CLEVELAND Active economy has port jumping

Port of Cleveland shipping tonnage is the highest in four years.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Port of Cleveland is humming and local shipping industry representatives say it could be a sign that the economy is headed upward.
Shipping of iron ore, limestone, salt, cement and imported steel has increased 30 percent over last year, said Steven Pfeiffer, the port's maritime director.
"There's only one reason steel is moving through here like this," Pfeiffer said. "The economy's coming back. That's the indicator that the manufacturers are hard at work."
Ninety percent of what moves through the port is consumed within 75 miles, Pfeiffer said.
The busy port could be a sign that Cleveland-area manufacturers are ready to make filing cabinets, light fixtures, appliances, screws, nuts, bolts and coat hangers, Pfeiffer said.
The construction industry, which uses limestone and cement, also appears ready for a productive spring.
This year's shipping tonnage was more than in any of the last four years, Pfeiffer said.
Port of Cleveland customers project that next year will be even busier.
Pfeiffer said it's "the strongest optimism that we've seen in five years. That equates to jobs in Cleveland."
Surge in steel
The Federal Marine Terminals in Cleveland has seen a surge in imported steel from Europe, South America, Russia and other countries, said terminal manager Joe Thornton.
"The price of steel is through the roof, but in spite of that, we're benefiting from it," he said.
The Federal Marine Terminals' annual shipping tonnage has increased from 300,000 to 500,000 tons, he said, with monthly averages increasing from about 40,000 to nearly 75,000.
Glen Nekvasil, spokesman for the Lake Carriers Association, said total weight of shipped materials also has increased 20 percent this year for carriers who travel on the Great Lakes.
Although the numbers have moved up in the last year, they still have a way to go to match numbers from 10 years ago when the economy was strong, Nekvasil said.
At that time, total movement through the Port of Cleveland was about 15 million tons.
In the first nine months of this year, that number was about 10 million.
Last year, that number was 7.2 million.
"We're going to have a good year, but we're not going to reach previous levels," he said.