Five maritime industry companies have been honored by the Northwest Seaport Alliance’s North Star Awards for their contributions to the gateway and the region in 2023, it was announced Oct. 24. Ocean Network Express received NWSA’s Ocean Carrier of the Year award for “handling the most container volume and experiencing the largest year-over-year volume increase of all ocean carriers calling at the Seattle-Tacoma gateway, demonstrating its commitment to operational excellence and growth,” according to the announcement. The Importer of the Year award went to Harbor Freight Tools, which is creating a new 782,773-square-foot facility in Frederickson, Wash. The facility’s expected…