Port Houston Creates Equity Initiative

Port Houston announced a new initiative to promote greater equity for minority and women-owned business enterprises participating in the Gulf port’s procurement and contracting processes.

The newly formed Houston Business Equity Division will lead the effort for the Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) Equity Program and Initiative, said Roger Guenther, executive director of Port Houston.

“I am proud that the new division will elevate the profile of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at Port Houston,” Guenther said at the announcement to a gathering of city and county officials as well as community and business leaders. “I assure you that it will have the organizational support and leadership needed to produce meaningful and sustainable long-term change.”

The new program is “historic,” according to elected officials at the gathering, for its potential to sustain and grown women- and minority-owned businesses “through access, education and opportunities – economic impacts helping families and the community as well,” Port Houston said in a release.

“The new Business Equity division will report directly to me,” Guenther said. “It will include Port Houston’s successful Small Business Program and will champion the new MWBE initiatives and DEI efforts.”

Guenther added that as Port Houston addresses DEI, it considers this new business equity program as “forward-looking,” and a “public declaration,” capturing the initiative and vision for DEI at Port Houston.

The initiative includes the Port Commission’s June adoption of a DEI Position Statement, the March reorganization of its Procurement and Small Business Development Task Force as the Business Equity Committee, the adoption of a new MWBE Development Policy in April that included a 30 percent goal for participation, and the creation of a strategic marketing plan for outreach about the new MWBE program to the community.

By enrolling with the port, minority- and women-owned businesses are able to take part in trainings, networking along with access to port procurements. The port has more than 1,300 businesses in the surrounding Houston counties enrolled in the program already.

Details and enrollment for the Port Houston Business Equity Program is available on the port's website.


Hardware Issue Closes Terminals

Port Houston’s Bayport and Barbours Cut Container Terminals were closed July 28 before their normal opening time due to “a major failure of the storage devices that support all of the applications used” at both terminals, Executive Director Guenther said in a letter to port customers and stakeholders. Port officials emphasized that it was not a cyberattack on the Port Houston operating system.

Port staff moved applications and associated date to a redundant set of storage devices and the terminals were operational for about two hours until the redundant storage devices also failed. The terminals were unable to process any transactions since.

Ships that were already in progress were allowed to keep working, but new vessel starts weren’t possible. Truck gates at both facilities were idle through July 29.

“We certainly recognize the impact this situation has on our industry partners and we ask for your patience. Also, please know that we have every available resource working to restore our systems and return to work to serve you as quickly as possible,” Guenther concluded in his letter.