Posted on June 3, 2024
After 27 years of service, Mr. Lutz Ehrhardt has decided to retire from his position as PhilaPort’s representative in Europe. From his home city of Hamburg, he was The Port of Philadelphia’s liaison with ocean carriers, shippers, and government officials in one of the largest shipping markets in the world.
Mr. Ehrhardt will be succeeded by Mr. Uwe Gaede, a well-known shipping leader, who was ocean carrier Hamburg’s Süd’s marketing director in North Europe for the last 20 years.
“Lutz Ehrhardt has been a salesman, writer, guide, and point man in Europe for us for almost three decades. More than that, he was effectively a diplomat, building commercial and personal bridges between Europe and Philadelphia, a city he came to love,” stated PhilaPort’s CEO Jeff Theobald.
Sean Mahoney, PhilaPort’s Senior Director of Marketing, commented, “We were fortunate to have his faithful, intelligent teamwork during this time. Lutz always got the job done – he helped us get a lot of business – and he was a real pleasure to work with.”
Mr. Ehrhardt, a trained shipbroker and shipping merchant, started with Horn-Linie in 1961. After a few years in Australia, he returned to Hamburg and worked for the Buss Group as marketing and PR manager for more than 25 years.
“Now enough is enough and it’s about time for the next generation to take over,” Mr. Ehrhardt said. He will continue to follow the shipping business and will be active in various fields.
Discussing the new Europe representative, Uwe Gade, PhilaPort’s Mahoney said he expects a smooth transition: “We have known Uwe for a long time. Hamburg Süd was our biggest customer for many years, so we had the chance to work with him. He has an extensive network of contacts that will allow us to grow our business in Europe.”
