Port Manatee receives first Carver Maritime shipment
PALMETTO, Florida - Port Manatee has received its first shipment for its newest terminal operator, Carver Maritime Manatee LLC, with arrival Wednesday [Feb. 6] of a ship bringing nearly 50,000 tons of raw material to be used in Florida cement manufacturing.
Officials of Carver and Port Manatee shared enthusiasm and indicated additional shipments to the 47,650 metric tons of the bulk material brought from Europe on the Osprey I should soon be arriving at the Central-Southwest Florida Gulf Coast port.
"Our first experience at Port Manatee has been nothing but an absolute pleasure," said Stephen Kelly, Carver's senior vice president of sales and business development. "The people of Port Manatee have been extremely supportive, informative and cooperative. Carver Maritime Manatee is looking forward to bringing more such shipments into Port Manatee in the near future."
Since entering last August into an agreement with Port Manatee that could extend for as many as 20 years, Carver has extensively renovated a 10-acre cargo facility with deepwater access, including rehabilitating a 1,400-foot-long conveyor system on the leased site.
The Port Manatee facility is the third maritime endeavor for Carver Companies, which was founded in 1989. The first, the Port of Coeymans, is a 400-acre privately owned and operated maritime industrial complex, opened in 2007 on the Hudson River, 10 miles south of Albany, New York, which has handled such cargos as the steel beams used in reconstruction of the Tappan Zee Bridge. The second was established in 2016 on a former naval base property in North Charleston, South Carolina, and now encompasses 40 acres of industrial laydown and warehousing.
"We are delighted to have Carver as an active participant in the expansion of our port," said Carlos Buqueras, Port Manatee's executive director. "Carver's operations are a perfect complement to the increasingly diverse activity taking place at Manatee County's seaport."
Manatee County Port Authority Chairwoman Vanessa Baugh noted Carver's bringing of heightened commerce and dozens of family-wage jobs to the port, commenting, "We are pleased to see Carver's operation get into gear and look forward to many more shipments, which will generate further positive socioeconomic impacts for our community."
Located "Where Tampa Bay Meets the Gulf of Mexico," Port Manatee is the closest U.S. deepwater seaport to the expanded Panama Canal, with 10 40-foot-draft berths serving container, bulk, breakbulk, heavylift, project and general cargo customers. The port generates more than $2.3 billion in annual economic impact for the local community, while supporting more than 24,000 jobs, without levying ad-valorem taxes.
PHOTO:
The Osprey I, carrying 47,650 metric tons of materials to be used in cement manufacturing, arrives from Europe at Port Manatee on Wednesday [Feb. 6], marking the first shipment to the renovated facilities of terminal operator Carver Maritime Manatee LLC.
More Info: https://www.portmanatee.com/2019/02/08/port-manatee-receives-first-carver-maritime-shipment/
