Port of Palm Beach A Centennial History

Port of Palm BeachA Centennial History

By Richard Westlund

Since its modest beginning in 1915, the Port of

Palm Beach has become a key player in South

Florida's diverse economy. With its ability to

handle diverse types of cargo and modern cruise

ships, the port contributes to the prosperity of

the region’s agriculture, manufacturing, energy,

distribution and tourism sectors, while providing

thousands of jobs for Palm Beach County

families. The port also serves as a lifeline to

the Caribbean, with tenants whose shipping

operations serve the islands from Freeport to

St. Lucia.

With the continued strength of the economies

of the Caribbean and Latin America, the Port of

Palm Beach is well positioned for the future.

Other positive trends include the expansion of

the Panama Canal, which will accelerate the

flow of goods from Asia, and improved U.S.

relations with Cuba, since the port was once the

largest trade gateway to that Caribbean nation.

As the Port of Palm Beach celebrates its

centennial, the Board of Commissioners, man-

agement team, tenants and other partners work as

a team to meet the evolving transportation needs

of the region. That commitment to service will

provide a solid foundation for the port's success in

the next 100 years.

1100th ANNIVERSARY

Port of Palm BeachA Centennial History

By Richard Westlund

Acknowledgements

2 100th ANNIVERSARY 100 Overlooking the Port of Palm Beachand Peanut Island, 2000.

Passport Publications & Media Corporation1555 Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard, Suite 1550West Palm Beach, Florida 33401(561) 472-8778www.PassportPublications.com

Copyright © 2015 Port of Palm BeachAll Rights Reserved

No part of this book shall be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, includingphotocopying, recording or by an information or retrieval system, except in the case of brief quotations embodied inarticles and reviews, without the prior written consent of the publisher. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of thisbook via the Internet or via any other means without permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015914384

ISBN-10: 0692524290ISBN-13: 978-0-692-52429-9

First printing: 2015Printed in the United States of America

This publication was produced using available information.The publisher regrets it cannot assume responsibility for errors or omissions.

The Port of Palm Beach gratefully acknowledges the support of the editorial and designteam at Passport Publications & Media Corporation, which produced this book; theHistorical Society of Palm Beach County, which provided articles and photos for thispublication; and the many writers and editors of Gateway Magazine, whose contributionsover the decades provided a framework for this centennial history.

3100th ANNIVERSARY

4 100th ANNIVERSARY

Palm Beach Harbor Pilots Association’s Captain Greg Turner.

5100th ANNIVERSARY

Tableof

Contents

6 Celebrating Our Centennial

8 Supporting Our Region’s Economy

12 The Early Years1915-1945

24 Recognizing the Port’sHarbor Pilots

26 Expanding in the Postwar Era1945-1959

38 Diversifying the Port’s Operations1960-1969

46 Serving the Sugar Industry1970-1979

54 Attracting the Cruise Industry1980-1989

60 Changing the Skyline1990-99

70 Entering the 21st Century2000-2014

78 The Next 100 Years

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As the longest serving port commissioner, I have watched the port growfrom a small operation with minimal business, making less than $1 milliona year to one that now boasts three equally strong sectors: cargo, cruiseand real estate.

Over the years, the Port of Palm Beach has learned to strengthen its valuethrough diversification and operational efficiencies, resulting in a recordyear in 2014 that enjoyed revenues in excess of $15 million. We have usedour 100 years wisely, learning lessons from every change in market andpolitical shift, and adjusting accordingly to create value for our tenants andcommunity. And for this, among many other reasons, I am proud to beserving as chairman during a year of such historic and economicimportance.

Within these pages, you will learn that the Port of Palm Beach has been aneconomic driver of Palm Beach County and beyond since day one. Ithelped facilitate the development of Palm Beach in the late 1910s and early‘20s, was the largest trading gateway to Cuba before the embargo, andcurrently serves as the shipping hub for Florida sugar that is exportedaround the world.

Celebrating Our Centennial

6 100th ANNIVERSARY 100

Blair J. CiklinChairman, Board of CommissionersPort of Palm Beach

7100th ANNIVERSARY100

More than 2,850 people are employed by the Port of Palm Beach andits tenants, making it one of the largest employers in Palm Beach County.And through the contribution of more than $185 million in businessrevenue and $17.5 million in tenant-contributed state and local annualtax revenue, it is one of the largest economic engines in South Florida.

While this year marks a celebration of our successes, I also look uponit as a chance to discuss its future. The Port of Palm Beach is dedicatedto supporting its surrounding communities through economicdevelopment, now and for the years to come. And it is throughcontinuing our steps of diversified and sustainable growth that wewill move with purpose through the next 100 years.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about our history and celebrateour centennial anniversary. We look forward to showing you whathas been, what is, and what will be at the Port of Palm Beach.

Blair J. CiklinChairman, Board of CommissionersPort of Palm Beach

Port operations in the early 1950s.

8 100th ANNIVERSARY

As executive director of the Port of Palm Beach, I feel privileged to be a partof this organization as it reaches a milestone as noteworthy and nostalgicas our centennial anniversary. I came to the Port of Palm Beach in 2008, andin these short seven years, have come to know and love what it means togrow without expanding, build without rising, and support an entireeconomic region through a 162-acre operation in Riviera Beach, Florida.

As you look through this book, you will begin with images from 100 yearsago, when the Lake Worth Inlet District reached the ocean through a four-foot deep channel. You’ll see our growth through our first cruise ship, theMary Weems, our original passenger terminal, and the Florida HavanaRailroad Car Ferry – a reminder that the Port of Palm Beach was once thelargest trade gateway to Cuba.

You’ll travel through our infrastructure improvement initiatives, includingthe building of Skypass Bridge and construction of our second and thirdslips. Then of course, you’ll hear about our booms, our busts and how wenavigated through the years to reach new horizons. This story shows thededication, determination and commitment of the people who work at thisport. There are generations of stevedores, sailors and even accountants

Supporting Our Region’s Economy

Manuel AlmiraExecutive DirectorPort of Palm Beach


here. Family businesses are flourishing alongside employees who calleach other family, because through the years we have all weatheredthe same storms and celebrations, together at the Port of Palm Beach.

Just as 2015 marks our centennial milestone, it also marks the gatewayto our future. These past two years have shown just what the Port ofPalm Beach can and will be within the next 100 years. Through ourmost recent infrastructure improvements, we now maintain one of themost efficient cargo operations in the nation, moving containers fromtrain and truck to ship and sea within 24 hours.

We serve as the lifeline to the Caribbean, with tenants that maintainjust-in-time shipping operations to the islands from Freeport to St.Lucia. And, we are currently hosting our largest cruise ship to date, avessel that is breaking passenger and revenue records for the port. Itis with great pleasure I introduce these feats in conjunction with ourcentennial book. Please take the time to look, learn and celebrate 100years of development with the Port of Palm Beach.

Please enjoy our commemorative book.

Manuel AlmiraExecutive DirectorPort of Palm Beach

The Mary Weems enters the Port of Palm Beach for the first time on January 3, 1926.

10 100th ANNIVERSARY 100Port of Palm Beach, 2015.


Blair J. CiklinChairman

Wayne M. RichardsVice Chairman

Jean L. EnrightSecretary/Treasurer

George E. MasticsCommissioner

Peyton W. McArthurCommissioner

2015 Port of Palm Beach Board of Commissioners

12 100th ANNIVERSARY

First port document marking the special act of the Legislature creating the Lake Worth Inlet District, which would laterbecome the Port of Palm Beach District.


In the early years of the 20th century, Florida lawmakers realized thatimproving the natural inlets on the shoreline could help the state reach itspotential in agriculture, tourism and manufacturing. In order to providefunding that would support the state’s trade and commercial growth, theLegislature charted a number of taxing areas to be known as “inlet districts,”extending from St. Augustine to Miami.

One of these was the Lake Worth Inlet District, which was well situated tobecome a future gateway for domestic and international cargo andpassenger traffic. An initial survey by civil engineers Fred Franck, FrankWeller and Captain I.D. Hiscock – at a cost of just $200 – identified a primelocation on the “old inlet” at the southern end of today’s Riviera Beach.That site would require only about a half mile of dredging, creating a safeand convenient harbor for ships traveling along Florida’s East Coast.

A 1913 article in the Palm Beach Post pointed out the reasons for creating anew port – many of which still apply in the 21st century. “Lake Worth canbecome the best harbor on the coast of Florida; the one nearest the regularsteamship routes; one of the most strategic ones possible for the use of theU.S. Navy; one as near or nearer than any other to the Panama Canal; onein direct touch with Lake Okeechobee by the deepest and most directcanal; one with a big territory to draw from both by rail and canal; andfinally, one that can be made 25-30 feet deep or more at less expense thananother other in Florida.”

The Early Years1915-1945

Chapter 1

14 100th ANNIVERSARY 100 Northward view of Singer Island from a Curtis airplane.


However, the fledgling port had a far more modest start with an initial channeljust 150 feet wide and four feet deep at low water, leading to a relatively smallturning basin. A harbor and dock facility were also constructed in 1915,creating a stopover location for coastal traffic and a new outlet for agriculturalproducts and other merchandise heading south to Miami.

In August 1915, voters in the Lake Worth Inlet District elected the firstport commissioners: Dr. H.C. Hood, G.L. Gray and E.E. Geer. In 1916,Gray retired and R.P. Paddison was elected, then replaced two years laterby C.H. Ellis. In 1919 Geer resigned and E.S. Fowler took his seat on theboard, and George W. Jonas succeeded Dr. Hood, who had died. Althoughthe original charter called for the election of three commissioners in aspecial district election, the law was eventually amended so the districtcommissioners were elected every four years in the general election as theirterms expired.

Soon after building the first dock in 1915, the Palm Beach communityrecognized the port’s potential for commercial activity. “A ship inlet fromthe ocean to the natural harbor at West Palm Beach will provide bettershipping facilities for enormous quantities of produce from the ‘Glades andcheaper freight rates for growers and merchants.” said commissioner Geerin a 1917 article in the Palm Beach Post. He added that farmers had come tothe commission asking for help in moving their produce to market and toldhim they could fill 5,000 crates a week.

Chapter 1

First drawing of Lake Worth Inlet project by George B. Hills, engineer manager for Isham Randolph & Co. Consulting Engineers.

“I believe that with this inlet, we have a chance of making WestPalm Beach one of the liveliest places on the East Coast,” Geersaid. “When we provide access to outside markets for ourfarmers, we will step up several rounds on the ladder ofprogressiveness. With the inlet a success, it does not take avery great stretch of imagination to see our deck lined withfreight and passenger boats and the great railroad systems ofthe south extending their lines this way. Commercially, it willput West Palm Beach on the map, and in time we will see it asone of the liveliest business centers of the south.”

Geer’s prediction soon began to come true. After dredging the initialchannel and building the first dock, it became clear that a deeper and

wider inlet channel was needed. In 1920, Captain A.S. Anderson,who later became a commissioner, signed a contract to deepen theinlet to 12 feet. In 1923 the inlet was deepened again to 16 feet, andthe turning basin was enlarged. One of the byproducts of thedredging project was the creation of a new island in the lake, firstcalled Inlet Island and today known as Peanut Island.

As part of this improvement project, a bulkhead, slip andterminal facilities were added, bringing railroad and highwayconnections right to the growing port. Two jetties were lateradded to protect the entrance channel. All these improvementswere completed by 1925 at a cost of $3.5 million, all paid bylocal businesses and civic leaders.


Barge facilitates channel dredge. Dredge progress 1921. Lake Worth Inlet, post-1923.


A milestone occurred in December 1925 when the LakeChelan, the first steamer carrying cargo, arrived to establishregular service. Next came the passenger steamer Mary Weems,which made 13 trips to New York between 1926 and 1927, anda Canadian ship, SS New Northland, which carried passengersto Nassau and Havana.

During the early 1920s, the commissioners hired GeneralGeorge Goethals, renowned worldwide for his engineering workon the Panama Canal, to consult on the development of the port.At that time, the inlet district had a surplus of $3.5 million in thebank, the equivalent of $49.7 million today. However, the state’sreal estate bubble of the mid ‘20s soon burst. On September 17,

1928, a deadly hurricane with winds of 145+ miles per hourstruck Palm Beach County, devastating the port, destroying morethan 1,700 homes and causing 2,500 deaths when its storm surgepushed Lake Okeechobee over its southern banks, floodinghundreds of acres in the Glades region.

A year later, the 1929 stock crash on Wall Street led to theGreat Depression, which crippled the nation’s economy andresulted in the layoffs of millions of workers in the 1930s. Asthat decade began, the port’s only remaining tenant wasMerchants and Miners, a company that operated a weeklyfreight service along the coast. Its warehouse was the onlybuilding still standing at the port.

Chapter 1

Construction progress of first port terminal, 1928-1929.


Yacht docked at completed cargo warehouse, post-1929.100


The commissioners negotiated with Merchants and Miners and received a$60,000 loan to complete the construction of Slip 1 and rebuild the port’swarehouses. That loan was a turning point, as the commissioners kept theport alive so it could continue to support the region’s economy. It shouldalso be noted that during the Prohibition era (1920-1933), local“rumrunners” kept the region well supplied with alcohol by smuggling casesof beer, wine and liquor from The Bahamas into the Lake Worth area.

Chapter 1

Construction crews laying below-ground support beams for on-dock rail.

20 100th ANNIVERSARY 100Original blueprint for infrastructure expansion project, provided to the port by Fugate & Brockway, Eng.'s in 1936.


In 1935, the Lake Worth Inlet District was renamed the Port of PalmBeach District to avoid confusion with a special drainage districtbearing the same name. That year its charter was amended to allowemployment of a salaried manager. Until then, one of the three electedcommissioners served as port manager. However, a commissionercould still serve as manager if the others agreed – a condition thatremained until 1953 when the rules were changed to prohibit servingin both roles.

In 1935 the U.S. government took over maintenance of the jetties andchannel, deepening it to 20 feet and expanding the turning basin again.Using $35,000 in local funds ($6.1 million today), the commissionapproved dredging a side channel in 1937 that extended south alongthe west shore of Palm Beach and provided a safe anchorage for deep-draft recreational yachts.

Chapter 1

After Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, the U.S. declaredwar on Japan and Germany, and entered World War II. Florida soon houseda string of bases for training soldiers and pilots – many of whom returnedto make their homes in the Sunshine State after the war. Meanwhile, someFlorida ports boomed from increased trade in agricultural commodities fromLatin America. But that was not the case at the Port of Palm Beach.


Lumber to be used for building in the Bahamas. 100


Geographically unsuited as a shipment point for war goods bound forEuropean or Pacific theaters of war, the port could not accommodate thenew, larger freighters of the era. Meanwhile, German U-boats prowled theshipping channels along the Gulf Stream just off the Florida coast duringmuch of 1942, until U.S. Navy vessels and aircraft were able to make thesea lanes safe for commerce in the last years of the war.

Chapter 1

Nosa King, early 1930s. Yacht moored at Port of Palm Beach, early 1930s.

Navigating ships in and out of the Port of Palm Beach, the skilled membersof the Palm Beach Harbor Pilots’ Association are an integral part of the port’slivelihood. The pilots’ knowledge of the currents, depths, and navigationalhazards in Lake Worth Inlet keep cargo and passenger ships, as well aspleasure boaters out of harm’s way and facilitate the daily vessel navigationand docking or berthing for port tenants.

Since its early beginnings, the harbor pilots have grown their fleet from aconverted torpedoed lifeboat, to U.S. Navy whaleboats, to a fleet of speciallydesigned pilot boats built to withstand contact with large ships in heavy seas.

The first pilot was Earl Menges who while piloting vessels, became a lightattendant in 1929. At the time, there were only 3 navigational lights inLake Worth Inlet and one of them went out. He inquired around to seewho was in charge of the lights but nobody knew, so he fixed it himself.He wrote the Lighthouse Service asking who he should report to shouldit happen again and they responded “Report to yourself, you’re on thepayroll now.” He took the job and was paid $10 a month. The job grew to

65 lights covering St. Lucie to Boynton Inlet. He would inspect every lightonce a month aboard his open deck pilot boat-buoy tender. His career asa harbor pilot started in much the same manner as he became a lightattendant. Since Menges was the resident engineer for the initial dredgingproject of Lake Worth Inlet, and a local sailor, he was asked to go aboardand guide the early cargo and passenger ships of the 1920s through theport's channel and its currents. Starting in 1927, he served in the role asHarbor Pilot at the Port of Palm Beach for the next 39 years.

Shortly after the end of World War II in 1946, a young George W. Fizell waswalking along the docks in his naval dungarees and came across Menges.Menges asked Fizell if he could help run him out to an awaiting freighter inthe pilot boat being that there was no boat driver available. Being aboatswain’s mate, Fizell had no problem maneuvering the converted Navywhaleboat and thus his career began as pilot boat driver. Soon after, Mengestold Fizell he would need to start training him as a Pilot because moremanpower was needed as trade with Cuba increased. Fizell’s career with thePalm Beach Pilots lasted 42 years.

Recognizing the Port’s Harbor Pilots


Captain Earl Menges Captain William G. Roden, Jr. Captain Greg Turner Captain George A. Fizell

25100th ANNIVERSARY

Beginning with Earl Menges, more than 10 men have served as members ofPalm Beach Harbor Pilots’ Association, including the five who serve today.There were others who were given pilot licenses by the Palm Beach PilotCommissioners Before World War II, but it is not known exactly how manywere licensed or how long they served. Earl Menges was the only one whocontinued piloting after the war.

Through the years, the pilots have watched the port grow, wane, rebuildand prosper. They have assisted U.S. and British naval warships, privateyachts belonging to the Onassis and Post families, and the five-ship Havanafleet that maintained cargo operations between the U.S. and Cuba.

All of the current pilots are navigation experts of Lake Worth Inlet andformer merchant mariners. For example, Captain Greg Turner, the mostsenior pilot at the port, has made over 17,000 transits bringing ships in andout of the Port of Palm Beach since 1983. In its centennial year, the portrecognizes the invaluable contributions made by the harbor pilots, who serveas the guiding lights for ships entering and leaving the Port of Palm Beach.

The following list shows all of the known Pilots during and after WWII.

Earl Menges, 1927-1966

Skip Westthrope, 1938-1946

George W. Fizell, 1946-1988

Lloyd J. Parker, 1956-1986

George A. Fizell, 1969-2004

Gregory G. Turner, 1983-Present

William G. Roden, Jr., 1984-Present

William D. Messer, 1988-Present

Matthew L. Rigby, 2000-Present

Reid Hansen, 2004-Present

Captains Matthew Rigby and Reid Hansen Captain Greg Turner Pilotage services continue through hurricane-grade weather.

Captain William D. Messer

26 100th ANNIVERSARY 100Rail reaches to ships loading cargo destined for Bahamas and Cuba.


Chapter 2

While the war years were relatively quiet in terms of cargo and passengertraffic, the Port of Palm Beach began moving forward into a new era withthe arrival of peace. Under the federal Rivers and Harbors Act of 1945, thefederal government authorized deepening the channel and turning basin to25 feet.

Another step occurred with the arrival of the West India Fruit & SteamshipCompany in 1946. The company began a lucrative car ferry service toHavana, and the port’s tonnage records soared. To handle the movement ofthousands of rail cars, a loading bridge was installed at the south side of Slip1. This dramatic increase in traffic convinced the commissioners to build asecond slip and dredge a southward extension of the turning basin. Both thechannel and basin were deepened to 27 feet, a project authorized andfunded by the federal government. Other improvements included theconstruction of a new warehouse, surfacing of the loading area andextending the railroad tracking to a total of 5.5 miles.

Expanding in the Post-War Era1945-1959

28 100th ANNIVERSARY 100At this time, the port commission also approved the construction of a wooden pier onLake Okeechobee in Pahokee to provide water access for the surrounding farmingcommunities. In 1946, the pier was destroyed by a strong hurricane, but it was rebuiltalmost immediately, Soon afterwards the board entered into a cooperative agreementwith the City of Pahokee to construct a breakwater as a safe refuge for small craft in the

U.S. Navy officers and contractors at USCG building previously located on mainland port property discuss new facility being built on Andros Island.


Chapter 2

lake. In 1953, a barge terminal facility on the lake at Belle Glade was also completed.Although there was little commerce at either lake facility, the port’s initiatives providedan alternative to the surface transportation of agricultural commodities in the Gladesarea. They also helped to reduce the railroad freight rates on raw sugar from the region’snewly constructed sugar cane mills – a lasting financial benefit for the growers.

Florida Havana Railroad Ferry vessels loading Cuba-bound cargo.


Left: Prepping for cement pour for slip wall lining.Top: Crews laying rail.Bottom: Pipe welding.


Chapter 2

By 1948, the port channel was deepened further to permit large oil tankers to enter the harborand service the adjacent Florida Power & Light (FPL) plant in Riviera Beach. One of the menwho played a key leadership role during this time was L.R. Bishop. He served the board for24 years as secretary, chairman and port manager. Following his retirement in 1957, Joel C.Wilcox, who had been traffic manager, became the first full-time port director. This was theyear that revenues peaked for the decade, thanks primarily to the car ferry service.

Vessel ready to receive rail cargo bound for Havana.


Digging slip for increased depth.Steel pilings used for seawall.

Aerial shot of Slip 2 progress.


Chapter 2

Recognizing the importance of the port as a key gateway for internationalshipping, the commission proposed a major port harbor improvementproject. In 1952, Congress authorized a review of the project, whichincluded deepening the channel to 33 feet (with two required additionalfeet for an depth of 35 feet) in order to permit the port to accommodate thelarger vessels of the 1950s.

Rail cars loaded onto Havana ferry.


Caption

Crews hooking up to FPL oil valve pit.

Florida Havana Railroad Ferry returning from Cuba.


When public hearings began two years later, the Palm Beach CivicAssociation raised objections about the likelihood of damage fromthe tide levels in Lake Worth. However, local consulting engineersand the district engineer in Jacksonville found that the change intide levels would be minimal and increasing the channel sizewould have little effect on beach erosion. However, the civicassociation continued to oppose the projects. While similarprojects at Port Everglades and the Port of Miami received localsupport and substantial federal funding, the Port of Palm Beachwas passed over.

Next, port officials built a scale model of the inlet to determinethe project’s effect on the tides. After satisfying requests foradditional data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, thereport was submitted in 1958, bearing out the previous findingsof negligible effects on the tides and beach erosion. The Town ofPalm Beach still objected, but the project was finally approvedby the Army Corps of Engineers, and submitted to Congress in1960. The project began in 1964 and was completed three yearslater. Today, the inlet channel’s depth remains at 35 feet – thesame level as in 1967.

Chapter 2

Walter Du Mont entering port, late 1950s.


Aerial view of busy port, late 1950s.Rail ferry bound for Cuba loading boxcars onto ship.

In the 1950s, goods bound to and from Cuba came through the Port of Palm Beach by railcars. West India Fruit and Steamship Co.carried as many as 10,000 loaded railcars to the Caribbean nation every year. By 1957, rail traffic between the U.S. and Cuba reachedan all-time high, as the company handled more than half a million tons of freight between the two countries.

Boxcars, up to 26 at a time, were switched aboard the sea-going ferries for the overnight trip to Havana, where the cars wererolled off the ship and turned over to Cuban railways. On the return trip, other freight cars loaded with Cuban products were


Chapter 2

Ferry departing port.S.S. New Grand Haven returning from Havana.

brought back to the port, where they in turn were unloaded and sent on to their destinations via the Florida East Coast Railway.

Freight to Cuba included less-than-carload merchandise, manufactured goods, chemicals, lard, railway equipment, temperate zone fruit,such as apples, pears and grapes, meat, dairy, steel products and machinery. Goods coming into the U.S. included tobacco, refinedsugar, pineapples, rum, tomatoes, and scrap metal. For approximately 15 years, the car ferry service was the principal freight linkbetween the U.S. and Cuba and the heavy traffic between the two nations helped Palm Beach become one of Florida’s leading ports.


Port of Palm Beach green space along U.S. 1 displaying cannons shipped into port from Cuba, which are now located at the cruise terminal entrance.

100


Chapter 3

While the 1950s was a strong decade for the port, the rise of Fidel Castroand his establishment of a communist dictatorship in Cuba in 1959 led toa downturn in commerce. As the U.S. government embargo brought alltrade with Cuba to a halt, port revenues plunged and 60 percent of totalincome was lost. At the same time, the port was faced with a rise inoperating costs since it was forced to take over all duties of the terminalrailroad. A new switch engine was purchased to help the port maintain itsconnections with the railroads serving the region.

Responding to the challenge, the port commissioners began an all-outeffort to develop new avenues of trade, and revenues began to climb slowlybut steadily as operations were diversified. By 1963, the Port of Palm Beachwas on sound financial footing again, while gaining national prominence asa major gateway to an emerging Latin American market.

Diversifying the Port’s Operations1960-1969


Cement being loaded for export to Caribbean.

West India Line operations, early 1960s.

Early in the 1960s, a major lumber company established an outlet on portproperty, and the shipment of wood products began to generate a long-termstream of revenue. In addition, the port became a significant player in thecement shipping market. International Trading Corporation began importingbulk cement, and leased extensive warehouse space for storing cement andother building materials. Meanwhile, Ideal Cement Company constructed a$1.5 million bulk storage facility, which permitted the transfer of cementfrom vessels to a silo through an enclosed pumping system.


Chapter 3

In the early 1960s, Belcher Oil opened a facility at the port, which becamea base for supplying FPL’s Riviera Beach generating plant, as well as Pratt &Whitney’s jet engine operations in northern Palm Beach County, and theexpanding sugar extraction plants in the Glades. Once again, the port wasdemonstrating its clear value in supporting the evolving needs of PalmBeach County’s economy.

Meanwhile, the Williams Shipping Agency began the first regular passengerservice from the port with the MS Grand Bahama, which sailed three timesa week to West End on Grand Bahama Island. Reflecting the growth inpassenger and cargo traffic, space was expanded for the offices of U.S.Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) and the Border Patrol.

In 1962, West India Line arrived from Miami and became the port’s largesttenant. The shipping company specialized in the transportation of fullyassembled heavy equipment to remote job sites all over the world. It had afleet of 17 highly maneuverable, versatile vessels that were engineered forcarrying heavy and massive units in shallow-draft conditions. For instance,the company shipped a prefabricated, fully equipped 60-room hotel to EasterIsland, 2,350 miles off the coast of Chile. This ability to move unconventionalmaterials to destinations with limited access gave West India a uniqueposition in the global marketplace. It remained at the port for more than 20 years.

Continued on page 44


In 1962, Tropical Shipping & Construction began operations at the Port of PalmBeach and achieved immediate success. With its slogan, “On Time Every Time,”Tropical became a leading player in serving the Caribbean, Central and SouthAmerica with service as far north as Canada. Now under the ownership of Seattle-based Saltchuk Resources, Inc., Tropical’s fleet handles everything from smallpackages to millions of tons of grocery products and building materials.

Tropical’s history dates back to 1954, when Florida contractor John H. Birdsall,Jr. founded Birdsall Construction Company. Several years later, he realized thegrowth potential of Freeport, Grand Bahamas, and won a commercial constructionbid to serve that market. In order to solve the transportation issues of getting hisconstruction equipment and materials to The Bahamas, Birdsall purchased a smalllanding craft (129-feet long) to carry these items. Soon, other contractors doingwork in Freeport asked Birdsall to carry their goods as well as his own.

To satisfy the growing demand for transportation from South Florida to TheBahamas, Birdsall formed Tropical Shipping and Construction Company, Ltd.Realizing that ocean transportation was a valued service, Birdsall purchased thecompany’s first ship, the M/V Tropic Ace, which made its maiden voyage to

Freeport in May 1963, carrying machinery and building supplies.

Right from the start, Tropical Shipping became known for being a “customer-centric” company that focuses on timely delivery with on-time ship arrivals,according to Rick Murrell, who joined the company in 1969 and is now presidentand CEO. In a 2014 magazine interview, Murrell said, “Before the company wasstarted, shipping in the Caribbean rarely operated with any commitment to afixed arrival time. The Birdsall family led the Tropical team to implement aneffective on-time arrival logistics system that set the standards needed by islandcustomers. This mindset was possible due to the Birdsalls having no backgroundas ship owners, just experience as a customer of a shipping line.”

The company grew quickly in its first decade, adding service to Nassau in 1967and acquiring three vessels (M/V Ballena, M/V Tropic Haven and M/V TropicDay) by 1969. The next year, Birdsall Construction Company ceased itsconstruction activities and functioned as an agent for Tropical Shipping.

During the 1970s, the company took delivery of five more vessels andexpanded service to the Cayman Island, Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, St.

40-foot container returns to port. Tropical containers return to Port of Palm Beach.

Tropical Shipping: A Long History of Customer Service

43100th ANNIVERSARY

Thomas, St. Croix and Tortola, followed by St. Barth in 1981.

NICOR Corporation, a publicly traded company, acquired Tropical in 1982 andMurrell became president and CEO the following year. New ships anddestinations were added during the 1980s, increasing the role of the Port of PalmBeach in the region. Ed Severino, who joined Tropical in 1989 and is nowdirector, U.S. Terminal Operations, attributed the company’s success to “acombination of organic growth plus the opportunity to look for new marketsbased on acquisitions.”

In 1991, ABC Sports chartered the M/V Tropic Quest for the Pam Am Gamesin Havana, Cuba, providing Tropical with the opportunity to send the firstcommercial cargo ship to Cuba since the 1962 embargo.

President Bill Clinton toured Tropical’s facilities in a 1997 visit to the Port ofPalm Beach to promote his “fast-track authority” for free trade agreements.Meanwhile, Tropical continued to grow adding service to New Brunswick,Canada, the Eastern Caribbean and Guyana and Suriname in the early 2000s,along with opening cargo consolidation facilities in Miami and West Palm Beach.

In 2011, AGL acquired NICOR, and was Tropical Shipping’s parent until sellingthe company to Saltchuk on September 1, 2014.

Today, Tropical’s 1,070 employees and its fleet of 15 ships serve 28 regionaldestinations from its base at the Port of Palm Beach. Its custom-built ships withRO/RO ramps and container cranes carry refrigerated cargo, as well as clothing,sporting equipment, and retail goods. Through its Tropical Global Logisticsservice, customers in the Caribbean can buy products from anywhere in theworld and ship them through the Port of Palm Beach directly to their destination.

Tropical is also a major contributor to education programs in Caribbeancommunities, and plays a key role in disaster recovery efforts, such as rebuildingin the Virgin Islands after Hurricane Hugo in 1989. The company is also activein Florida Long-Term Disaster Recovery Organizations.

Looking ahead, Murrell said the recent acquisition by Saltchuk provides a strongfoundation for continued growth. “We have always believed we would make agreat team,” he said. “I believe this is a historical moment for Tropical Shipping,which is well positioned for a long and successful future.”

Loaded ship awaits pilot escort to exit Port of Palm Beach. Tropical ships are specially chosen and designed to have shallow drafts and include on-vessel cranes.

Chapter 3


Back in the 1960s, cargo loading and unloadingrequired more manpower than it does today,according to Glen Dias, who started working withWest India Line in 1962 and is now president ofGulfstream Line Inc., which was incorporated as astevedoring company in 1973 and is now a leadingport tenant. “At that time, we were running wideopen all the time,” he said. “We had a workforce ofabout 45 people and could bring in another 30 ifneeded to load or unload incoming bananas andoutgoing citrus fruit,” he said. “We would putconveyers onto the trailer trucks and stack them byhand on pallets, working our way back as we filledthe trailers.”

One of the port’s specialties was the ability to handleunusual cargo for shippers like West India Line. Inkeeping with that focus, Heavy Lift Services wasincorporated in 1965, and the family-ownedcompany is now the oldest single-family owned porttenant. “We handled explosive blasting caps andchemicals, as well as farming equipment for theCaribbean,” said Dias.

One of the most challenging assignments of the late1960s was packing and loading several satellites forFrance’s new spaceport in French Guiana. “We hadto set up air-conditioning systems to protect theelectronic components and a special apparatus onour crane to set it down slowly and softly on theship,” Dias said. “Everything went smoothly and thesatellites arrived as scheduled.”

West India Line offered heavy lift crane service at the port.

Cement awaiting pickup.

45100th ANNIVERSARY

Chapter 3

In the late 1960s, the port commissioners placed a major emphasis oncontainerization. The port’s new 20-year master plan called for building1,054 feet of bulkheading, which provide three new roll-on, roll-off (Ro/Ro)berths for movement of outsize cargo between ship andshore, as well as a 14-acre container marshaling area, whichwas increased after several older buildings were torn down.

Containers offered shippers many advantages. With noparcel-by-parcel movement of cargo, handling wasreduced, which meant less damage as well as substantialsavings in labor costs and time. Because they are clean,containers are also more resistant to spilling and pilferagewhile minimizing any detrimental effects on theenvironment. In fact the roots of containerization go back to 1946 whenrailroad cars, rather than containers, were used to transport cargo.

In 1967, planning began for another important expansion project.Convinced of the need for long-range planning and a substantialexpansion of the port facilities, port director Joel Wilcox urged the

acquisition of 14.5-acre Layton’s Park to the north, adding750 feet of waterfront to the port.

That expansion initiative continued under Wilcox’successor, J.E. Jaudon, who served as executivedirector from 1968-1974. However, it took anotherten years for the first phase of this project to becompleted. Additions included more than 900 feet ofnew bulkheading, 1,500 feet of spur trackage for theport-owned railroad, 300 feet of marginal wharf,

relocating a 50,000-square-foot warehouse and enlarging the turningbasin again.

Aerial photo of Port Executive Plaza under construction in the early 1960s.

At that time, we wererunning wide openall the time

– Glen Dias

“”

46 100th ANNIVERSARY 100Panoramic photo mosaic of the Port of Palm Beach, 1970s.


Chapter 4

The decade of the 1970s was a time of growth for the port, including anew focus on serving the shipping needs of South Florida’ sugar industry.In 1973 the Board of Commissioners expanded to five members, providingthe special taxing district with more equitable representation in line withthe one-man, one-vote ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court. Three years later,ad valorem taxes for the port district were suspended and have never beenreimposed, thanks to continuing sound fiscal policies.

In 1974, David Mock began a four-decade career at the port, serving withGee & Jenson Engineers-Architects-Planners, Inc. which was later acquiredby CH2M Hill, a global civil engineering firm. Now under the direction ofCasey Long, port engineer, CH2M Hill has consulted on the Port of PalmBeach’s marine, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical engineering andgeneral engineering needs through the decades. Mock is now president ofDavid Mock Port Consultant, LLC.

“I was 25 years old when I started work for Dick Miller, Gee & Jenson’s portengineer,” Mock recalled. “Our first big projects were extending themarginal wharf and constructing a maintenance building on Port Road.Neither the building nor the road is there now.”

Next came an extension of the central wharf and construction of Slip 1.After the port finally purchased Layton Park, Mock was part of theengineering team that redeveloped the property, installing the bulkheadsand roll-on, roll-off ramps and extending the turning basin to the north.

Serving the Sugar Industry1970-1979

Continued on page 50

Gee & Jenson (G&J) was founded by Herb Gee and Ted Jenson in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1951, with the Port of PalmBeach (Port) as one of the firm’s first clients. Ted Jenson represented the port in the early years with the original design of thesecond slip (currently Slip No. 3). The firm focused on Marine and Waterfront Engineering, a trend which has since become astaple at CH2M. Over the past six decades as a General Engineering Consultant to the Port, our areas of expertise have grownto include Design of Marine Infrastructure and Facilities, Rail, Uplands, Buildings, Cruise Terminals, and Warehouses, inaddition to providing services on a vast majority of the infrastructure that is now present at the Port. CH2M, through theacquisition of G&J in 2001, has continuously been a preferred provider of engineering services at the Port of Palm Beach,working with staff and assisting in the planning of the Port’s future. Under the direction of David Mock and Casey Long, CH2Mhas consulted on the Port's marine, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and general engineering needs over the years.

In 1974, David Mock began a four decade career working on engineering projects at the Port, first for G&J and subsequentlyCH2M. "I was 25 years old when I started work for Herb Gee, Ted Jenson, and Dick Miller, G&J’s port engineer“, Mockrecalled. "Our first big projects were extending the marginal wharf and constructing a maintenance building on port road.”Neither the building nor the road is there now. Next came an extension of the central wharf and reconstruction of Slip 1(currently Slip No. 2). After the port finally purchased Layton Park to the north of Port Road, Mock was part of the engineeringteam that redeveloped the property, installing the bulkheads and roll on, roll off ramps, and extending the turning basin tothe north.

CH2M participated in many small projects as well as significant project designs, such as the North Wharf and RO/RO RampProject in 1975 (currently Berth 1), followed in 1988 by the design of the reconstruction of the Port’s original slip (currentlySlip No. 2). These infrastructure projects were substantial to the growth and well being of the Port, and have been pivotalcomponents of the Port’s continued livelihood. They are the life blood of the Port’s shipping industry and have served as theberths for shipping and enterprise of Palm Beach County for many years.

In 1996, the Port embarked on a major reconstruction program, inclusive of acquisition of lands to the west of U.S. 1;construction of a third slip; a Cruise Terminal; 60 acres of upland cargo yard paving; and the Skypass Bridge. CH2Mhad substantial involvement in all aspects of this program and served as the primary designer for the waterfrontinfrastructure and site development. Over the years, CH2M has conducted Master Plans, site and facilityassessments, and underwater asset review to aid staff in capital growth and development.

In 2005, the Port began development in the South Cargo area to grow their warehouse capabilities and to create asouthern gate into the Port. CH2M was the primary consultant involved in the planning, design, and constructionadministration that resulted in this strategic and necessary project to be successfully completed.

CH2M has continually held offices in the West Palm Beach area within the Port’s District since 1951. We employmore than 58 employees in Palm Beach County and our office, located at 3001 PGA Boulevard, is just minutes fromthe Port. Daily interaction with the Port and serving as an extension of the Port’s staff for many years has led to aunique bond and alignment of our organization with the Port of Palm Beach. The acquisition of G&J by CH2M hasallowed this bond to grow and further expand our capabilities to support the Port.

Our West Palm Beach office was built by our relationships with Port clients. Our first port contract was with the Portand we have been honored to continuously hold this contract to date. Our commitment to the Port has extendedbeyond the day to day activities of providing engineering consulting services. CH2M professionals have seamlesslyintegrated with Port staff, providing backup during changes in the Port’s staff, assisted Port staff in preparing for andrecovering from hurricanes and tornados, evaluated grant opportunities and tenant issues, worked with theMetropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and adjacent communities, and worked closely with, and on behalf of,the Port to address issues with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Inland Navigation District, and PalmBeach County. We have responded at all times to emergencies related to facility damage, weather related issues,regulatory issues, and special tenant needs. Our extensive knowledge of the Port, its tenants, and its history, enablesus to react quickly to staff requests for lease legal descriptions and surveys, reviews of tenant improvements, aerialmaps, soils information, utility locations, mooring layouts, and cost estimates.

CH2M has been honored to be part of the Port’s success, and we are proud today to celebrate this monumentaloccasion with the Port. For 65 of the Port’s 100 years, we have worked side by side with Port staff and look forwardto continuing our successful partnership for the next 100+ years.


In 1975, the port began publishing GatewayMagazine under the direction of Colonel FrankDonahue, who served as port director from 1974to 1984. It was a communications link betweenthe port and the communities it serves, as well astenants and users of port facilities. Through theyears, the magazine won many prestigiousawards from the American Association of Port Authorities.

There were several attempts in the 1970s tointroduce cruise operations. In December 1976,there was an enthusiastic reception for the SSStella Solaris, flagship of the Sun Line, as it carried600 European passengers on an 18-day Christmascruise to the Caribbean and South America. But itwould take another decade before the port wouldbecome home port for a cruise ship.

A new chapter in the port operations began in1978 when the first load of raw sugar arrived atthe new $4.5 million, 20,000-ton warehouse onthe south end of the port property. Raw sugarwas trucked in from the mills in the Glades,

Sugar warehouse, new construction.

51100th ANNIVERSARY

Chapter 4

stored in the warehouse and loaded onto bargesand transported to refineries on the East Coastand Louisiana. The new facility helped expandsugar operations, which generated $1 million inadditional wages for port-related jobs in 1979.Revenues jumped 40 percent over the prior year.

“Agriculture is a big factor in South Florida’seconomy,” said John Hale, vice president andgeneral manager, Florida Sugar & MolassesExchange, Inc., an agricultural marketingcooperative in Riviera Beach that serves SouthFlorida sugar cane producers. Through the years,the exchange has handled the marketing andshipment of raw sugar and molasses, rotatingthose products through its warehouse andterminal facilities at the port.

In the 1970s, the Florida Sugar and MarketingTerminal Association and the Florida MolassesExchange were separate companies. In 2007,the two companies were combined for greaterefficiency and service to the producers. The exchange now has five administrative

Tug crewman prepares sugar barge for departure.


Tug pulls sugar barge from resting position.100


Chapter 4

employees and another 20-25 workers who load and receive the sugarand molasses at the port.

For the past few years, the exchange has handled approximately 500,000tons of raw sugar and 150,000 to 160,000 tons of molasses annually, Halesaid. “We have enjoyed a strong partnership with the Port of Palm Beachover the years,” he added. “The port commissioners and administrative teamare dedicated to smooth and efficient operations.”

Conveyor belt moves sugar from warehouse to barge. Inside sugar warehouse, a front loader distributes sugar weight to facilitate underground conveyor movement.

54 100th ANNIVERSARY 100The Palm Beach Princess.


Chapter 5

By the early 1980s the Port of Palm Beach had achieved a solid balancebetween bulk, break-bulk and containerized cargo, focusing on diversityto encourage new business and create new employment opportunities inPalm Beach County.

Ground was broken for the five-story, 60,000-square-foot Maritime OfficeBuilding in 1981 and it was completed a year later. It served as home to theport’s executive offices, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, U.S.Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the U.S. Department ofAgriculture. Later, port tenants such as Tropical Shipping, Lund & Pullara,Palm Beach Cruises and others leased office space in the building.

At this point, the port was thriving as a major distribution center for freightbound for The Bahamas, the Caribbean and Latin America, and the primarytransportation facility for sugar and molasses. Revenues climbed from$800,000 in 1974 to $2.2 million in 1982 despite three national recessions.By 1984 the Port of Palm Beach ranked number two among Florida’sdeepwater ports, handling more than 100,000 containers annually.

Attracting the Cruise Industry1980-1989


Meanwhile, Eastern Cement, a major tenant since 1962,completed construction of a modern, dust-free facility with thesame capacity as the sugar warehouse. This combined with IdealCement’s existing silos, increased the port’s storage capacity to50,000 tons of cement, providing support for South Florida’sconstruction sector as it gained momentum. Today, the facilityis home to CEMEX, which owns the silo and bagging operationsat the port.

By the early 1980s, West India Line's services began to shrink.The company expanded operations to Houston in 1984 buteventually liquidated and sold its fleet some years later. TropicalShipping eventually bought several of the West India vessels forits own fleet of container ships.

Construction continued at the port itself with the completion ofa three-building complex for Tropical Shipping, new storage tanks

Cement silos, built for Eastern Cement.Ground breaking ceremony for the new cruise terminal / office complex.


for molasses and a new switch engine for the port’s railroad. Theport’s 20-year comprehensive master plan was approved withshort-term objectives that included the construction of a newMaritime Office Building and opening a Foreign Trade Zone.

“Every decade has been an era of operational and fiscal growthfor the port,” said Blair Ciklin, commission chairman. “In 1985 wereached our largest year ever for general cargo, handling

1,051,416 short tons.” The port broke its record in containers aswell, moving 115,207 containers. Rail car movements into theport were up by 83 percent in 1985. This overall increase inproductivity resulted in the highest revenues in port history:$3,306,726, a 14 percent increase over the previous fiscal year.

In 1982, after a successful trial run of the MV Scandinavian Sun,a 440-foot, 10-deck liner from Scandinavian World Cruises, the

Chapter 5

Switch engines owned and operated by Port of Palm Beach. Side-by-side cargo and sugar operations.


port established a task force to investigate the feasibilityof attracting a cruise line. But it wasn’t until 1985 thatserious negotiations began with Oddmund Grunstad,president of Crown Cruise Line.

The first of several vessels to arrive was the VikingPrincess, which offered daily one-day cruises to TheBahamas plus a variety of dinner and brunch cruises. Atthat time, passenger terminal facilities didn’t exist, so theformer offices of West India Fruit & Steamship and West

India Line were quickly converted into temporary cruiseterminals. The Viking Princess cruises were immediatelysuccessful and a new permanent terminal was planned.

Meanwhile, the 486-passenger Crown Del Mar arrived,offering two- and five-night cruises to Nassau and thewestern Caribbean. She was soon replaced by the 560-passsenger, $95 million Crown Monarch, which had justbeen built in Spain. The Crown Monarch offered luxuryseven-day cruises with ports of call in Key West, Grand

The Royal Yacht, HMY Britannia, 1995.


Chapter 5

Cayman, Jamaica and Haiti. Cruise operations continuedto grow and became the second-largest revenue producer at the port as early as 1987. In January 1990, a 20,000-square-foot, $1.7 million cruise terminal was dedicated in a gala ceremony.

In 1986 the port deeded the 100-foot dock with access toLake Okeechobee to the City of Belle Glade for use as arecreational facility. A year later, port director FrankDonahue retired and Ben Murphy succeeded him.

Throughout this period, computers began to be deployedat the port to track the arrivals and departures of vesselsand their cargoes.

By the end of the decade, a $10 million bond issue hadfunded improvements in fire protection, water andsewage, lighting, parking, paving, drainage, existingwharves, and an $800,000 upgrading of the railroadsystem. Container operations now occupied more than24 acres of paved marshaling and storage area.

Viking Princess and Crown Del Mar docked at Port of Palm Beach.

60 100th ANNIVERSARY 100Yacht transportation from Port of Palm Beach to destinations around the world.


Chapter 6

The 1990s brought further improvements to the port’s infrastructure, anda dramatic change to the region's skyline. Along with the new cruiseterminal, a two-phase, $2.5 million Florida Molasses Exchange project wascompleted, including a new unloading terminal and two 2.5-million gallonstorage tanks.

A Centralized Examination Station for U.S. Customs opened west of U.S.1 in June 1996, and P.B. Cold (now Merchant's Market) began cold storageoperations with a 100,000 square-foot facility.

The purchase of a 12.5-acre property formerly owned by PerryOceanographics expanded the port, while a parcel on Military Trail wassold to FPL.

In 1991, the port commission sold 40 acres on Peanut Island to the FloridaInland Navigation District to be used for dredge material management,passive recreation and habitat preservation. The agreement bannedcommercial development and included a provision to lease the remainingland to Palm Beach County to build a park. Today, an old Coast Guardstation and a 1960s-era bunker for President Kennedy and his family havebeen preserved as part of the Palm Beach Maritime Museum.

Changing the Skyline1990-1999


Palm Beach Princess escorted by pilot boat.

Port of Palm Beach rail crew.

Flags flying aboard vessel docked at Port of Palm Beach.

Opening ceremony of port tenant Palm Beach Cold, now Merchant’s Market.


Chapter 6

Carl Baker, director of planning and development, started his career withthe port in 1992 as a security officer working the midnight shift. “Thingswere quiet at that time,” he said. “But that was about to change.”

In 1993, Crown Cruise Line was acquired by an international conglomerateand the Crown Monarch and Crown Jewel were repositioned to othermarkets. However, cruise operations continued with the Viking Princess,which later became the Palm Beach Princess.

A year later, the port extended the seawall east about 50 feet, increasingstorage space for Tropical’s containers. “By 1995, we were focusing oncrucial issues such as expansion and improvements,” said Ciklin. “Exportsto South America and the Caribbean had doubled over the past four years;hence the Florida Legislature gave priority to funding infrastructureimprovements and intermodal highway access for truck and rail. Floridaseaports were finally recognized as key trade facilitators, meaning it wastime to get to work.”

As the only port in Florida with on-port rail, the Port of Palm Beach gotheavy-duty trucks off the highways, while increasing intermodal efficiencywithin – obviously an attractive feature for tenants and potential partners.“The owning and operating of our own switching railroad meant we wereable to offer the advantages of a 24-hour service to our users,” said Ciklin.


Another indication of the port’s growing regional acclaimwas the port call by the USS McCampbell (DDG 85),named for Captain David McCampbell, who grew up inWest Palm Beach and became the Navy’s leading ace inWorld War II. Working in conjunction with the NavyLeague of Palm Beach Council and the Port of PalmBeach, the USS McCampbell hosted over 3,500 visitorsfrom the local community in two days of ship tours. Thiswas the first ship open house in a civilian port in theUnited States after the events of September 11, 2001.

The festivities offered by West Palm Beach’s Sunfest and4th on Flagler brought in the Navy over the next fewyears including visits by the crews of the USS Doyle(FFG 39), the USS Carr (FFG 52) on two separateoccasions, and the USS Kauffman (FFG 59). There weretwo separate visits by a flotilla of six YP craft, crewed byU.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen. As stated in theprogram for the Navy Leagues Birthday Ball: “The Portof Palm Beach – The Best FFG Liberty Port on the EastCoast.” Additionally the port hosted the Indonesian sail

USS Carr escorted by pilot ship.

Top - U.S. Naval Academy YP Crafts docked alongsidenorthern slip. Above - USS Doyle moored at port for evening event.Left - Crewmembers of the USS Carr.


Chapter 6

training ship Kri Dewaruci, also crewed by naval cadets.

The port’s most significant expansion program kicked off in the late 1990sunder the leadership of executive director Edward Oppel, who later waselected to the Board of Commissioners. As Baker said, “Oppel was a builderand he got things done.”

After the port commissioners prepared a $100 million master plan, theyreceived approval from the state Legislature and the U.S. Congress forbonds to implement these extensive capital improvements. “We have beenable to maintain four very clear profit centers, and have brought in moretenants and that equals more jobs,” said Oppel at the time. “The masterplan allows us to blend the old with the new – the past with the present.”

One of the first components of the plan was a new container yard withcapacity for 600 double-stacked TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). Thencame work on the cargo facilities. “We rebuilt Slip 1 and removed the agingindustrial buildings on the north side of the middle slip,” said Mock. “Wealso smoothed out the rail tracks to the west, which were very uneven andhard to navigate. Then, we added Slip 3, giving the port even morecapacity.”

Structural site plan for the third slip to be built atPort of Palm Beach provided by CH2MHill.


Grand Celebration enters port at dawn.

Located on the northern part of the site with a 33-footdepth, the last slip to be built at the port providedadditional working space for both cruise and cargooperations. It added nearly 2,000 feet of new berthspace, and provided separation between the passengerand freight operations from a variety of tenants, such asTeeters Agency & Stevedoring (owner of Monarch

Shipping) which began operations in 1983, EasternFreight Forwarders, and Anchor Marine Agencies.

But the most dramatic change to the port and theregional skyline was the completion of Skypass, a $28.7million project elevating U.S. 1 high above the existingroadway and providing a new connection between the

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President Bill Clinton visits the port in 1997 to givespeech on economic impacts of foreign trade.

Above and Left. Filming scenes for Shut Up and Kiss Me!, a film produced by Suzanne Delaurentiis Productions, 2003.

68 100th ANNIVERSARYSkypass Bridge construction underway, 1998.


Chapter 6

cities of Riviera Beach and West Palm Beach. The four-lane structure with 50-foot clearance gave the port theability to operate trains, trucks and container carriersthrough the entire port facility without interfering withvehicles traveling on U.S. 1. Skypass opened on March17, 1999 after less than 24 months of construction andunder the original $30 million budget

“Skypass is our link to the 21st century,” said commissionchairman Bob Williams at the time. “With the SouthFlorida transition from a locally based economy to theworldwide economy of the 21st century, the port hastaken the proper steps to help make Palm Beach Countypart of the new world order.”

Dedication Ceremony for Skypass Bridge, March 1999.


Chapter 7

As part of the port’s master plan, a new Cruise Terminal and MaritimeOffice Complex was completed in 2000 along with additional parking andnew access road. Designed by architects Zeiler-Roberts with uniquemaritime styling, this 40,000-square-foot cruise terminal and 60,000-square-foot office building offered complete federal inspection stations,passenger lounge areas and the latest in communication services. It gavethe port the ability to handle two cruise liners simultaneously and by 2000the port was serving 250,000 single-day passengers per year.

The port entered the 21st century under executive director AnthonyTaormina, who served from 2000 to 2002. Like all the nation’s internationalgateways, the Port of Palm Beach stepped up its security in the wake of theSeptember 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and thePentagon. “We established a secured area around the port with twocarefully controlled access points,” said Mock. “That included new securitygates on the north port road and on the south side.”

After Richard Waino’s tenure as executive director (2002 to 2004), Lori A.Baer became one of the nation’s first female port directors, serving for fiveyears until 2008. She is now AECOM’s vice president, Ports & Marine

Entering the 21st Century2000-2014

Passenger cruise terminal, completed 2000.


National Lead. “I feel a deep personal connection withthe port and am proud that my company is a keyconsulting partner,” she said. “There are many people inPalm Beach County and the Caribbean who rely on theport for their livelihood.”

Under Baer’s direction, the port began a new dredgingfeasibility study – the first for any Florida port in severaldecades. “This was the start of a lengthy project to deepenand widen the shipping channel,” she said. “We foundthat project had a very favorable benefit-cost ratio andwas well worth pursuing.”

It was also under the tenure of Baer that the port's non-profit outreach for mariners was established. In 2003,Pastor John Van Hemmert and Deacon Clayton Waddellbegan visiting ships to offer ministry services. Three yearslater, Harbor of Hope was officially established with themission to provide seafarers who arrive at the port with awarm welcome and any assistance needed during their

stay. Today, the organization remains committed toserving the port's vital community of mariners.

In 2005, commissioners approved a new master plan,developed with the assistance of CH2MHill to help theport respond to its competition, shifts in the marketplaceand growth issues. “Adding to our past successes thatincluded our aggressive capital program, the master plansought to focus on the partnerships between Port of PalmBeach and the State of Florida and Florida Ports Councilfor grants to continue improving the port and itsinfrastructure,” said Ciklin. “Because of our infrastructureimprovements, we became a solid resource for steel,cement, lumber, produce and bulk providers.”

This was also the year the port was recognized as a“Partner in Education” with The School District of PalmBeach County. “Our four-week educational program withJohn F. Kennedy Middle School in Riviera Beachwelcomed eight groups of 30 students for an educational

73100th ANNIVERSARY

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Pilots navigate ships through increasingly busy inlet and port. 100


presentation, guest speakers and tours of on-site facilities,” Ciklin said. “Thisendeavor began focused efforts for student visits to the port and thebeginnings of our annual summer internship program.” Today, the Port ofPalm Beach provides first-hand experiences and learning in engineering,business development, finance and communications for the maritimeindustry to college students each summer. “Helping the upcominggenerations understand the importance of ports and our industry in thenation and world is something in which we take great pride,” Ciklin said.

In 2007, the port embarked on additional capital improvements projects tostay competitive, including the development of on-dock rail, and thereconstruction of Slip 3, a $27.2 million project. Now under the guidance ofManuel Almira, who became executive director in 2008, these improvementsprovide for additional and diverse cargos, and more seamless operations.

The national economic downturn in 2008-09 had less effect on the portthan other parts of the country. One reason is that many of the economiesof the Caribbean and Latin America continued to grow during the U.S.recession and gradual economic recovery. The port’s diversification strategyalso helped cushion the financial impact.

By 2012, the port had regained its positive economic momentum, andidentified several new business opportunities in both traditional and non-traditional products that will further diversify its revenue.

Asphalt enters the port via rail.

100

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75100th ANNIVERSARY

In fiscal year 2014, the port negotiated a long-term agreement with aninternational energy company to export natural gas to its Caribbeanelectric power plants. In keeping with that agreement, the port began itsBerth 17 expansion project, in a partnership with AECOM and FDOT.That project is scheduled to be completed in 2017 and in full operation ayear later. That will provide a stable, inflation-adjusted revenue stream tothe port with averages nearing $1.5 million for the next 20 years.

The port also engaged AECOM for its Slip 3 redevelopment project, which

expands capacity for sugar, molasses and steel cargos. “This is criticallyimportant in keeping the Port of Palm Beach viable in those trades,” said Baer.

On the passenger side, Celebration Cruise Line, a multi-day cruisecompany replaced the vessel Bahamas Celebration in 2015.

On February 3, 2015 a new and larger cruise ship, the Grand Celebration,set sail, breaking passenger revenue records for the port. “The first sixmonths of operations exceeded the port’s expectations,” Ciklin said.

Operations continue through construction of the port’s southernmost slip.Imported FPL gas turbine being offloaded at Port of Palm Beach.


Florida Power & Light transformer beingoffloaded from vessel directly to rail.


Chapter 7

In July, Blue Horizon Casino Cruises launched one-day casino cruises, giving residents and visitors twocruise options from the Port of Palm Beach.

Under Almira’s direction, the port enjoyed a record fiscal year 2014, handling 353,000 multi-daycruise passengers and achieving overall revenues of more than $15 million.

“Due to efficient land use, our port has one of the highest container throughputs per acre in thecountry,” Almira said. ‘We provide shippers with reliable transportation gateway services to TheBahamas, the Caribbean and Latin America.”

Port tenants’ vessels Monarch Express and Tropic Carib moored adjacent to one another. Blue Horizon Casino Cruises vessel sets sail for international waters.


Tug pulls sugar barge toward Atlantic Ocean.


Chapter 8

Since its founding a century ago, the Port of Palm Beach has been apowerful engine for economic growth in South Florida. “By allowing ourbusinesses to continue to grow, we have succeeded in the creation of jobsand economic activity over the past 100 years,” said Ciklin. “Today, ourport accounts for more than 2,850 direct jobs, exceeding the predictions ofjust a few years ago.”

While the Port of Palm Beach doesn't receive vessels that call upon largerports with deeper channels and wider slips, these constraints can be viewed asa strength. Size restrictions have forced the port to seek out tenants andtechnologies that exemplify efficiency, which has resulted in an operation thatprovides the Caribbean Basin with 50 percent of its imports. Improved U.S.relations with Cuba and the potential resumption of trade with the countrywill create new business opportunities for the port in the years to come.

To continue to support the region's economy, the port is always improvingits infrastructure. In August 2015, the port completed the renovation of itssouthernmost slip, a $27.2 million project. The project included an increaseof depth to 35 feet (from 33 feet), a northward shift of approximately 10feet and the development of two new RO/RO ramps. Other projectsinclude the construction of a mini slip, expected to begin in 2016, and theimplementation of new software that increases cargo loading efficienciesand safety.

The Next 100 Years

80 100th ANNIVERSARY 100Port of Palm Beach, 2014.

81100th ANNIVERSARY

A long-term issue confronting the port is the design of theLake Worth Inlet. The last significant improvement wascompleted in 1963. Since then, cargo ships have continuedto grow in size, becoming longer and wider. Commercialtraffic, mega-yachts and recreational users in the inlet haveincreased dramatically, generating the need for extensivesafety measures. While the Army Corps of Engineers has aplan to resolve some of the design deficiencies, the planitself comes with heavy expenses and voiced concerns fromthe neighboring residential communities.

Director Almira sees continued progress at the port,including a lengthened cruise ship berth alongsidesignificantly increased container and rail operations with arail barge facility. The port has started to make some ofthose ideas happen sooner rather than later.

Reflecting on the future, Ciklin says, “As we continue tomake infrastructure improvements that increase operationalefficiencies, I look forward to watching the port help ourtenants grow and continue to serve as a job creator for ourcounty, and a hub for economic development for the next100 years.

100

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Shoreline Foundation Inc. is honored to have rebuilt Slip No. 3 for

the Port of Palm Beach and extends our congratulations to the Port on

100 years of excellence!

Shoreline Foundation Inc. specializes in marine construction, heavy high-way, and deep foundation construction services.

Established in 1986, SFI provides these construction services for projects at locations throughout the eastern seaboard of the United States, the Baha-mas, and the Caribbean. Over the last 29 years, Shoreline Foundation has built more fixed and floating marine facilities than any other contractor in Florida. SFI specializes in the construction of marine infrastructure for Ports from Maryland to Texas, as well as government infrastructure improvement proj-ects for local, state and federal agencies.

Available upon request, our Statement of Qualifications provides descriptions of representative projects, company values and details our professional approach of consistently delivering a quality product. Information about SFI’s current projects may be found at:

www.shorelinefoundation.com

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83100th ANNIVERSARYBlue Horizon Casino Cruises Sailing from the Port of Palm Beach

www.bluehorizoncasinocruises.com • 1.855.478.LUCK

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TO SPEC.

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Total commitment to customer service.

For 100 years, the people of CEMEX have been hard at work, turning your visions into realities, building what could only be imagined and improving upon convention, helping you build it better.

1501 Belvedere Rd., West Palm Beach, FL 33406 (561) 833-5555 www.cemexusa.com

www.gehringinsurance.com

www.tparkerhost.com

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mailto:[email protected]


Built to deliver a better world

AECOM is honored to salute Port of Palm Beach on its 100-year anniversary and to have played an integral role in the Port’s critical ability to serve its community and the people of the Caribbean for the century to come.

For the past 100 years, Port of Palm Beach has been literally feeding the Bahamas, Haiti and islands throughout the Caribbean Basin – countries as diverse as the populations of the communities of the Port of Palm Beach District.

Looking to the next 100 years, the expanded Slip No. 3 will continue this tradition of excellence in service. AECOM is proud to have furnished Port of Palm Beach with the planning, design, permitting, construction document preparation, construction management and construction administration services for the Slip No. 3 project.

As the firm ranked by Engineering News-Record as No. 1 in the world in the ports and marine sector and in providing engineering design services, as well as named by Fortune magazine as a World’s Most Admired Company, AECOM embraces many of the same guiding principles as have made Port of Palm Beach a dynamic force among seaports for the past century.

Like Port of Palm Beach, we at AECOM recognize the importance of positively impacting lives, transforming communities and making the world a better place through collaborative efforts focused on people, clients, excellence, integrity, safety and innovation.

We wish Port of Palm Beach the best for the 100 years to come and beyond as it advances these essential tenets, to the benefit of all those the Port serves, here in the Port of Palm Beach District and throughout the Caribbean.

www.aecom.com

At Tropical Shipping, we focus on our custmers and our values. We have an enduring commitment these core values: Trust, Responsiveness, Ownership, People, Integrity, Communication, Accountability and Leadership. The TROPICAL values remind us each day of our shared commitment to always serve our customers and all people of The Bahamas and the Caribbean, in an way that is ethical, conscientious and respectful.

VALUESTropicalvolunteerism, disaster preparedness and recovery. A member of the Saltchuk family of companies, Tropical maintains an emphasis on environmental sensitivity and safety in all areas of operation. Trust Tropical to deliver your shipping needs. We take pride in making the process as easy and convenient for you as possible. A Tropical professional is always on-hand to help!

Tropical’s relationship with our Caribbean neighbors is deep and lasting, built on leadership, trust, responsiveness and good corporate citizenship. We support Island community and cultural life and give back to the region’s economies in ways such as private / public sector collaborations, community development partnerships, corporate giving, event sponsorships, employment opportunities,

in 1963, Tropical’s first ship,

the Tropic Ace, made its

maiden voyage from the Port

of Palm Beach to Freeport,

Bahamas, carrying

machinery and building

supplies.

Tropic Ace

to

1.800.638.TROP (8767)www. tropical.com

[email protected]

Tropical is a full-service transportation solutions provider, with a reputation for providing customer service excellence. Tropical’s workforce is highly professional, motivated and committed to exceeding our customers’ expectations. Our stock-in-trade is reliability, convenience, and fast and frequent sailings to The Bahamas and Caribbean.

Tropical Solutions

Tropical Shipping commemorated 50 years of service in 2013, and now we are happy to join our friends at the Port of Palm Beach as they mark their centennial. As an anchor lessee, Tropical has always been impressed by the Port’s outstanding management and leadership. On behalf of everyone at Tropical Shipping and our affilliates, congratulations!

Congratulations, Port of Palm Beach!

In 2011, the Tropic Express was

christened at the Port of Palm

Beach loaded with new refrigerated

containers. Tropical operates a fleet

of ships sailing from Canada and

South Florida to The Bahamas and

Caribbean

Tropic Express

Celebrating a MilestoneGary, Dytrych, & Ryan P.A.

is proud to support Port of Palm Beach.For nearly 20 years, our firm

has represented the port as it has helped companies grow and

communities prosper.

Gary, Dytrych & Ryan P.A. is a general practice law firm which offers a wide range of services with an emphasis on business law, real estate law, bank transaction work, environmental law, land use and zoning law, governmen-tal and administrative law, corporate and partnership law, estate planning and administration, and civil litigation in all courts, state and federal.

www.PortContractors.com

Congratulations to the Port of Palm Beach 100 Years of Service

Port Contractors - Southeast and its sister companies have been an industry leader in the stevedoring and material handling business since the early 1980’s. From our early days of providing innovative solutions in bulk handling and processing, the company has expanded from its Wilmington, DE operation to ports on the East Coast and Gulf Coast, offering stevedoring and marine terminal services along with innovative solutions and value to shippers around the world.

www.grandcelebration.com

Stonerock Shipping congratulates the porton 100 years of Economic Development.

Stonerock Shipping,Operating from the Port of

Palm Beach since 2012.Stonerock

operates largescale bulk metals

export logistics andshipping service outof the Port of Palm

Beach, receiving bulkmetals by truck, rail, and

vessel, then storing andloading onto ships for

carriage to major internationalsteel companies abroad.

Stonerock partners with U.S.steel companies to insure a solid

long term foundation for itssuccess in the export operation at

the Port of Palm Beach, whichwill reach 500,000 tons per year.

Stonerock uses state of the artmethods to insure safety,

security, and environmentalsafeguard in the operation.

www.cheneybrothers.com

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Congratulations to the Port of Palm Beach on its centennial. The Florida Sugar &

Molasses Exchange has enjoyed a long and successful partnership with the Port.

We’ve been moving sugar and molasses through the terminal since 1978. In that time,

we’ve embarked on more than 2,400 voyages, amounting to nearly 55 billion pounds

of sugar and 15 billion pounds of molasses products moving through the Port!

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Akerman LLP | 600+ lawyers | 20 locations | akerman.com©2015 Akerman LLP. All rights reserved.

* Not admitted to the practice of law

Richard Pinsky Public Policy Manager *West Palm Beach

561.653.5000

[email protected]

A Catalyst for Excellence 100-Year Legacy of Success

Congratulations to the Port of Palm Beach for

its historic role in serving Palm Beach County

and the Treasure Coast. Akerman is proud to be

a part of your Centennial Celebration!

Richard Westlund is an

award-winning South Florida

business writer who has been

covering Palm Beach County

for more than 25 years.

He specializes in economic development,

international trade, finance, real estate,

education, healthcare, law and other business-

related topics. He was formerly executive

editor of Review Business Publications, and

executive business editor at The Miami News,

and held editing positions at daily newspapers

in Florida, New York and Michigan. He earned

a bachelor’s degree in American history, magna

cum laude, from Cornell University, and an

MBA from the University of Miami.

Port of Palm Beach A Centennial History

Documents

Transcript of Port of Palm Beach A Centennial History