantial returns to our region's economy.