Port Manatee is adding a two-acre cargo pad to support storage of prilled sulphur, a new commodity for the Florida Gulf Coast port.
Under the agreement, construction of the pad is slated to begin in September on the east side of Port Manatee.
Stevedoring and marine terminal operations firm, Gulf Coast Bulk Equipment has been a Port Manatee tenant since 2008, handling fertilisers, salt, potash and other bulk cargos.
With the new cargo pad, Gulf Coast Bulk Equipment will be able to begin handling prilled sulphur, a solid, spherically shaped commodity which can be used in the manufacture of fertilizers, plant protection products and sulfuric acid, as well as in the steel industry.
Richard Tager, President of Gulf Coast Bulk Equipment, said: “This new pad will be the perfect location for storage of special commodities such as prilled sulphur. We are looking forward to this partnership, which will help us grow our business and enable us to best serve our customers.”
Carlos Buqueras, Executive Director of Port Manatee, said: “We are excited about this project as it brings new business and new jobs to the port and the region. The shipments of this new commodity prove the capabilities of Port Manatee and exemplify the diversification strategy we are advancing.”
Port Manatee is the closest US deepwater seaport to the expanding Panama Canal, serving bulk, breakbulk, container, heavylift, project and general cargo customers.
The port generates more than US$2.3 billion in annually for the local community, while supporting more than 24,000 jobs, without the benefit of ad-valorem taxes.
