Port Tampa Bay
State of the Port 2016
THEME: New Frontiers
Port Tampa Bay is reaching new frontiers fueled by Central Florida growth and the
expansion of the Panama Canal. New Frontiers represents a series of new opportunities
that complement the current business portfolio, infrastructure growth, market conditions
and Port Tampa Bay’s optimum land use – all to the mission of leveraging maritime assets
for economic impact and sustainable job growth.
PROGRAM FLOW:
VOG: Introduction & VIPs
Intro Video
Paul - Opening Remarks / 2015 Numbers
Raul - Real Estate and Master Plan
Paul - PTB Profile Summary
Lunch Break
Video – New Frontiers #1
Paul - New Frontiers
Carson Chambers – Panel with Manuel E. Benítez H., Kurt Naugle, Paul Anderson
Paul - Raising the Profile/Summary
Video: New Frontiers #2
ENVIRONMENT: [Terminal 2 set up description]
The State of the Port will be held at Terminal 2 as in past years. T2 continues to provide a
great venue with high ceilings in an “industrial” environment perfect for large banners
and bringing in props such as containers and other large items. This year we’ve talked
about brining in a forklift holding a steel coil in addition to containers.
This being a big year to feature the upcoming cranes, there is a full scale model of the
ZPMC crane under Plexiglas that will be positioned at the entrance of the event so that
attendees will file past it on the way to their seats.
Doors Open (11:15am)
Opening Slides – Logo – Images – Walk in Music
Introduction (11:30am)
VOG: Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the
2016 State of the Port. If you will please take
your seats our program will begin shortly.
[Pause]
Ladies and Gentlemen, at this time please stand
and welcome from the Grace Family Church,
Pastor Craig Altman who will lead us in today’s
Invocation.
Invocation
Please continue to stand as we honor America
with the presentation of colors presented by the
Avast Color Guard
Presentation of Colors
Please welcome Medal of honor recipient,
Command Sargent Gary Latrell to lead us in the
Pledge of Allegiance
Pledge of Allegiance
Please welcome from MacDill Air Force Base,
Sargent TBD in our National Anthem
National Anthem
Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain standing
as we retire the colors
Retire the colors
VOG: Thank you! Please be seated
[after everyone is seated]
VOG: Ladies and Gentleman, as we begin our
program we would like to introduce some
special people in the audience today.
VIP Introductions (John to help compile)
VOG: Let’s have a round of applause for all of
our special guests at this time please welcome
from Florida’s 14th Congressional District,
Congresswoman Kathy Castor.
Congresswoman Castor remarks
(11:35am)
VIDEO: (1 min) - Introduction
Dramatic Music
Visuals: Scenes from 2015 – conferences, PTB
press conferences, on the Sheriff’s boat, board
room, mixed with our Port footage and beautiful
Tampa scenery.
No script – no Supers – just mood creating
visuals that serve as a prelude to Paul
Anderson’s intro
Music and Vid fades.
VOG: Ladies & Gentlemen, please welcome to
the stage, the President and CEO of Port Tampa
Bay, Mr. Paul Anderson.
[applause]
Paul Anderson: Opening Remarks
Thank you. On behalf of myself, our Board of
Directors, and our staff at Port Tampa Bay, thank
you for coming and being a part of our special
day.
Thank you Congresswoman Castor, for your kind
words and for all that you do for the port and
our community in Washington DC, Thank you
Command Sargent Major Gary Latrell and to the
AVAST Color guard, you are all true American
Heroes.
Ladies and Gentleman I am truly humbled by
your presence today as I look out I see many
friends out in the audience. People who I have
come to know, people who I respect and people
who help make our community a better place
each and every day.
Today I look forward to the opportunity to
update you on the progress of YOUR Port over
the last year. I also look forward to previewing
what’s to come in 2016 which is shaping up to
be one of the most active and strategically
important years in the port’s history. We’ve got
a lot of things lined up and I can’t wait to share it
with you.
But first Ladies and Gentlemen, friends,
colleagues and partners: The State of the Port is
good.
Not only are we building the future and
optimizing the potential that lies ahead for Port
Tampa Bay, we’re doing it in a sound financial
position while simultaneously increasing our
current cargo and cruise businesses.
Let’s get to the performance results in each of
these categories.
2015 Results (11:45)
[IMAGE: Begin Charts - Numbers]
In 2015, Port Tampa Bay’s operating revenue
was just over $51 million – a record year.
Our total cargo tonnage experienced a 3.2%
increase of just over 1 million tons for an annual
total of over 37million tons.
Now, let’s break down our cargo numbers.
Bulk cargo was up almost 1.2 million tons, or
3.3%. That number is comprised of our dry bulk,
which includes such commodities as phosphates,
fertilizer, cement, coal, limestone and other
aggregates – which was up slightly at about 2%
or 226 thousand tons.
Liquid bulk, including petroleum products, liquid
sulfur and juice, was up a robust 4.5% or almost
a million tons.
General cargo this year was flat at 1.2 million
tons – with strong growth in steel products and
containers offset by a drop in scrap metal as a
result of consolidation among our scrap terminal
tenants.
On the cruise end of our business, total cruise
passengers were at 867,114 which is down just
over 2%. For the coming year we will have five
home ported vessels from Carnival, Norwegian,
Royal Caribbean and Holland America Line, as
well as the second full year of port of call visits
by the German Cruise line, AIDA.
Ladies and Gentleman, we are very fortunate to
be Florida’s most diverse port. Our diversity has
helped us maintain a strong financial outlook.
Each of the major rating agencies, Fitch,
Standard and Poor’s, and Moody’s have all given
a rating of A minus or better, and Fitch upgraded
our outlook from stable to positive based on our
diversification and fiscal management.
As you can see by the topline numbers I just
mentioned, things are good and we are looking
forward to making them even better.
You’ve heard us say it time and time again – We
are Florida’s largest port in tonnage and in land –
another key component to our growth and
progress in 2015 was in our real estate. Many of
you know the port complex is comprised of over
5,000 acres. It continues to play key part of our
strategy for the future. To update you on this,
I’d like to call to the stage Raul Alfonso,
Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial
Officer for Port Tampa Bay.
Real Estate & Master Plan (12:00)
Raul Alfonso: Thank you, Paul. Good afternoon
to all, and thank you for being our customers,
our partners, in this great industry of ours.
We should be proud of our overall performance
during 2015. This was a solid year for most of
our customers, and port users. Across the
board, our diverse business sectors, Port Tampa
Bay customers endured numerous global
economic forces, to which they are sensitive to.
Weak global economic growth
Inflation in developed markets
Low oil prices
Rise in bond yields
China’s economic slowdown
Strong US $ currency
Continued population growth in Florida
Strong tourist market in Florida
And how these may affect:
The state of the global steel industry
The US shipbuilding & repair industry
Florida’s and the US construction industry
The global agricultural / fertilizer industries
US exports
The tourism / cruise industry
We don’t have any control over these external
influences, but what we do control, is how we
work together with our tenants and customers,
to help them deal with these type of situations.
As a major Landlord port, land is our key asset.
Our Real Estate and Marketing teams work
diligently with all our tenants, looking for ways
to assure their long term growth plans, or
accommodate operational requirements, or
simply help them during difficult times.
Our vast Real Estate footprint allows us to
attract new customers, or expand existing
operations (whether these are manufacturing
plants, marine terminal operations, ship yards,
or transportation and logistics services), all these
efforts follow our strategic and Master plans,
which we are in the process of updating.
Our 2030 Master Plan will be ready in the Spring
of 2016, but here you can see our major areas of
the port. Let me update you on some key
developments:
Hooker’s Point. The heart of our cargo
operations currently resides on Hooker’s Point, a
713 acre peninsula that is home to our energy
gateway operations and berths for liquid and dry
bulk as well as break-bulk operations. Hookers
Point is also home to our container terminal,
operated by our partners at Ports America.
Our current container terminal footprint is 40
acres and it is expandable to 160 acres.
Last Fall, we also announced the building of a
brand new
130, 000 sq. ft. refrigerated cold storage
warehouse on deep water which will have on
dock rail connectivity backing up to the
container terminal. Our plans are for this facility
to be operational by mid-2017.
The cold storage warehouse is the first Phase of
our intent to build a new multi-phased projects,
that include a food campus (or cluster), served
by CSX’s rail services. With our expanded
container terminal, refrigerated warehouse and
plans for future phases in perishables, we expect
to offer new ocean services, create new jobs,
and provide a new, more efficient alternative for
our markets.
2015 saw the development at Port Redwing
approximately 20 miles south at Big Bend. Last
Spring, Tampa Tank expanded its operations at
Port Redwing adding 108 jobs and is building
bridge structures for export around the world.
In fact, many in this room may remember the
Governor visiting Port Redwing to recognize our
friends at Tampa Tank last September.
Also in the Fall last year, Port Redwing welcomed
the operations of Gulf Coast Bulk Equipment and
the import of a new commodity at Port Tampa
Bay, Prilled sulfur, for use in fertilizer
manufacturing by our partner Mosaic. You can
see some of those operations here.
In the Eastport section of Port Tampa Bay, we
are using dredge spoil to create new land and by
we anticipate adding two new deep water
berths to the port’s portfolio. Maintenance
dredging as you may already know, has
contributed over the years to many beneficial
projects around Port Tampa Bay, most recently,
the islands south of Pendola Point which are
used by many species of nesting birds and have
won the praises of Audubon with whom we
partner for the protection of those species.
Channel District Vision: You can see we have a
lot going on throughout the port complex but
the most publicly visible portion of our overall
Port Tampa Bay Master Plan is one we unveiled
last Fall - the Channel District Vision. It is an
ambitious and forward thinking plan for 45 acres
of port property along Channelside Drive and the
Ybor Channel, north of the Florida Aquarium.
The plan as envisioned adds more than 9 million
square feet of residential, retail, office and hotel
space as well as a central park, marina and
multipurpose cruise ship terminal. It most
favorably impacts neighboring projects in our
growing downtown and beautifully compliments
Jeff Vinik’s Strategic Property Partners, with
whom we have been working collaboratively.
As we look at the potential for this portion of
port owned land, given the growth, market
conditions and the evolution of the cruise
industry, this kind of thinking makes great sense.
But we cannot do this alone, we must work
together with our strategic partners, our tenants
and customers, to make this a long-term reality.
You can see some of the terrific renderings of
the project as it is envisioned and we have had a
lot of interest from our initial rollout but we
encourage all those interested investors,
residents, developers and commercial brokers to
stay in touch with us by signing up to receive
future correspondence, meeting notices and
updates at www.PTBchannelside.com.
We are actively engaged in master-planning
which we call Port Tampa Bay 2030 that we
intend to unveil later this Spring, we are
confident the master plan will help us fulfill our
mission.
Again, I want to thank you – particularly our
customers and partners – many of you in this
room today, for your ongoing business and your
support.
At this time, let me turn it back to Paul. Thank
you.
Port Tampa Bay Profile Summary (12:15pm)
Paul Anderson: Thank you Raul.
And thank you to our partners. I have said it
many times, The ports job is to create the
environment so that our private sector partners
can flourish. Our job is to create that
environment with new facilities and
infrastructure but its partners like CSX, Kinder
Morgan, Amalie Oil, Tampa Tank, Savage
Services, Gulf Marine, International Ship, Tampa
Ship and so many others that help us each and
every day. They help us fulfill our mission.
Our Mission is something I cannot overstate - It
guides what we do and our commitment to our
business, our customers, our partners, our
maritime community and the public at large.
Simply stated our mission is to leverage our
maritime assets to increase economic impact
and sustainable jobs in the West Central region
and in Florida.
We do this by following a set of strategic
initiatives that we’ve developed as a blueprint
for operations and implementation. They are as
follows:
 To continue our diversification and growth
of the individual lines of business within our
portfolio
 To protect and expand maritime land.
 To invest, maintain and expand our critical
infrastructure.
 To continue solid financial performance
 To enhance our partnerships with our
community, with our maritime community
and with the business organizations and
economic development partners throughout
the region.
 To expand our marketing and outreach.
And in all cases, we do this with an amazing and
very experienced staff. I cannot say enough
about the men and women that I have the
privilege to work with and who work for YOU
and our community.
From the numbers, the real estate and business
update so far, you’ve heard about 2015. At last
year’s State of the Port I spoke about putting
things into focus. And as you can see we have
and are doing just that. We are lining up our
resources, our people, our vision and we are
about to embark on a journey, a journey and
experience that will take this port, this
community to a new frontier.
After lunch, I look forward to introducing some
special guests to you and sharing some of the
great things we see in the future globally,
hemispherically and locally. Again thank you for
being here, please enjoy your lunch an the great
company at each of your tables and we will be
back momentarily.
Lunch Break (12:20pm)
New Frontiers (12:40am)
VIDEO: (1 min) - New Frontiers
Dramatic Music
Visuals: Port Image montage mixed with beautiful
images from the Tampa Bay region (getting from John
Franzone & Visit Tampa Bay (SSP birddogging it now)
Script VO: We have travelled the globe selling the
route and the Tampa Bay region
We have initiated projects that will have generational
impact
We have raised the awareness level to
unprecedented heights
But where is our port going tomorrow? [pause…more
visuals]
We live in the most beautiful, most exciting region in
the fastest growing part of Florida. A state that itself,
has overtaken New York to be the 3rd largest…
…it represents a phenomenal rate of growth…
…growth that presents challenges…
…growth that presents opportunities…
…growth that has become a catalyst for us to reach
New Frontiers….
Music and Vid fades.
At last year’s State of the Port our theme was
Bringing things into focus, this year its New
Frontiers.
In 1960, the Senator John F. Kennedy spoke of a
New Frontier which was not a set of promises
but a set of challenges. He went further and said
“the times demand new invention, innovation,
imagination, decision. I am asking each of you to
be pioneers on that New Frontier. My call is to
the young in heart, regardless of age--to all who
respond to the Scriptural call: "Be strong and of
a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou
dismayed."
He also said, “For courage--not complacency--is
our need today--leadership--not salesmanship.
And the only valid test of leadership is the ability
to lead, and lead vigorously.”
Well, in the Tampa Bay region in 2016? And at
Port Tampa Bay? THESE times demand the
same.
Invention.
Innovation.
Imagination.
Decision.
I would even add the word “perseverance”.
These are the elements we will need to carry this
Port, this City and this State into the future if we
are to fulfill that destiny that our Mayor so
steadfastly talks about – becoming America’s
next great city.
You hear it from our Governor, our County
Commissioners and our Mayor all the time…that
this is OUR time.
What that means for Port Tampa Bay is that we
are on an active journey to make this port – your
port – completely optimize its potential. In
cargo diversity. In real estate. In all business
opportunities.
To become a major player not just on a
hemispheric stage but on a global one. Handling
as many cargo commodities as we can – and
handling them well with great customer service
and speed.
New Frontiers. It’s an appropriate theme. This
month marks the start of my 4th year here at the
port and we have, for the last 3 years, made
some extraordinary changes and
announcements. Our focus has been on
preparing for growth. We have made some
really big moves, big investments and are
readying ourselves for the exponential growth
coming in the future.
For us and by extension you, our community and
partners we serve, New Frontiers is synonymous
with "new markets", "new cargoes", "new
commodities" and “new developments”. But
beyond that, New Frontiers is also symbolic of
this port’s even bigger watershed moments that
are on our doorstep now and what we’ve been
doing to prepare for them. These are game
changers in our business and industry. For
example:
 The expansion of the Panama Canal and
what it represents for this port as well as
Florida’s potential.
 The explosive population growth in Central
Florida, which is outpacing that of South
Florida by more than 2 to 1. This touches all
cargos by the way – from energy, aggregates
and building materials to retail, food and
automobiles.
 The density of distribution centers along the
I-4 corridor that supports that Central
Florida growth.
 The very fact that Florida has overtaken New
York as the 3rd most populous state with
over 20 million residents.
Which leads me to a little announcement I’d like
to make. It’s actually an update of an earlier
announcement but we at the port are brimming
with excitement……..
We’re expecting!
That’s right. We’re expecting!
Twins!
You’ve heard us talking about it all year long but
they are almost here. And what is it about these
cranes that makes them special? Oh sure
they’re bigger - but for many in the room that
aren’t port people what does that really mean?
Well as you can see, the size is significantly
bigger. But in layman’s terms, not only are they
taller, but the reach or extension of each crane’s
boom or arm is almost double that of our
current cranes….meaning, the cargo ships that
we can now take will be around 8,500 to 9,000
TEUs – twenty foot equivalent units or boxes.
That’s double the capacity of the ships currently
calling on the port and it doubles the potential
throughput for us in containers.
Folks, more importantly, capability like that gets
the attention of our potential shipping
customers around the world. And THAT is what
we are excited about. We become what’s
known in the container cargo industry as “big
ship ready”. Now all of a sudden, shipping
companies with high capacity ships can look to
Port Tampa Bay like they never have before - as
an alternative supply chain solution to the
amazing growth not just in Central Florida which
we’ve talked about - but all of Florida. In time,
as cargo owners become familiar with our
capability and services and vessel calls increase,
they could come to rely on Port Tampa Bay to
deliver even beyond Florida. These cranes also
provide the state of Florida with a strategic
opportunity. These two post-Panamax cranes
will be the only ones between Mobile and
Miami….the only post-Panamax cranes on the
West Coast of Florida.
We wait in eager anticipation for them as they
come under the Skyway bridge – which will be a
sight to see - and these will be fully operational
by May.
Once again, these cranes are pivotal to our
increased capability in the retail and refrigerated
cargos and I want to acknowledge and thank our
governor and the entire Florida Legislature – for
their foresight and vision in helping us make this
happen. That includes a special thanks to
former speaker Will Weatherford.
We would also like to thank Ports America who
have been our champions every step of the way.
So that is our update on the cranes – stay tuned
for our announcements on the christening of
these beautiful cranes in the spring.
In the meantime, you can see this one sector of
our diversified cargo strategy getting a big shot
in the arm. But don’t think for a moment that
this growth affects just containerized cargo. It
doesn’t. Explosive growth throughout this state
affects all our business lines.
And so our message to customers, suppliers,
carriers and logistics professionals alike is
simple:
 Port Tampa Bay is expanding through
diversity
 Port Tampa Bay is optimizing its real estate
 Port Tampa Bay is investing in
infrastructure – like the cranes – and
connectivity to support market growth,
and…
 Port Tampa Bay is preparing a more
efficient supply chain delivering into the
largest and fastest growing region in
Florida and beyond.
This isn’t conjecture or wish list thinking.
At the same time, we are not insulated from
what’s going on in the world economically and
geo-politically. Each of our multiple lines of
business faces a myriad of challenges in a
constantly changing global marketplace.
Exchange rates. New routes. Simultaneous
partnership and competition with other
transportation modes. Slower than expected
economic recoveries, particularly in Asia.
Energy prices.
But ladies and gentleman, you only need to look
at the facts: Look at our location in the middle
of Florida, our simultaneous proximity to Central
Florida growth and the Panama Canal expansion
as well as our investments like these cranes. We
can be the new, efficient choice – and it’s only
going to get better in the future.
Shippers and Carriers can efficiently serve this
kind of volume and growth from the middle of
the state where it makes the most logical – and
the most logistical sense. Think about it. It’s a
long state – more than 500 miles long – when
you send trucks out from our port to most of
Florida you can have them back in one day.
That’s money.
When you have more land readily available on
deep water that enables you to take raw
materials – manufacture and add value to them
– and then distribute them domestically or put
them back on a ship to sell around the world as
is the case with our friends at Amalie Oil or
Tampa Tank?
That’s money.
When you are the closest full service port to a
newly expanded Panama Canal what does that
mean? It means saving customers 2 full days or
more getting to market as opposed to sailing
around the state and up the East coast? But
think about it - even if it’s only one-half day!
That’s money.
When you can deliver right at the front door of a
population source instead of trucking or railing
goods into the 3rd largest state from other ports
outside of Florida as is currently being done?
That’s money.
And so our job is to provide them that service,
that infrastructure, that performance level and
build their confidence that they CAN serve
Florida from Port Tampa Bay.
We are doing it by means of superior
investment, master planning, better
infrastructure, better connectivity and then
aggressively marketing those capabilities as they
become assets for us.
THESE are the New Frontiers.
Video (2 min) – Logistics, cargoes and supply
chains.
VO: there are literally millions of tons of cargo
moving about the globe everyday. Billions in a
year.
Every imaginable commodity. Steel.
Aggregates. Petroleum. Lumber. Automobiles.
Boxes. Lots of Boxes. What the industry calls
TEUs, or twenty foot equivalent units. Every
ship. Every cargo owner. Every logistics
professional. Everyone in the supply chain is
looking for better efficiency. Through
technology. Through infrastructure. Through
routing…
FADES MUSIC AND VIDEO….
VOG: Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome to
the stage from ABC Action News, Ms. Carson
Chambers
Panel Discussion
Carson Chambers:
Ladies and Gentleman, Thank you, as mentioned
my name is Carson Chambers with ABC Action
news and it is indeed a pleasure to be here with
you.
This is an historic time not only in Tampa Bay but
throughout the world. With the expansion of
trade, growing and emerging markets, the
growth of our very own port and of course the
expansion of the Panama Canal. I am sure you
will agree with me this is truly an amazing time
and as Mayor Buckhorn says, “it is OUR time.”
With all of that in mind, I have the distinct honor
to introduce you to three amazing people who
are directly involved with the world’s shifting
trades routes.
Please welcome the Deputy Administrator of
the Panama Canal Authority, Manuel E.
Benítez H.
Please Welcome the President and CEO of
the American Association of Port
Authorities, Mr. Kurt Nagle.
Last but certainly not least please welcome
back Paul Anderson President and CEO of
Port Tampa Bay.
Gentleman thank you for joining me
today….Over 100 years ago the world called the
Panama Canal a technological marvel. The canal
still plays a pivotal role today. For the world, for
United States and of course Florida. In just a few
short months the expansion of the canal will be
complete. Can you explain why the expansion
was needed and what the outlook is for Panama,
the United Sates and Florida? (Start with Benítez
and can follow up with Nagle and Anderson)
Mr. Nagle, Florida has been very fortunate with
the investment of close to a $1 Billion by the
Governor and Legislature in ports and
infrastructure….Congress recently passed the
FAST act and the President signing it into law can
you explain how that will help ports nationally
and locally? (Can follow up with Benítez and
Anderson)
Gentleman, Cuba has been recently in the news,
with the normalizing of relations between the US
and Cuba, What opportunities do you see with
Cuba.
(REFERENCE AAPA SHIFTING TRADE ROUTES
EVENT THIS WEEK)
Mr. Anderson, you have served as a Federal
Maritime Commissioner, led two of the largest
and busiest ports in the nation, you too are on
the verge of a game changing opportunity with
two post-Panamax gantry cranes becoming
operational at the same time the Panama Canal
opens their expansion. Can you talk about that
and how the relationship with the canal plays in
your strategic plans? (Can follow up with
Quijano and Nagle)
CARSON CHAMBERS:
Thank you everyone. That will do it for our time
and we appreciate you being here and lending us
your insights. Thank you.
Paul Anderson: Thank you for facilitating our
discussion Carson. Also, a special thanks to Kurt
and to Manuel for being here. Can I get another
round of applause for all three?
Central Florida Growth. Expanding Panama
Canal. Investment in Infrastructure and
Connectivity. For all cargos but especially the
significant opportunity that lies ahead for us in
retail and refrigerated cargo – containerized
cargo.
Now let me switch gears here. Up until now in
the conversation of New Frontiers, I have been
focused on the conversation of containerized
cargo and cranes. There’s no question that this
is a milestone year for Port Tampa Bay because
of the cranes – there’s no doubt about it.
But let me stress that all of this Central Florida
growth I’ve talked about not only affects
containerized cargo. It affects all commodities.
The demand for energy.
The demand for Automobiles.
The demand for the steel and building materials
to fuel population growth.
The demand for leisure services and tourism
such as our Cruise business.
This is the very reason for our strategic
diversification.
[Richie Bros announcement/Slide]:
Further to our ongoing efforts towards
diversification, yesterday we received the first of
two huge shipments of heavy equipment arriving
from Chile and Peru for the world’s largest
industrial equipment auction to be held by
Ritchie Brothers next month.
This is new business for the port and also an
expansion of Ritchie Brothers activities where
they will receive the equipment into the Port’s
Foreign Trade Zone, where it will then be
auctioned off and re-exported overseas.
We are proud to be partnering with Ritchie
Brothers to expand their business and
geographic scope of their auction activities
beyond their Davenport, FL site just outside
Orlando, as well as Uni International
Transportation and Logistics which arranged the
ocean transportation.
It’s also great to see our FTZ being used to help
support our business development efforts,
which was one of our key objectives when we
took over the management and administration
of the FTZ from the Tampa Hillsborough EDC and
brought this responsibility in-house.
This new business also shines a spotlight our
capabilities and expertise in handling RoRo
cargo, one of our targeted areas for growth and
diversification.
And speaking of diversification, let me call your
attention to the centerpieces on your tables.
Interesting aren’t they?
These are various bulk commodities that move
through your port.
 Prilled Sulphur
 Phosphate Rock
 Bauxite
 Citrus Pellets
 Plastic
 Granite
 Wheat
 Steel Pipe
 Copper (Containerized)
 Hardware (Containerized)
 Waste paper (Containerized)
Bulk cargo is the foundation of this port. They
were our foundation years before the 2008
recession when we had record numbers of tons
of bulk material and during the recession when
we had less – this year we have 37 million tons –
up over the last year. Ladies and Gentlemen,
bulk will always be the category that made Port
Tampa Bay what it is today. And while it is a
mature cargo for us, it is still growing.
Our largest tenant Mosaic and a friend of this
community as you all know, will tell you the
demand for fertilizer products is as great as ever
since phosphate mining began in this area of
Florida. Because the demand for food is as great
as ever.
And not just fertilizer products – granite,
limestone and others.
Our petroleum business – Many of you know
that Port Tampa Bay supplies Florida with almost
50% of our fuel. And this port is strategic for the
entire state especially during hurricane season.
And yes that demand for fuel too is growing.
Speaking of Hurricane season. This year Port
Tampa Bay was designated by the National
Weather Service as the first port in the nation as
a Storm Ready Port. We are proud to be the first
port named and being part of the WeatherReady Nation which is about building community
resilience in the face of increasing vulnerability
to extreme weather and water events.
I am also happy to announce that we are
partnering with my friend Joe Lopano and the
Tampa International Airport on a topic that is
near and dear to both of us and that is safety,
security and risk mitigation.
They are our top priorities in the day to day
operations of what we do. On February 19th
right here at Cruise Terminal 2 we will hold the
3rd annual Tampa Bay Safety and Risk Mitigation
Summit, to help benefit port and airport
personnel, partners, community leaders and first
responders. We will have a variety of national
and regional thought leaders including Gil
Kerlikowske, Commissioner of the US Customs
and Border Protection, Bryan Koon Executive
Director of Florida Emergency Management,
and Alison Levine who led the first all US
women team to climb Mt. Everest and many,
many more fantastic speakers and panelists. I
would also like to thank Captain Greg Case, the
Captain of our port who is also co-hosting this
great summit.
I want to call your attention to two new major
assets that the port added to its arsenal in terms
of protecting and safeguarding Florida’s largest
port complex our new mobile command unit and
the new Hillsborough Co. Sheriff’s boat.
Raising the Profile
As one of the most famous marketing companies
in the world, Proctor and Gamble used to say,
“it’s one thing to spend time and resources in R
& D developing fantastic new products, but it
means nothing if you’re not out there telling
people about it”.
Two years ago in this room, we launched our
new brand, Port Tampa Bay. We received
accolades from our industry and our community.
We didn’t just do this in a vacuum or without
thought as to where we were going.
We knew it was going to take a lot of effort to
change minds. Relationships and trust are a
huge factor in our industry just like many
industries. The business world is built on them.
When I look around the room and see some of
our strong relationships with Doug Wray and Sal
Kass at Ports America who is investing with us on
our new cranes, or David Hale who is creating
new jobs at Tampa Tank’s second location in
Port Redwing. Mosaic. ZIM. MSC. And our cruise
lines – Carnival. Royal Caribbean. Norwegian and
Holland America.
Relationships are important.
But at some point, shippers and shipping
companies moving cargo and doing it the same
way over and over again have got to Re-Route
their thinking. They have got to consider
changes in the market. Changes in population
and rate of growth. Changes in capability.
Changes in cost and how to achieve greater
efficiencies.
For Florida, the market is changing and a new
player in the center of the state is emerging that
will have the capability to deliver more
efficiently. For certain types of cargo we have
always been strong like liquid bulk, dry bulk and
certain break-bulk items like steel. For others,
like retailers and the automotive market, we
need to make them see how we can save them
money and create value for their customers by
adding us to their supply chain.
That’s at the core of Port Tampa Bay’s activities.
Creating that value. Earning that trust. Showing
them how they can save money by ReRouting
their thinking.
In 2016 we will continue our strategy of raising
the profile by raising top of mind awareness
among our key audiences through outreach,
events, engagement, advertising, public
relations, e-marketing, web, social media and
other brand marketing channels.
In terms of business development, the term “on
the road” takes on a whole new meaning when
you consider where our business development
team goes and who they need to reach around
the globe. Like my friend and colleague Joe
Lopano, “on the road” means “around the
globe” talking to international cargo owners.
Many Carriers are in Europe. Of course we are
natural as a Latin American gateway so cargo
owners – we refer to them as BCOs – are in
Central and South America as well as Asia.
Especially with the new opportunities of the
Panama Canal expansion coupled with our
cranes and ability to handle bigger ships.
You can see we have a clear plan and vision. I am
happy to have the opportunity to lay that out for
you as we have today.
For this port – I can tell you this: we will take the
actions to leverage our maritime assets to grow
and maintain economic vitality and job growth
for the region. That’s our mission.
It’s our charge to make a Generational Impact
that will set the stage for our children and
grandchildren years after we are gone.
Video (2 min) – New Frontiers.
MUSIC
VO: Fueled by Growth, location and new
infrastructure, Port Tampa Bay looks
enthusiastically to 2016.
To new cargos
A new Masterplan
To new infrastructure
To New Frontiers
Staff #1
Staff #2
Staff #3
Rick Barkett
David Hale
Mayor Buckhorn
Staff #4
LOGO DISSOLVES UP
FADES MUSIC AND VIDEO….
PAUL
Earlier I had referenced John F. Kennedy and his
call for a New Frontier, we need you to be our
pioneers!
You will recall he said, “the times demand new
invention, innovation, imagination, decision.”
So whether it is the expansion of the airport, or
here at Port Tampa Bay, the growth of our
market or the growth of tourism, this truly is
Florida’s time, it is Tampa Bay’s time.
Thank you for joining us today.
On behalf of our great staff, our Board of
Commissioners and our Maritime Community,
Tampa Bay, thank you for coming out to this
year’s State of the Port address. I wish you a
happy and prosperous 2016.
END