Two news items about the Port of Longview port commission from the Daily News:

Port of Longview commissioners approve strategic plan

Port of Longview commissioners Friday unanimously approved their five year strategic plan to develop their Barlow Point property, demolish an unused grain elevator, expand the main administration building and attract new business.

Port officials say they’re looking to extend water and utility lines to its 275-acre Barlow Point property to attract new industrial customers. The port is [also] looking to expand warehouse space and attract more bulk shipping business to Berths 1 and 2. Read more here

Port of Longview narrows director candidates to two

Glenn Carlson, 62, chief commercial officer at the North Carolina State Ports Authority, said he’s seeking a new challenge after three decades in the shipping industry in both the private and public sectors.

Geir Kalhagen, 46, general manager for the Pacific Northwest office of Tidal Transport and Trade, said he’s excited to settle down in one community after 26 years of working with shippers all over the world.

If hired, Kalhagen said he would reach out to union dock workers right away to continue easing the sore feelings over last year’s lengthy labor dispute at the EGT grain terminal. Kalhagen said he earned money to pay for college working as a longshoreman on the East Coast, and he believes labor is crucial to the port’s success.

Read more here