Clear into the Future




	IMPORTANCE OF THE RIVER History of the River History of Hagley The River's Uses About the Estuary The Impact of the River on Commerce THE WORKING RIVER Interview with the People Working on the River History of Delaware Ports Delaware River Cargo Map of Delaware River Ports How Do Ports Function THE LIVING RIVER The Species in and Around the River Challenges Facing our Estuary Community About the Clean Water Act National Estuary Programs How Can I Help Delaware Costal Conditions About Watersheds

Interview the People Working on the River

Joseph Balzano
Exec. Director and CEO of South Jersey Port Corporation

IMPORTANT QUOTE: “I work near a highway that is tied to the international world, and that highway is the Delaware River. My whole life has been a mesh of trying to be the connection between the working and living river.”

Q. What is your job description?
A. For the past 57 years, he has run and operated a port in Camden, NJ. This port is where big ships come in to load and unload their cargo. His company, South Jersey Port Corporation, has been in existence since 1930. He sees 5 million tons of cargo (including items such as bananas, lumber, plywood, scrap iron, etc.) come in each year from all over the world. Joe has 140 direct employees, but works with close to 1,000 people every day, such as the truck drivers, long shoremen, etc. He considers his company to be the connector between the river and the carriers. Joe described the Delaware River as the Highway to the world, and his company connects that highway to the rail and truck carriers that take the goods to the rest of the country.

Q. How did you get interested in this job?
A. In 1947, Joe was a kid in school who worked on the waterfront. While working on the waterfront, Joe fell in love with the maritime world. He wanted to stay around the ships, the sea, even the macho long shoremen. In 1951, he started at South Jersey Port Corporation and he has been there ever since.

Q. What does the term “working river” mean to you?
A. Joe, himself, is part of the working river. He considers anything connected with the river that produces a job to be a part of the working river.

Q. Who does your work benefit?
A. The whole economy. He says his company is an economic engine that handles water-born cargos for people around the world. His work produces jobs, money, and goods for everyone.

Q. How do you consider the needs of your company’s audience?
A. He handles products that are meaningful to the area because a lot of his cargo is shipped throughout the Delaware Valley. He tries to keep prices low, if economically possible. His port is the largest Del Monte port in the world and the largest plywood (500,000 tons/year) and cocoa bean port on the east coast. His job is extremely people focused – not only does his work produce jobs, but all types of people get their products from his port, from small companies to the big corporation even to the average homemaker.

Q. What does you average day consist of?
A. His day usually begins at 6:00am and ends at 7:00pm, but he is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. He could be in the office, in meetings, doing negotiations and marketing work, out on the work site, on the ships, or in the warehouses at any point any day. He says he is not as active as he once was 20 years ago, but he still tries to be. Every day is different for Joe, and there is no such thing as a dull day. In Joe’s words, he “sees the world every day” – people, commodities (especially scrap iron), cargo.

Q. What are some of your day-to-day difficulties?
A. There is a ripple effect dealing with connection problems because of all of the various people he works with every day. The fact that everything seems to be coming from other countries these days makes things difficult to coordinate. Everyone influenced by water-born connections every day with almost every item they use daily. This causes a great deal of pressure on the port companies.

Q. What advice would you give people to preserve the estuary community?
A. When the Clean Water Act of 1986 was passed, the river was opened up to everyone. People need to appreciate each other needs and try to compliment each other’s wishes. Ports need to be environmentally tuned in – they are currently starting to reduce emissions and energy use, but more need to start “greening” themselves in order to help their neighbors.

Q. What advice would you give someone looking to go into your career?
A. “Go for it!” Looking back on an article from 1969 that he was quoted in (NJ Business, Magazine of Industry and Business, 1969, “Anticipation on the Delaware,” written by John Cunningham), he thinks he did it right. There is good money to be made in the maritime world (job include lawyers, tug boat captains, engineers, and so many more). He encourages all kids to at least complete high school, but highly recommends getting a college degree in business/transportation. Joe also mentioned that common sense is necessary to work on the river.

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