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Port Facilities: Corpus Christi, Santa Marta, Duluth, Kalama

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Corpus Christi Sells Refrigerated Warehouse to Puerto Santa Marta


Corpus Christi reefer warehouse at its Cargo Dock 10 will be relocated to Santa Marta, Colombia.
Photo/Port Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi Port Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the sale of a refrigerated warehouse to the Colombian Port of Santa Marta during a special port commission meeting in Corpus Christi on January 26.

In August 2014, the port commission approved a resolution designating the refrigerated warehouse facility and "associated furniture, fixtures and equipment" currently located at Cargo Dock 10 as surplus property. The resolution also authorized staff to prepare bid specifications and to advertise the sale of the facility.

On January 13, the port received two responses to the Notice to Bidders. Texas Descon, LLC, a Texas-based firm representing the Colombian port company, submitted "the highest and best bid" in the amount of $410,000. Santa Marta intends to disassemble the facility, ship the components to Colombia, and re-assemble the building and equipment to support operations at that location. Texas Descon also submitted an executed bill of sale.

"We have a sister port relationship with our friends from Port Santa Marta," said Corpus Christi Port Commission Chair Judy Hawley. "We have to give up the cold storage facility to support the new path of the New Harbor Bridge but port commissioners and staff are glad to know that the refrigerated warehouse will have a great home at Port Santa Marta."

Said Santa Marta Port General Manager Mauricio Suárez Ramírez, PPM®: "This news is historic for our country's international trade and infrastructure. Colombia handles large flows of refrigerated cargo, but it did not have a port with refrigerated warehouses for such purpose, therefore we are betting on commercial products strengthening both imports and exports offering more efficient services, with competitive prices."

Mr. Suárez Ramírez went on to say that the relocated cold storage warehouse would be "baptized" in honor of the "sister port agreement with our friends of the Port of Corpus Christi."


Aerial overview of Puerto de Santa Marta.
Photo/Puerto de Santa Marta


Duluth/Superior: Port Authority’s Dock 7 Acquisition to Support Continued Growth

The board of commissioners of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority has approved a purchase agreement with XIK Corporation, for the acquisition of a 35.7-acre dock in the Duluth Industrial Waterfront zoning district.

The port authority intends to market this property to industrial operations in need of leasable land, while further developing a long-term redevelopment strategy for putting this industrial dock back into full maritime service. If all contingency items are satisfied, the closing date for this acquisition is set to occur on March 23, 2015.

The Dock 7 property is served by a BNSF rail spur and has immediate access to the federally-maintained shipping channel in the upper Duluth Harbor, just 15 days sailing time from European markets via the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway.

The port authority manages a competitive portfolio of industrial real estate and waterfront properties located throughout the city of Duluth. A variety of local, state and federal incentive programs are available on port authority properties, including bond financing and Foreign Trade Zone access.


Arrow indicates location of Dock 7. The dock just to the right with poles of bulk commodities is C. Reiss Terminal in Duluth.
Photo/Duluth Seaway Port Authority

Kalama: Port Leases Facility to Rainier Truck Trailer Tank Repair LLC 

The Port of Kalama will soon be home to a large regional provider of chemical tank inspections and repair facilities, Rainier Truck Trailer Tank Repair LLC. Rainier is certified by the U.S. and Washington state departments of transportation as an inspection service for large vehicles and tanks carrying chemicals and liquid substances. Rainier moves into the 16,240-square-foot space on March 1, 2015.

The company has already hired a new employee for its Port of Kalama operations and intends to hire several more in the next few months to meet demand for services. Rainier is a certified HM 183 inspection facility and also manages mechanic and welding operations.

"We operate in a very tight niche industry and our business is growing steadily – Port of Kalama offered us the ideal location right off of I-5 to better serve fleets of tankers," said Mark Marander, owner Rainier Truck Trailer Tank Repair LLC. "The Port of Kalama industrial building and amenities are exactly what we need to serve our customers. The building is the perfect size for tankers to pull in for service and inspection safe from the elements."

Rainier joins a growing number of industries and businesses who have found the Port of Kalama an ideal location to grow their businesses. The port industrial park offers acres of shovel-ready land for manufacturing, technology, storage and many other industry sectors. Sixteen acres of public riverfront parks stand out as recreational destinations for both locals and tourists.
 

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