Empty shipping containers clog ports , slowing supply chains and pumping out carbon . George Kochanowski may just have a sustainable solution …
FIVE MINUTES WITH ...
GEORGE KOCHANOWSKI ,
CEO OF STAXXON
Empty shipping containers clog ports , slowing supply chains and pumping out carbon . George Kochanowski may just have a sustainable solution …
Q . TELL US A LITTLE OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
» I received a bachelor ’ s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn , and some graduate studies in Business at Northwestern University .
As the inventor of all-plastic , retroreflective traffic signage , I received Plastic Product of the Year in 1998 . As Manager of Process Control for GE Plastics , I also received a leadership award for state-of-the-art computer control systems and networks at GE ’ s Alabama facility .
I ’ ve held senior corporate leadership positions with public and private companies , ranging from electromagnetics to advanced composite materials .
Q . WHAT DOES STAXXON DO ?
» We design foldable intermodal shipping containers that exceed ISO and CSC standards , and the systems needed to fold them standing upright in bundles , safely and quickly . We are in the process of developing a network of fabricators in Europe and North America to produce our assemblies .
Q . WHAT CAUSES SO-CALLED ‘ EMPTY RUNNING ’?
» Empty containers clog roads and ship terminals , causing port congestion and leaving little space to unload ships . This then forces many ships to wait offshore , wasting resources and slowing the supply chain to a crawl .
The problem disappears only as the ships sail away .
Q . HOW SERIOUS IS THE EMPTY-RUNNING PROBLEM ?
» Unfortunately , due to global importexport imbalances , the ‘ empties ’ – when delivered to terminals – cause port congestion .
This has a domino effect , as they need to be temporarily stored on their
22 May 2023