DOING BUSINESS IN WILMINGTON

Wilmington has been an industrial town since its founding in 1857, its rich history intertwined with the development and growth of San Pedro Bay, now the nation’s largest global seaport complex. From the 1869 opening of the first Southern California railroad from Banning’s Landing to Los Angeles, the Wilmington waterfront and its businesses have served the local and trans-Pacific import/export trade.

Over the past 150 years, Wilmington businesses have diversified or evolved to meet the needs of changing, emerging and growing markets employing thousands of local residents in port and infrastructure development, commercial fishing and canneries, boat and shipbuilding, oil recovery and refining, commercial services, manufacturing and the movement of cargo.

Today much of Wilmington’s waterfront is dedicated to the export of goods processed in Wilmington — refined petroleum products, borates used in plastics, rubber, glass and detergents from Rio Tinto Minerals, seafood from State Fish, sporting goods manufactured by American Soccer Company, scrap paper, plastic, glass and aluminum from Potential Industries, and scrap vehicles from the Wilmington Auto Rebuilders, Ecology Auto, Wilmington Recyclers and Pick Your Part Auto Recycling, shredded and exported by SA Recycling, some of which comes back as new household appliances, electronics, auto parts and the containers that carry them.

In the East Basin, Vopak imports and exports liquid and dry bulk commodities and Pasha Stevedoring & Terminals imports heavy construction materials and equipment, rolled newsprint and oversized cargo. Wallenius Wilhemsen Logistics, the largest shipper of autos in the world, employs nearly 200 full-time local union workers who install accessories and customize autos to meet Southern California dealers’ requirements.

The West Basin terminals, TraPac, Yang Ming and China Shipping import and export containerized consumer and commercial goods from a multitude of foreign and American-owned industries worldwide.

Historically a union town, Wilmington is home to many union locals — ILWU, merchant marines, electricians, iron workers, machinists, pile drivers, and carpenters, and host to the biggest Labor Day parade on the West Coast. Wilmington’s waterfront businesses provide local jobs for thousands of union workers. continued on page 10

As the gateway and transportation corridor to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Wilmington is bordered by two major freeways and the Alameda Corridor railway that links the ports to the transcontinental rail yards near downtown LA. With 50% of the goods that pass through these seaports destined for east of the Rockies, the 2-mile-long cargo trains assembled by Pacific Harbor Line and hauled on the corridor by Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific Railroad accounts for about 30% of it.

More than 12,000 local truck owneroperators service the ports.

Most Wilmington trucking companies contract these truckers to haul cargo from port terminals to regional distribution centers and rail yards. Some offer additional services such as Fast Lane Transportation that sells and stores cargo containers. A multitude of Wilmington businesses such as Central Truck & Oil and Wilmington Truck Stop provide fuel, weigh scales, maintenance services, and truck parking facilities. Wilmington is situated in the midst of the nation’s third largest oil reserve and bordered by three major refineries, Marathon, Phillips 66, and Valero that primarily serve the Southern California region. Sulfur by-products are further processed for agricultural, and feedstock uses by California Sulphur and H.J. Baker & Bros.

Through the consolidation of oil extraction operations, oil wells and storage tanks that once covered much of the 232-acre Wilmington Industrial Park have been removed. In 1974, the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency invested $10 million in infrastructure improvements transforming it into industrial headquarters of more than 75 businesses that includes a diverse mix of manufacturing and port-related industrial use.

Juanita’s Foods manufactures and distributes Mexican foods throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. Komax Systems designs and manufactures industrial mixing equipment and systems engineering for water treatment and power generation installations worldwide. Time Warner/Spectrum maintains a television cable service to the LA Harbor area.

San Pedro Electric Sign designs, fabricates and installs neon, plastic and LED signage for commercial establishments and retail chains worldwide. R.T. Wolfenden Company specializes in industrial and commercial development and property management and has constructed several buildings in the park. California Glass Bending fabricates and laminates glass for a multitude of applications from high-rises to bullet resistant and custom forms.

Konoike – E Street, Inc. provides cold storage warehousing and distribution. Wilmington Woodworks manufactures wood pallets. Pacific Maritime Association operates a longshore equipment training facility.

The Wilmington Business Improvement District comprises nearly 200 of these businesses in the heart of the retail district that enjoys the highest pedestrian traffic in the City of LA. This self-taxing organization trims and replaces trees, provides frequent street-cleaning and adorns the shopping district with festive holiday decorations.

Other marine-related businesses throughout the community include Williams Clarke Company, customs brokers and freight forwarders, and J.A. Jacobson & Assoc, marine surveyors. Coordinated Wire Rope & Rigging, Demaria Electric Motor Services, Marine Technical Services, and Waterman Supply provide ships’ services and equipment. International Cargo Equipment repairs, stores and leases refrigerated containers, Pro Packing specializes in custom crating, refrigerated warehousing and Williamson Marine provides ships’ hull cleaning and underwater repairs.

Wilmington’s eastern waterfront provides moorings for 1,700 boats, two boat yards including San Pedro Yacht Club and the Chowder Barge, the harbor’s only floating restaurant. Wilmington Marine Services, Harpur’s Marine Engines, Min-Mar Marine Center, T & A Sails and Avalon Rafts provide recreational boating supplies, equipment, and services.

More than a thousand Wilmington retail and commercial establishments serve its residents. The Wilmington Business Improvement District comprises nearly 200 of these businesses in the heart of the retail district that enjoys the highest pedestrian traffic in the City of LA. This self-taxing organization trims and replaces trees, provides frequent street-cleaning and adorns the shopping district with festive holiday decorations.

Although the residential and port-industrial mix sometimes conflict, it is due to this port-community’s co-dependence and the diversity, adaptability and innovation of Wilmington’s businesses that the community maintains economic vitality even in adverse business climates. Wilmington’s business partners have built elementary school libraries, funded the building and expansion of its youth centers, provided student scholarships and internships, fund Banning High’s International Trade Academy programs and have regularly sponsored community organizations and events.