GT USA Wilmington launches new infrastructure investments

3 MAY, 2019  | THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

GT USA Wilmington is on track with its first improvements at the Port of Wilmington after its first quarter managing the facility, according to its new CEO, Eric Casey.

“GT USA Wilmington is immensely proud to have received a 50-year concession to operate the port and to provide $600 million to upgrade and expand the terminal,” Casey said.

Improvement and extension of the dock and crane rail are under way, and these projects should be completed by this summer at a cost of $17 million. GT USA is also enhancing warehouse storage by increasing racking for palletized cargo.

According to Casey, the port will soon begin work on upgrading cargo throughput capacity from 350,000 TEUs to 600,000 TEUs, along with new capacity for roll-on/roll-off cargo.

Casey was appointed CEO of GT USA Wilmington LLC in October. He was previously vice president of Virginia International Terminals and an executive at Maersk Line. Casey spent 26 years with the U.S. Marine Corps, including roles in Special Operations, a National-Level Special Mission Unit and tours in Force Reconnaissance.

GT USA Wilmington, a subsidiary of UAE-based Gulftainer, signed a 50-year concession agreement last September to operate and expand the Port of Wilmington, Delaware, which has served shipping lines since 1923.

As part of the concession agreement, Gulftainer will invest significantly in the port by building a new container facility at DuPont’s former Edgemoor site. GT USA Wilmington also will establish a training facility for the ports and logistics industries, which is expected to train up to 1,000 people a year.