Gulf Coast port posts record growth

Florida’s SeaPort Manatee handled record cargo volume for the first half of its fiscal year, ended March 31, and is responding to sustained growth with new equipment to boost the port’s service capabilities.

The Gulf Coast port handled a record 660,847 short tons of containerized cargo, up 32% from the first half of fiscal 2021, and a record 85,383 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a 26% increase compared to a year earlier, according to port officials.

The growth was driven by produce imports from Mexico and Latin America.

Separately, port officials and terminal operator Logistec USA, Inc., said they are enhancing cargo-handling capabilities at the port with the addition of two mobile, environmentally friendly cranes. The pair of Konecranes Gottwald Generation 6 mobile harbor cranes can lift loads of up to 125 metric tons, the most at any Florida seaport, according to port officials.

The eco-efficient cranes feature clean electric drive technology and optimized energy consumption, according to the manufacturer.

“These mobile cranes will allow us to significantly increase our cargo-handling efficiencies at SeaPort Manatee, in support of our customers, the local economy and the global supply chain,” Rodney Corrigan, president of Logistec USA Inc., said in a statement Tuesday. “By investing in eco-efficient equipment, we are further solidifying our commitment to key sustainability goals to protect the environment, reduce our marine carbon footprint and contribute to cleaner air for future generations.”

Logistec operates 80 terminals in 54 ports across North America. Its terminal at SeaPort Manatee handles mostly containers, pallets, steel and break-bulk cargo.