HDR’s Kevin Keller Speaks With AAPA Seaports Magazine on Federal Grant Applications

Keller Shares Why to Hire Consultants for Grant Services and How to Build a Successful Port-Consultant Relationship 

Funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has created opportunities for major improvements for transportation owners, including ports, in the United States. But accessing that funding can be a challenge for ports, particularly those without strong prior experience with grants or extra staffing capacity. 

HDR’s intermodal planning lead, Kevin Keller, recently spoke with AAPA’s Seaports magazine to share how ports can get the most out of their relationship with a grants consultant. Hiring a consultant with grant expertise can offer a variety of benefits, including insights gleaned from experience with other facilities.

“No matter how large or small a port is, the people who work there wear many different hats,” Keller told the magazine. “They have a lot of distractions. They have their everyday business to take care of and a consultant can help fill in those gaps – can help focus on that specific grant application for that specific project.”

Keller has specialized in grants for more than 15 years and has helped more than 25 port and rail clients successfully obtain more than $400 million in grant funding.

Read the article, “Time for a Consult?” in the Third Quarter 2023 issue of Seaports Magazine.