SeaPort Manatee and terminal operator LOGISTEC USA Inc., a subsidiary of LOGISTEC Corp., are further enhancing cargo-handling capabilities with the April addition of two new Konecranes Gottwald Generation 6 mobile harbor cranes at the thriving Florida Gulf Coast trade gateway.

The pair of eco-efficient cranes arrived at SeaPort Manatee on Friday [April 22] via trans-Atlantic vessel voyage from their place of manufacture in Germany. Each of the cranes is capable of lifting loads of as many as 125 metric tons, and the two units combine to offer a tandem lift capability of more than 200 metric tons – the most at any Florida seaport.

The newly acquired Gottwald Generation 6 cranes accompany two Gottwald Generation 5 units and a versatile Liebherr mobile harbor crane in the lift equipment fleet serving SeaPort Manatee, which three days earlier reported handling record cargo volumes in its first fiscal half, ended March 31.

Two new Konecranes Gottwald Generation 6 mobile harbor cranes, to be deployed by terminal operator LOGISTEC USA, arrive April 22 at SeaPort Manatee following trans-Atlantic passage from Germany aboard SAL Heavy Lift’s M/V Lone.
Two new Konecranes Gottwald Generation 6 mobile harbor cranes, to be deployed by terminal operator LOGISTEC USA, arrive April 22 at SeaPort Manatee following trans-Atlantic passage from Germany aboard SAL Heavy Lift’s M/V Lone.

“As SeaPort Manatee continues to grow, with all-time-high levels of cargo activity, the arrival of these cranes, along with such infrastructure enhancements as expansion of dockside container yard facilities, heralds a new era for Manatee County’s hub of global commerce,” said Carlos Buqueras, SeaPort Manatee’s executive director. “We join longtime terminal-operating partner LOGISTEC USA in looking forward to efficiently moving even more containerized goods and other cargos to meet consumer and industry needs throughout Central and Southwest Florida and beyond for decades to come.”

Rodney Corrigan, president of LOGISTEC USA Inc., noting that the cranes arrived as Earth Day was celebrated around the world, said the units are emblematic of Green Marine initiatives across LOGISTEC’s North American network.

“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,” Corrigan said. “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 breakbulk cargos. LOGISTEC USA is in its 20th year of providing high-quality specialized cargo handling, port logistics and value-added services at SeaPort Manatee.

Located “Where Tampa Bay Meets the Gulf of Mexico,” SeaPort Manatee is a dynamic global trade hub, serving as the vibrant ships-to-shelves gateway for burgeoning Southwest and Central Florida markets. The closest U.S. deepwater seaport to the expanded Panama Canal, SeaPort Manatee offers 10 deep-draft berths, proficiently fulfilling diverse demands of container, liquid and dry bulk, breakbulk, heavylift, project and general cargo customers. The self-sustaining port generates more than $3.9 billion in annual economic impacts while providing for more than 27,000 direct and indirect jobs – all without benefit of local property tax support.