Most expensive piece of equipment in the port's history

PANAMA CITY — The Panama City Port Authority gave staff the go-ahead to move forward with an agreement to purchase a $4 million mobile harbor crane at a meeting Tuesday.

Staff began negotiating a sales agreement with German manufacturer Gottwald Crane last month for the piece of equipment, which, once received, will be the single most expensive piece of handling equipment the port has ever owned.

“We’ve been going back and forth with the sales agreement to make sure we’re comfortable with it,” said Port Director Wayne Stubbs. “The board approved us going forward with that agreement subject to an understanding of what’s going to be in it at this point and subject to the attorney’s view on it.”

The board’s action Tuesday will allow staff to finalize the agreement and forward it to the Florida Department of Transportation for approval.

The port will use a $2.2 million matching bond grant from FDOT to purchase the crane, which was priced at $4.13 million by Gottwald.

Stubbs said the FDOT grant also will include funds to add electrical capacity to the dock to support the crane’s operations.

The crane will help increase the port’s cargo-handling capabilities, an integral part of the Port Authority’s plan to increase container trade threefold.

Stubbs said he expects to receive the crane this fall.