Following a recent partnership between North Carolina Ports with Crowley Maritime Corp., Crowley will provide the port authority with weekly, fixed-day logistics, and shipping services between the Port of Wilmington and Guatemala and Honduras beginning later this month.
The services will make Wilmington the northernmost U.S. Atlantic port for Central American cargo. The new route allows the port to have an impact on the textiles and legacy-apparel industry.
“We have served the cargo transportation needs of our customers shipping to and from Central America for more than 50 years,” Steve Collar, Crowley senior vice president and general manager of international services, said. “We continue to listen to their needs, then amend or expand our offerings appropriately.”
North Carolina Ports had ordered three ultra-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes to unload the cargo. The cranes are part of more than $200 million North Carolina Ports is investing in infrastructure over the next two and a half years.
Since May, the port authority has begun offering two trans-Pacific routes, an Atlantic route between Central America to Europe and has added seven new carriers.
The partnership with Crowley will open new avenues to the customers of the Carolinas and surrounding regions, Ports Chief Commercial Officer Greg Fennell said.
Annually, the ports generate $700 million in state and local taxes.