Manufacturing
A Port for the Future GT USA makes investments and upgrades to Delaware’s gateway to the world BY ERIC CASEY
MOST DELAWAREANS ARE AWARE of the Port of Wilmington. The history of the Port is entwined with the history of Wilmington and its centuries-old maritime industry. The Port is located at the confluence of the Delaware and Christina Rivers. In fact, many of the revitalized buildings on the Wilmington Riverfront were once shipping businesses—shipbuilding, metalworks, trade berths, goods storage, and transports. All that commerce is related to easy access to and from the ocean, into the Delaware Bay, Delaware River and on to the Port of Wilmington. Ease of access for transporting goods in a timely manner is still the principle competitive feature of the Port of Wilmington. Opened in 1923, the Port of Wilmington is a 308-acre-deep-water, full-service Mid-Atlantic seaport strategically located to provide overnight access to 200 million North American consumers via rail and roads. Currently, the predominant port business is produce—bananas, pineapples, grapes, and fruit juice concentrate. But this may change as we markedly improve capabilities that will attract other tenants. The Port is owned by the State of Delaware and, until 2018, when GT USA Wilmington (GTW) won the 50-year lease over 92 bidding competitors to manage port operations on the State’s property, the citizens of Delaware paid millions every year for its upkeep and operations. Now, GTW is responsible for the upkeep, operations, and logistics, and pays the State of Delaware for the privilege to do so until the year 2068 when the 48
lease is up for renewal. It’s projected that GTW will generate some 6,000 jobs at the port during the term of this lease.
INVESTMENT TO ADD VALUE Since taking over management of the old Wilmington port, GTW has been making improvements to all aspects of the Port by investing $88 million to-date to modernize and expand infrastructure and equipment. This has resulted in an increase in volume capacity, a quicker turnaround for the shipping lines, and by helping tenants expand their businesses with high quality storage, food safety certifications, and improved logistics. Additionally, GTW has allocated another $30 million for additional upgrades. The $88 million investment added another 200,000 sq. ft. to the refrigerated cargo storage, taking this now to over one million sq. ft., the largest on-dock, warehouse space in North America. Much of this space is now racked for two- and three-high pallets. To ensure we are keeping pace with new ideas and technologies to maintain a safe food environment for our customers product, we have recently been in discussions with leading consultants regarding new cold chain technology. We are exploring alternative cooling sources, which will offer those customers a greater range in temperatures, thanks to new insulation and cooling technology. A yard densification project is nearly completed and will increase container storage capacity to 600,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). Se p t e m b er / Oc t o b e r 2021 | DELAWARE BUSINESS
