North Star Port

GOODBYE PORT HERO SAYS T IS HARD TO MISS the towering frame and confident gait of Zoran Pedisic as he moves through the Clure Public Marine Terminal. Like the facil- ity's twin rail-mounted gantry cranes, the lead foreman for Duluth Cargo Con- nect is a fixture on Duluth's industrial waterfront — always steady and ready to do the heavy lifting. Come January, however, he will be deeply missed, when he hangs up his safety jacket and retires after 27 years with the company. Pedisic was born on the small island of Pasman, Croatia, in 1958. Raised primarily by his grandmother after his mother died, Pedisic graduated from high school, attended college to become a bartender and waiter, completed mandatory service in his country's Air Force, then found work at sea — initially as a bartender on a cruise ship and then as chief steward on an oceangoing cargo vessel. The latter is what first brought him from the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea to the western tip of Lake Superior. But it was love that made him stay. "I was in Duluth three times in the (early) 1980s," Pedisic said, recalling his days aboard the saltie. "On the last trip, I met a girl." That girl was Kathy Miketin. She joined him for a while in Croatia, then they returned to Duluth, got married, and started a family. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Together, they raised three children. Pedisic's first job in Duluth was doing maintenance work at a boarding house, followed by 10 years driving truck for Jeff Foster Trucking. The young truck driver frequently visited the Clure Public Marine Terminal and made an impression on then- Lake Superior Warehousing president and founding partner Gary Nicholson. He hired Pedisic as a forklift operator in 1998. Within a few years, the hard-working and likable immigrant was promoted to foreman. "Zoran quickly grew in terms of his stature and level of respect in the organization," said Jonathan Lamb, current LSW president and head of Duluth Cargo Connect. "It was clear how much he cared about his work and that he was just an all-around great guy." I ZORAN PEDISIC RETIRES, LEAVING A LEGACY OF SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP By JULIE ZENNER 2 | NORTH STAR PORT | FALL 2024 It was clear how much he cared about his work and that he was just an all-around great guy." / Jonathan Lamb PHOTO S / Bob Welton; Jayson Hron

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