By Louie St. George III
Like a nagging sniffle that refuses to subside following a head cold, supply chain bottlenecks that surfaced during COVID-19 continued to linger well after the pandemic. Demand dwarfed supply and, even when goods were available, transporting them from Point A to Point B was a process fraught with complexities.
Among the obstacles was a pronounced labor shortage. As of 2021, for example, the United States had a deficit of 80,000 truck drivers, according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA).
It was amid this backdrop that Brian Foster, along with family members and colleagues at Jeff Foster Trucking, apprised a patch of weathered waterfront property they had purchased in 2003 – the former Georgia Pacific fiberboard plant along Water Street in Superior. Since the mid-2000s, it has been used for cold storage. But there was always a belief that, someday, it could play a more prominent role in the Foster Trucking organization.
“When supply chain bottlenecks started happening, we all went and stood out on that dock wall and said, ‘This property has too much potential not to try to do anything with it’,” said Brian, the chief operating officer of a company that understands supply chain logistics about as well as any other. “It snowballed into this great conversation about how this really could help the area and move us into the future.”
It was Brian’s dad, Jeff, the company’s founder and namesake, who ultimately made the decision to purchase the 53-acre property near Connors Point. Talk about foresight.
“He is great at seeing the opportunities in everything,” Brian said.
What did Brian and the others see as they looked out on the harbor a few years ago? The potential for a transformative project that would facilitate the shipment of goods to and from other parts of the world. They envisioned the first multimodal port facility in Superior. The more they talked, and the more they engaged other key stakeholders, pursuing the project became a no-brainer.
The infrastructure was largely in place, including two rail spurs accessing the site. And the location – nearby U.S. Highways 2 and 53, as well as Interstate 35 in Duluth – was ideal. Similarly, as Brian points out, the spit of land runs parallel to the harbor and is about equidistant to the Aerial Lift Bridge and Superior Entry. Thus, ships won’t have to back up prior to or after loading; rather, they can come in one entry, dock and sail out the other way.
The first step would be to repair a deteriorating dock wall that is sliding into the water. It wouldn’t be cheap, Brian knew, which is why he jokes that, in addition to potential, the group also saw money signs.
An announcement from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation this past February is helping turn a vision into reality. As part of the state’s Harbor Assistance Program, Elkhorn Industries – which is owned by Foster Trucking – received a $3 million grant to rebuild the dock wall. Elkhorn had requested $11.5 million for a project expected to cost more than $14 million. Still, the amount is significant. It adds credibility and signals that the state considers the project to be viable and worthwhile. That includes U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, both of whom toured the property and immediately recognized its promise. Lake Superior, its blue water disappearing into the horizon, opens up a world of opportunity.
“Superior has always taken care of us; we need to take care of Superior as well.”
– Brian Foster, Chief Operating Officer – Jeff Foster Trucking
“The more you dig into it, the more it seems possible. They could envision it,” Brian said of the two elected officials.
The grant also should help Elkhorn leverage other funding sources. Brian called it a “shot in the arm.” He learned of the
$3 million award in late December.
“That was a great phone call to get. It was a really nice Christmas present going into the new year,” he said. “This should open other funding opportunities that we’re looking at.”
Regulatory reviews, as well as additional planning and design, will precede shovels going into the ground. Elkhorn will need to facilitate environmental studies and work with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to obtain the necessary permits. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be heavily involved in mapping out the project. The “stuff people can’t see,” as Jim Jones, general manager for Foster Trucking, says.
Jones says repair work could start this year, but 2025 is probably a more realistic timeline. Once it starts, he says, “it’ll be surprising how fast the work goes.”
“My optimistic view is that by the end of the 2025 season we could start to receive ships at our dock,” he said. “It’s very exciting. It’s been a couple years in the making at this point, and there are more years ahead of us, but the ball is certainly rolling.”
Once the project is complete, the refurbished dock should be at least 750 feet long, Jones says. That would be enough to accommodate two ships at a time; container ships on the Great Lakes typically measure about 350 to 400 feet in length, or substantially smaller than the ore boats folks in the Twin Ports are familiar with. According to Jones, Elkhorn’s “pie in the sky plan” would give the company two 1,000-foot docks.
Overall, the Department of Transportation in February approved eight harbor grants statewide for $10 million. That total included an additional Superior project – stabilizing shoreline and taking out a dilapidated dock wall on property owned by General Mills. Wisconsin’s Harbor Assistance Program dates to 1979 and strives to “maintain and improve waterborne commerce” in the state’s harbor communities.
According to a media release, applications are reviewed by the Harbor Advisory Council, which includes members from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, University of Wisconsin Sea Grant, Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and alumni from the Great Lakes Maritime Research Institute.
Applications are accepted from public or private harbor facilities
for projects that benefit the transfer of cargo, shipbuilding,
commercial fishing, vessel cruises or ferry service. All projects must have a transportation efficiency benefit-cost ratio greater than one over a 25-year project life and be identified in a current three-year harbor development plan.
“Wisconsin’s ports handle billions of dollars of cargo each year and our waters – from our Great Lakes to the Mississippi River – are critical for our businesses shipping goods around the world and powering our communities and our economy,” Gov. Evers said in the release. “These grants will help build a stronger transportation network for our state and make sure our ports and harbors have the 21st-century infrastructure needed to support a 21st-century global economy.”
A Trucking Company With Shipping in its Future
As the name implies, Jeff Foster Trucking is synonymous with, well, trucking. With 18-wheelers and over-the-road transport. Brian and Jones are quick to note that the company is not changing its focus. But, for myriad reasons, it is evolving. The industry looks different than it did when Jeff Foster started his business with a single truck in 1981.
Trucks move about 72 percent of the country’s freight, by weight, according to the ATA. But external factors – not enough drivers, deteriorating roads, a desire to limit fuel emissions – are creating stress.
“Our core business is trucking, so we really feed what we do back to our core business,” Brian said. “You’re constantly trying to figure out what helps us get over the next hurdle.”
The pandemic uncovered deficiencies in relying predominantly on transporting goods via trucks and trains. For example, many of the nation’s roadways are in disrepair, crumbling under the strain of overuse and neglect. And trains haven’t been able to pick up the slack entirely.
“Water is always the most efficient route, and shipping across the Great Lakes is the most under-utilized transportation option,” Jones said.
Another reason for the extra attention on shipping? A desire to be more environmentally friendly.
In 2022, the United States and Norway organized the Green Shipping Challenge, which encourages “governments, ports and companies to prepare commitments to spur the transition to green shipping.”
The goal is zero-emission shipping by 2050. While many of the strategies to support this ambitious objective deal with the embrace of alternative fuels and rethinking ship designs, there is a crucial role for ports to play as well. Developing “smart ports” that enable “zero-emission bunkering” by allowing ships to connect to onshore electricity would reduce emissions. Well thought-out ports that maximize efficiency also would reduce idle time, again lowering emissions.
There’s also the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System Green Shipping Corridor Network Initiative. Through this collaboration, Canada and the U.S. will work with the industry to establish green corridors across the region.
“Everybody in the world is pushing for these green initiatives,” Brian said.
Container ships aren’t yet a popular sight on the Great Lakes, but that’s almost certain to change. By making these investments now and turning its Water Street site into an attractive, easy-to-navigate port, Foster Trucking could be well positioned to capitalize on the transition.
“This happens on the Great Lakes, and we see it happening on a greater scale because of the green initiative,” Brian said. “So what can we do to utilize our waterway so that it benefits the greater good of our environment?”
“Repair work could start this year, but 2025 is probably a more realistic timeline.”
– Jim Jones, General Manager – Jeff Foster Trucking
His father’s entrepreneurial mindset embraces the motto that the company moves “at the speed of an idea.” This particular idea, with so many partners and nuances, never was destined to move quickly. To do it right would take time. Brian and his team had to include the right people and build the right relationships. And they had to be patient. Play the long game.
“It’s a challenge to get everything to come together at the same time,” Jones said.
But the wait, he believes, will be worth it. Their fledgling port facility could morph into a worldwide transportation hub.
“I do see it becoming a reality because there’s a need for it,” Jones said. “This is a pretty small market to shipping companies at this time – but it won’t always be. Part of it is kind of ‘Field of Dreams.’ If you build it, they will come.”
In addition to Sen. Baldwin and Gov. Evers, Jones applauded leaders with the City of Superior, Douglas County and others from the state. Jason Serck, planning, economic development and port director for the city, has been a key proponent.
“They have been amazing,” Jones said. “It’s surreal. The team of people that we have working to push this forward sees the value for our city, state and region. It’s nice to be part of a team that works so hard to move this forward. This started as a dream, but it’s becoming reality now.”
A Potential Boon for Superior
Talk with Brian and Jones for any length of time, and it’s evident how much they value the City of Superior. The community has supported Foster Trucking for 40-plus years, and it’s a mutually beneficial relationship they don’t take for granted. It’s through that lens of respect that so many decisions are evaluated. Will something hurt or harm the city? If the latter, it’s likely dead in the water. In other words, don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
“We’re always trying to take care of our family of companies, but Jeff Foster always instills in us that we need to take care of the region, too,” Jones said. “Superior has always taken care of us; we need to take care of Superior as well. If something is good for Superior, Wisconsin, it’s good for us. We’ve always taken our civic responsibility very seriously.”
The same philosophy applies to Lake Superior, with which the Foster family’s history goes back generations. Brian says his great-grandfather was an ore boat captain, while Jeff Foster purchased the former U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sundew in 2009 with an intent to preserve and rehabilitate the ship. Brian also calls his family “Great Lakes boaters.”
“We love the Great Lakes, so we want to make sure that nothing we do tarnishes the area,” Brian said. “This is our home. This is where we built our business.”
That business is destined to look different in the near future than it does today. And that’s OK – the opposite of change is stagnation, which has never been a part of the Foster Trucking culture. P.S.
Louie St. George III is a freelance writer based in the Twin Ports.