| History |
In 1852, at the height of the California Gold Rush, California Stevedore and
Ballast Company was conceived by two Danish sea captains in San Francisco by
the names of Eschen and Minor. The enormous growth of the late 1900’s on the
West Coast, especially in the Port of Los Angeles, led to the formation in 1923
of a second company called Metropolitan Stevedore Company.
The Roaring ’20s was a time when our industry was built on the backs of a
strong labor force. Nowhere was this more evident than in the ports of Los
Angeles and Long Beach where Metropolitan Stevedore Company saw an opportunity
to introduce new systems to help labor keep up with the increasing imports of
products from Europe, fruit from the tropics, and rubber from the East Indies.
Unloading these sailing ships and steamers was only part of a stevedore’s day.
Empty vessels were reloaded with outbound cargoes requiring the same kind of
planning, equipment, and strong labor. Exports included borax from the dry
California desert, ores from the mines in the Southwest, and seafood harvested
by local fishermen off the West Coast.
Containerization and specialized equipment have replaced much of the ropes and
slings so commonly used in the past, and technology has replaced much of the
paperwork. Pivotal to Metropolitan’s philosophy is providing professional
services with proper management to ensure your cargo or passengers are handled
properly, safely and cost effectively. Working in partnership to providing
excellent service remains the hallmark to our customers’ loyalty over many
decades.
Since 1923, Metropolitan Stevedore Company’s headquarters have remained in
Wilmington, California, a testament of their vision to continually meeting
customer’s needs and growing with an ever-changing industry that demands
innovation and a strong commitment to quality and excellence. Over the decades,
Metropolitan has expertly handled a myriad of cargoes: from ores to
automobiles, from bauxite to passenger bags and stores, from petroleum coke to
steel, from chilled fruit to specialized project cargo, from containers to
cement. Metropolitan stands ready and able to handle your cargo, putting into
practice an expertise that has been carefully honed since the 1800s.
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