Ron Widdows And Jon Hemingway To Be Honored At Connie Award Dinner In Long Beach On September 30

LONG BEACH, Calif., May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Ron Widdows, Group President and Chief Executive Officer of NOL, and Jon Hemingway, CEO and President of SSA Marine/ Carrix, have been selected as recipients of the 2010 Connie Awards to be presented September 30 by the Containerization and Intermodal Institute (CII) at a dinner marking its 50th anniversary.

Each recipient is being recognized with this prestigious award for significant influence on containerization in world trade and transportation. The event is an industry-wide dinner at the Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach, CA.

CII, founded in 1960, has been presenting the Connie Award since 1972 and it has become the most coveted honor in the field of containerization and its ancillary industries.  Among some 40 recipients to date are James McKenna, Malcom McLean, Thomas B. Crowley Sr., Bruce Seaton, Robert McEllrath, Chuck Raymond, Anthony A. Scioscia and Douglas Tilden.

The recipients were chosen following an industry poll. Both recipients are being honored for innovative spirit in their careers and at their respective companies, as well as for positive influence on the industries they serve. Mr. Widdows, whose company also owns and operates APL, has been in the maritime industry for more than 40 years. Mr. Hemingway is a lawyer who joined the family stevedoring business in 1985. Both received early educations at the University of Washington.

In announcing the event and awardees, Allen Clifford, CII president and Executive Vice President of Mediterranean Shipping Company, said:  "The success of last year's Connie awards on the West Coast was overwhelming.  Mr. Widdows and Mr. Hemingway represent two of the finest leaders in our industry and it is our honor to present them each with the Connie in this, CII's 50th anniversary year."

Mr. Widdows has worked in the shipping industry over four decades, signing on during a visit to Guam as a teenager. He joined APL in 1980. He has held senior executive roles in Asia, the United States and Canada.

He joined the NOL Board in July 2008 upon being appointed Group President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Widdows from 2003 was CEO of NOL's container shipping business, APL. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President, Global Operations and Network where he was responsible for APL's day-to-day operations including the line-haul and feeder fleets, global equipment management, procurement, terminals and alliance relationships.

He has tracked the container shipping industry from port-to-port services to today's end-to-end supply chain management. His innovative style has led to the introduction of linertrains and Stack Train services, post-Panamax ships and as a leader in the evolution of carrier alliances that have created worldwide service networks.  He has also been a leading voice on public policy issues and an advocate on the importance of improved transportation infrastructure.

Mr. Widdows is Chairman of the World Shipping Council and of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement and Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement research and discussion groups. He is on the Advisory Boards of the International Transport Forum and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. In 2009, he received the Admiral of the Ocean Sea award.

Jon Hemingway graduated from University of Washington Law School in 1982 and joined the largest law firm in Seattle, Bogle & Gates. In 1985, Mr. Hemingway joined SSA as its general counsel.  In 1987, Mr. Hemingway helped form Rail Management Services, which has grown to be the world's largest operator of intermodal rail terminals.  He was promoted to Senior Vice President and Director with responsibility for company administrative matters and establishing SSA Marine's presence in the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and in 1991, Mr. Hemingway became President and CEO of the company. 

In 1994, he initiated development of international operations, including creation of the largest container terminal in Latin America, Manzanillo International Terminal [MIT] in Colon, Panama, the largest terminal operator in Mexico with four ports and the largest terminal operator in Chile with two ports.  In July 1999, Mr. Hemingway and Matson Navigation formed SSA Terminals, LLC, which is now the largest container terminal operator on the West Coast. 

In 2000, Mr. Hemingway reorganized SSA Marine into three operating divisions and branded its IT operation as Tideworks Technology, one of the world's largest providers of information systems software and integration to the port industry.   In 2003, the company established Carrix as its new brand for all its activities. Carrix remains the largest independent and privately held terminal operator.

Mr. Hemingway is a past member of the boards of the Pacific Maritime Association, National Association of Waterfront Employers and Pacific Merchant Shipping Association. He is chairman of PierPass and participates in a number of community and philanthropic organizations and endeavors. 

In addition to the awards, CII will present scholarships to students studying logistics and scholarships and to maritime academy cadets, which are contributed annually by industry entities including Crowley Maritime Corporation.  CII, a non-profit organization, promotes industry awareness, preserves the history of intermodalism, and engages scholarly interest in the field by organizing educational conferences and seminars, serving as an information resource, providing networking opportunities, offering career guidance, arranging internships, and facilitating scholarships. CII is dedicated to promoting the international intermodal industry in education outreach and recently co-published with Commonwealth Business Media the book, "The Box That Changed the World," marking the 50th anniversary of containerization.

The CII Connie Awards dinner is $200 per ticket and seating is limited. Tickets and sponsorships are available. For more information, contact Barbara Yeninas, Executive Director, by (800) 231-8244 or [email protected].

SOURCE Containerization and Intermodal Institute