Host Moves Headquarters from Norfolk, Va. to Avondale

NEW ORLEANS – Ship agency, stevedoring and terminal operations company T. Parker Host has announced plans to relocate its headquarters from Norfolk, Va., to the Avondale Global Gateway in Jefferson Parish. The company, which services the maritime and commercial shipping industries, purchased the former Avondale Shipyard in 2018 and has brought it back into commerce as a global logistics hub. 

The Port of South Louisiana announced plans in January to purchase the site from Host for $445 million. Architects of the deal are currently in the midst of a due diligence process that includes a financial feasibility study and an environmental assessment before the plan goes before the state Bond Commission for approval.

Thumbnail Adam Anderson
Adam Anderson

Host CEO Adam Anderson already moved to the greater New Orleans area several years ago to oversee the redevelopment of Avondale. On April 12, he announced the news about the company’s official headquarters relocation. 

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“In 1923, T. Parker Host began as a family business focused on shipping along the Eastern Seaboard,” he said. “100 years later, we have built a legacy of service to the global maritime industry and the communities in which we operate. We will always remember our roots in Virginia and are excited for what the next century holds, as we chart a new course on the Mississippi River in Jefferson Parish.”

Host also runs a ship agency in New Orleans and has teams in Port Allen (near Baton Rouge) and Davant, a town in Plaquemines Parish.

Anderson said the company, over its lifetime, has processed billions of tons of cargo over a portion of the United States that stretches from the East Coast to Texas. Since 1989, when it began operations in Louisiana, its business has become more centered on the Mississippi River and surrounding region. Currently, Host has more than 300 Louisiana employees making more than $22 million in direct payroll. 

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“With its proximity to the Panama Canal, ever-expanding energy industry, and location on the Mississippi River, the greater New Orleans region holds significant opportunity,” said Anderson. 

The CEO hopes that Avondale will become a premier gateway for U.S. import and export traffic and support economic development in the River Parishes. If the sale to PortSL happens, Host will retain operational responsibility for the facility.

The potential deal has earned its fair share of critics, who say the site doesn’t make enough money to justify the price tag. It will be up to the Bond Commission to decide if the deal passes muster. 

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“Our decision to relocate the headquarters is separate from the sale,” said Anderson. “We see the opportunity available in south Louisiana and have already made significant investments in the region with our purchase of Avondale and United Bulk Terminals in Davant. With the move of our headquarters, we are clearly stating we are all in on Louisiana.”

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