PANAMA CITY — Port Panama City project manager Michael Sowell launched a 402-ton piece of equipment into action for the first time Thursday with one radio call.
“Alright guys, start it up.”
The call came during a commissioning ceremony for the port’s newest piece of equipment, a $4.4 million mobile harbor crane, which brought dozens of state and local officials out to witness the crane’s first container lift at the port facilities.
--- VIDEO: A QUICK TOUR AMID THE SUNSET
The first lift left the audience with a goal-inspiring banner message across the container it held: “Port Panama City— 408,000 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) so far ... and just getting started.”
The Gottwald 6407 Mobile Harbor Crane is the single most expensive piece of equipment the port has ever owned and has a lift capacity of up to 100 tons.
“This port has never had a new crane before,” said Port Director Wayne Stubbs. “We’ve had three cranes up until now but none of them have been new.”
Stubbs said the new equipment is capable of growing with the port and will likely service the facility for decades to come. He said the crane purchase stemmed from an increase in business for shipping company Linea Peninsular, which began bringing in three new container ships to the port facilities last year.
Over the last 10 years, the Port Authority has invested $75 million in facilities improvements with the help of matching grants from the Florida Department of Transportation, which also provided a 50 percent match for the crane.
Jason Peters, director of transportation development for FDOT’s District 3, commended the port for its continued growth.
“I’m always amazed every time I come down here by how much change has occurred,” Peters said. “It’s progress at its best.”
During the commissioning ceremony, Sowell received a commemorative key to the crane from Alan Garcia of Terex Gottwald, the German-based company that developed it.
Garcia described the crane as a “5th generation” piece of equipment, capable of saving about 5 percent on fuel costs. He said Port Panama City’s crane is the only one in the state that uses an external power supply.
Port Authority Chairman Donald Crisp thanked the community for its support as the port continues to expand.
“We have a commitment to all of our customers, all of our clients, the employees that are here — your board will continue to do what we can with the support of state and local people to make this an even better port,” Crisp said. “We’re going to do anything we can do to make positive progress for the community.”
--- VIDEO: A QUICK TOUR AMID THE SUNSET
Draft master plan draft approved: Prior to Thursday’s crane commissioning ceremony, the Panama City Port Authority held its regular monthly meeting and approved a draft master plan for the facility.
The document outlines 10 years’ worth of goals for the organization, including nearly $52 million in capital improvement projects. It will now head to the Panama City Planning Board for review before the City Council has the final say.
In terms of port business, November was a good month for the port, bringing year-to-date tonnage up to 312,000 tons, 50,000 tons ahead of last year. The number of ships calling the port also increased year-over-year from 33 to 45 in the same two-month time frame.