PALMETTO, Florida – At a meeting of the Manatee County Port Authority, James Satcher, chairman of the board, today [Thursday, Oct. 19] signed a letter of support and solidarity addressed to Ashdod Port in Israel.
“SeaPort Manatee stands with the State of Israel and unequivocally condemns the appalling acts of terrorism by Hamas.” Satcher’s letter reads, “As friends and partners of Israel and Ashdod Port, SeaPort Manatee declares its unwavering support for Israel in its efforts to defend itself and its people.”
In February of this year, SeaPort Manatee, via its International Trade Hub, entered into a letter of intent with Ashdod Port to facilitate collaborative and innovative projects. Both ports actively cooperate to explore knowledge-sharing opportunities, aiming to bolster supply chain logistics and identify joint business development prospects.
Located “Where Tampa Bay Meets the Gulf of Mexico,” SeaPort Manatee is a dynamic global trade hub, serving as the vibrant ships-to-shelves gateway for burgeoning Southwest and Central Florida markets, with convenient rail and roadway links, including to the distribution-center-filled Tampa/Orlando Interstate 4 corridor. The closest U.S. deepwater seaport to the expanded Panama Canal, SeaPort Manatee offers 10 deep-draft berths, proficiently fulfilling diverse demands of container, liquid and dry bulk, breakbulk, heavylift, project and general cargo customers. The self-sustaining port generates more than $5.1 billion in annual economic impacts while providing for more than 37,000 direct and indirect jobs – all without benefit of local property tax support.
