Construction & Maintenance Team Essential to Port Success

Construction & Maintenance Team Essential to Port Success

October 19, 2026

By Rodger Rees, Port Director & CEO -- About three dozen highly skilled people in the Galveston Wharves Construction and Maintenance (C&M) group take care of just about everything that needs fixing on our waterfront. They maintain port property and do construction projects to advance the port’s 20-Year Strategic Master Plan at considerable savings compared to contracting the work.

In 2025, they completed almost 1,600 work orders for projects large and small. Through September of this year, their work order list already totals more than 1,700, including more than 70 in the port commercial area between piers 19 and 21. 

The group is made up of small teams of specialists that take care of everything from structure demolition, road construction, mechanical and electrical work, plumbing and HVAC maintenance to landscaping, pest control, painting, carpentry, signage, fencing, cleaning and parking lot striping.

Their area of responsibility encompasses the port’s 840 acres, including four cruise terminals, piers between Pier 10 and Pier 41, two parking garages, more than 60 acres of cruise parking surface lots, and our 75-acre dredge placement area on Pelican Island. As the port has grown, so has their workload.

Teams of Skilled Specialists 

The department is made up of skilled, specialized teams that work independently and together, depending on the job.

Not only does our Plumbing team take care of plumbing systems in our four cruise terminals, they also maintain water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer lines on port property.

Similarly, our Electrical department takes care of everything electrical, including interior and exterior lighting at our cruise terminals and parking lots. As part of our environmental responsibility initiative, they are transitioning lighting to energy-efficient LED bulbs.

Our heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) specialist maintains hundreds of AC units – everything from small window units on guard houses to a 150-ton unit at Cruise Terminal 28.

Our fleet mechanic maintains more than 50 vehicles ranging from pickup trucks to heavy construction equipment.

We also have a multi-talented craftsman who does everything from building signage and shelves to installing communications conduit.

Our General Trades and Landscaping groups are our largest and broadest work teams. These remarkable groups take care of trash pickup, cleaning, pest control, landscaping, mooring bollard maintenance at our docks and small concrete, asphalt jobs – and more.

Last but not least is our Construction group of multi-talented people who take care of bigger construction jobs. These have included road and parking lot construction, replacement of several HVAC units and transitioning to LED lighting in cargo areas.

Our Construction group also played a big role in West Port Cargo Complex improvements. They’ve done grade leveling, drainage improvements and concrete work. 

No matter the job, our C&M department steps up to the task and delivers. 

The port reaps tremendous benefits from having its own multi-talented team of skilled workers, including faster turnaround, added value for certain work and valuable knowledge retention of our facilities and assets. 

Leading this remarkable group is Assistant Director of Construction and Maintenance Diego Castro. Diego previously worked as project manager in the Engineering Department, heading up several infrastructure improvement projects.