Port of Long Beach: Business Strategy, Essay Example

Introduction

Noted as the second busiest ports in the United States situated in Los Angeles, the Port of Long Beach is considered as a distinct role player in the US-Asian trade. At present, surveys and researches on the company’s performance distinctively presents that the business is able to generate at least $100 billion in trade while also providing 316,000 job opportunities to residents surrounding the area where the business is situated. Providing portal to both import and expert operations in the international market, the Port of Long Beach is able to stand as one of the most important elements of Southern California’s major economic standing. Considerably, this reputation and role of the organization in the economy could recount their recognizable standing in the aspect of giving a boost to the overall economic status of the United States.

Internal and External Environment Analysis

The internal environment that affects the condition of operation that the company embraces include that of their employees and the way the administrators of the organization are able to provide a distinct response to their demands and needs. The internal system of operation that impacts the overall relation of the administrators with the people mandates the manner by which the business is able to make a distinct impact on how they serve the needs of the external environment they ought to give attention to.

The external environment that specifically defines the operative capacities of the organization involves their concern for the way their business affects the overall status of the natural environment. The company then responds accordingly to such challenge through developing three primary environmental programs that the company hopes to depend their culture of business operation on. The first project of the company includes the Green Port Policy application which is basically dedicated to developing sustainable port culture. Through applying the use of the most sustainable technological operations, the company hopes to get involved in a more sustainable operation that would allow shops that are regularly within the territorial areas of the port to consider waste-wise operations that are sure to distinctively reduce fuel waste which affects the integrity of the sea water within the area.

Another program pursued by the organization is the Clean Air Action Plan; this plan intends to improve air quality not only within the port but also all throughout the South Californian territories. Empowering trucks to choose more sustainable sources of fuel energy, the Port of Long Beach is able to encourage the utilization of ‘clean trucks’. This way, older trucks that are most often than not wasteful when it comes to utilizing fuel for energy source, are to be set aside and ‘clean trucks’ are expected to take charge of the shipping operations of the companies engaging in trading operations at the said port.

The Green Flag Incentive Program on the other end tries to turn the attention of the port’s operation into promoting the use of sustainable energy among ships that engage in trade within the said area. The current incentive supports wildlife development programs such as the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in California. It is also through this program that the company is able to help in reviving wetlands in the suburb areas in the city.

Grand Business Strategies

There are currently two primary grand business strategies that fuel the growth of the Port of Long Beach. First is that of the strategy of gaining control on how they respond to their corporate ethical responsibilities which includes the way they handle environmentally-directed programs. Another strategy is that of the concern they have towards the distinct way they operate in relation to sustainability, aiming to lower the cost of expenses especially in relation to maintenance and waste management options that are supposed to increase the possibility of the company being able to increase profit through embracing cost effective operations. This approach specifically helps in defining the path of the business regarding the need to respond to the critical role of energy in business value chain. Through utilizing high tech operations in most of the business engagements they get connected to, the organization is able to manifest a distinct way by which it embraces cost effective conditions of business development. Also, through the application of cost-effective operations, the company is able to draft its sustainable competitive advantage especially in relation to how they utilize available resources to make sure that they are able to serve the needs of the companies engaging in trading operations within their facilities in the port.

Conclusion

The strategy for business that the Port of Long Beach adapts is specifically dedicated to cost effective operations and sustainable conditions of engaging in international trade. This means that they also empower the way other organizations involved with them to follow the same pattern of operations hence improving the way the environment is protected through affecting the business and trading culture that allied companies work with. At present, it could be realized that such manner of development in the process of business operations in the company improves the way it establishes its reputation in the industry and in the international market as well. Through these approaches collaboratively applied, the company is not only able to improve their own ways of engaging in business but also that of the other organizations engaging in business with them in relation to the better assumptions of completing trading conditions in the port.
References:

White, Ronald D. (August 7, 2011). “Long Beach port chief’s long voyage nears an end“. Los Angeles Times.

“Oil and Gas Statistics: 2007 Annual Report” (PDF). California Department of Conservation. December 31, 2007.

LSA Associates, Inc. Sports Park Draft Environmental Impact Report — DEIR. Submitted to the City of Long Beach, California, USA, 2004. p. 4.6–6.

Louis Sahagun, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer (December 25, 2007). “Rival ports join forces on green growth“. Los Angeles Times newspaper. Tribune Company. Retrieved March 29, 2012.

State Water Resources Control Board. Water Quality Control Policy for the Enclosed Bays and Estuaries of California (1974) State of California.