How businesses handled Baltimore's port closure after Key Bridge collapse

BALTIMORE -- A new report by the Maryland Chamber of Commerce surveyed 51 businesses-43 of them small businesses-impacted by the Key Bridge collapse and found that most lost money and all had to navigate uncertain territory to stay afloat during the months the port was closed.

Martin Mayorga built his namesake coffee company from scratch, and over more than two decades, he has stayed successful through many challenges. 

He told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren that experience prepared him for the disaster the day the Key Bridge collapsed.

"When we found out in that very moment we had 56 containers of product literally about to enter the port so significant volume was on its way in, and we have significant volume going out," Mayorga said.

Carriers told him those containers were being re-routed to New York and Norfolk, and it was up to him to figure out how to get them to Maryland.

"A lot of scrambling and frankly additional costs upwards of $250,000 to $350,000 minimum just for those shipments—and then getting used to the new logistics of working out of Virginia and New York or trucking to our facility in Baltimore, so there were just some new economics there that we had to absorb," he said. 

Mayorga did it successfully and credits lessons learned during the pandemic. He had a buffer supply at his warehouse in Baltimore. 

"We take things for granted a little bit because they just sort of show up at the store or in our home. There's a lot of behind the scenes, and I think after something like this people can see the value of the people on the ground, the people working hard," he said.

Businesses feeling the impact

The Maryland Chamber of Commerce survey found  64% of businesses lost money and 52% of employees were impacted—mostly in Baltimore County.

"It was a much wider spread impact than I think people first thought," said Mary Kane, the president and CEO of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. 

She praised the state for its response, but she said many small businesses were hesitant about taking out low interest federal loans. 

"A lot of businesses were like, 'Wait a minute, I don't want to take out loans that have to be paid back because we didn't do anything and this wasn't in our budget for this year, and we don't know when our business is going to come back so that we can repay them,'" she said. 

"Not having that bridge is a big deal"  

Mary Kane, the president and CEO of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, told WJZ that even with the port back open, having no bridge for years while the replacement is built will be a significant challenge. 

The chamber is pushing for a temporary increase in over-the-road weight limits for trucks and extending service hours for truckers

"Not having that bridge is a big deal. When we're trying to revitalize Baltimore and build businesses in Maryland, the commuting times now have become unbearable," Kane said. 

She thanked the Unified Command and responders for working to quickly clear the channel and reopen access to the port. 

Port's vital importance

For Mayorga, the tragedy a reminder of just how vital the port is to the region and the nation. 

"It makes people understand how important the port of Baltimore really is," Mayorga said. "I think it had been overlooked a little bit on a national level." 

The Port of Baltimore handles 8% of the nation's coffee. Only five other ports handle more coffee beans. 

You can read the Maryland Chamber of Commerce report here.