USA AWARDS 2024 - CEO TODAY - - 83 - located on the country’s East Coast, the terminal offers end-to-end supply chain and dynamic logistics capabilities for the region, providing both importers and exporters with highly efficient, unrivaled, productive, and competitive trade solutions at its facility to customers. With Canaveral’s excellent road connectivity, Gulftainer had chosen to establish its first USA operations from Canaveral Container Terminal, which has a promising potential for trade growth, building on the momentum of the influx of new arrivals to the region post-covid. Also, free from congestion, the terminal offers an opportunity to establish an alternate maritime shipping hub away from the traditional ports of Miami, Port Everglades, Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Tampa, Savannah, and Philadelphia. The terminal facility consists of two berths, two ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, two mobile harbor cranes, natural deep water, plenty of land and a highly skilled workforce – and its operations activity include containers, lumber, project cargo, dry bulk, PCC, and space maritime, all facilitated by Gulftainer’s highly capable team. To establish Canaveral Container Terminal as an alternate maritime shipping hub in the region, offering integrated supply chain solutions for our customers, Gulftainer has expanded its terminal’s footprint from 20 acres to 30 acres to cater to the growing demand for trade and shipping. It also plans to develop this additional land through a joint venture project to introduce a state-of-the-art multi-purpose facility offering other new services, such as dry, chilled, and hard frozen storage facilities for importers and exporters. Looking ahead, Gulftainer is building a fully integrated digital ecosystem in its ports and terminals that will also play a key role in optimizing our customers’ shipping and logistics requirements. Staying true to its vision, Gulftainer will continue to expand its footprint across the USA with potential new investment opportunities to the South and the West Coast and introduce new services such as manufactured goods, high-end timber products, bulk commodities, seafood, fruit, citrus, meat, dairy products, project cargo, new and used cars, military and heavy equipment. Clearly, efficiency is pivotal to the success of GT USA. What plans does Gulftainer put in place to secure a high level of efficiency in its operations? Efficiency has long been a hallmark of Gulftainer USA’s operations, and our ability to deliver seamless and efficient handling and cargo delivery in the region is a testament to our commitment to excellence. This comes as a result of strategic planning with strong local knowledge of the industry, technology integration and dedicated customer service. Can you briefly describe your journey to becoming the CEO of Gulftainer (GT) USA? I first joined Gulftainer in the UAE in 1987 as a Superintendent at Khorfakkan Container Terminal - Sharjah. Then, I served in various senior roles, including Managing Director of the company, before I became the Group CEO in 2006. Before that, I worked as an officer on merchant vessels for 12 years, transporting similar cargo to what we now handle in our ports. In 2014, I also assumed the position of CEO of Gulftainer USA. In this role, I’ve had the privilege of leading Gulftainer’s operations in the United States, which presently only encompasses the management of Canaveral Cargo Terminal in Florida. However, in 2018, we were also awarded the 50-year concession to develop and operate the Port of Wilmington in Delaware. Unfortunately, we handed back this concession to the State in 2023 as there was a disconnect on the future development requirements. During our tenure as the operator of the Port of Wilmington, we improved its performance to totally remove the annual requirement of the Delaware State to subsidise the port operations. Despite the return of the concession, we were able to leave Delaware knowing we had added tremendous value to their port and improved its productivity to the extent that it could operate profitably, which was the first time in many years. This journey has been truly captivating. I take great pride in our growth and success as a team here in the United States, further enhancing Gulftainer’s status as a leading regional ports & terminals operator and a provider of niche supply chain and logistics solutions. We will grow and expand our asset base in the USA – watch this space! GT USA has placed a significant interest in expanding Canaveral Container Terminal (CCT). What prompted this decision and how do you see the transformation of CCT operations? When we first entered Canaveral Container Terminal in 2014, it primarily handled bulk cargo and was relatively modest in size. Fast forward nearly a decade, and the terminal has undergone remarkable growth. We’ve instilled our commitment to high productivity and safety standards into the facility, consistently achieving top marks in the annual US Coast Guard security inspections since the commencement of our operations. Canaveral Container Terminal is well-positioned to be the USA’s niche trade hub of choice for the southern regional markets of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama, with a total population of some 50 million people. Ideally
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