By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

HORIZON Lines, one of two Jones Act carriers serving the island, is ready for the expected economic boom on Guam resulting from the military’s expansion.
John Handy, executive vice president of Horizon Lines, addressed members of the National Defense Transportation Association during a special luncheon at the Onward Agana hotel yesterday and said his company is cognizant of the economic prospects of Guam.
“That is the reason why we are deploying five new ships in our Guam service. As a major player here, it is important for Horizon to be ready for the increase in shipments that will result from the military’s expansion on Guam,” Handy said.
Horizon Lines is deploying five new, U.S.-flag vessels that will be deployed in Horizon Lines’ TP1 service linking the U.S. West Coast with Guam and Asia.
Handy said the deployment of these five new vessels will provide additional space and faster transit time between the U.S. West Coast, Guam and Asia.
The first of the five new vessels, the Horizon Hawk, has arrived on Guam and was given a welcome party Tuesday night by Horizon and Guam port officials.
Handy, a former four-star general who served as Commander of the U.S. Transportation Command and the United States Air Mobility Command prior to joining Horizon Lines, said Guam will be key during the military’s ongoing expansion.
Overall, Handy said about 40,000 military and Department of Defense personnel and their families are being deployed to Guam.
“But Guam businesses should not wait until a few years down the road to prepare for the military expansion. If you haven’t noticed, the expansion is happening now as we speak,” Handy said.
While in the military, Handy managed all global sea, air and land transportation for the Department of Defense. In commercial terms, he ran the largest global logistics organization with over 1,500 aircraft, 76 vessels and countless trains, trucks and other rolling stock, and 156,000 personnel.
“What I’m doing at Horizon is essentially the same thing, obviously with fewer employees. But the objective is the same which is to make the system run at its most efficient,” Handy said.
He added that there will always be a need for transportation and logistics, not only in times of war but also in the event of natural disasters such as typhoons and tsunamis.
Handy received a Bachelor of History degree from Methodist College in Fayetteville, NC, and a Master of Science degree in Systems Management at the University of Southern California.
In addition, he completed the Air War College and the National War College and attended the Program for Senior Executives at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
He holds an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from his alma mater, the Methodist University.
Handy has been a strong proponent of the Maritime Security Program, an initiative that assures a viable U.S. flag vessel fleet to effectively serve the U.S. domestic ocean transportation markets and national defense purposes.
During his talk yesterday, Handy stressed the importance of a strong merchant marine that the U.S. government can call upon during emergencies.