Port of Palm Beach Executive Director Manuel Almira was inducted into the Florida Custom Brokers & Forwarders Association Hall of Fame. Almira was recognized and awarded the distinction during the organization’s 57th Annual Gala in Miami, Fla.
The Florida Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association (FCBF) was founded in 1960, and today ranks as the most influential and active representative body of the Florida freight forwarding and customs brokerage community. The organization is committed to fostering communications between the trade community and the federal agencies in order to expand Florida’s trading communities at the local, state and national level; all the while maximizing the ability of the State of Florida to effectively compete for international trade resources.
During the awards portion of the gala, Almira graciously accepted his recognition and award, stating:
It goes without saying that I am honored to be inducted into the FCBF Hall of Fame. I’ve been working in the transportation & logistics industry for more than 30 years, and many of those have involved a connection with FCBF. Over my past eight years at the Port of Palm Beach, I can truly say we have benefitted from our membership here, giving our staff and even commission
opportunities to learn and network and giving us all a step up in the industry.
Cuban born and raised in New York, Almira is a graduate of Bernard Baruch College, City University of New York and earned his American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) Professional Port Manager (PPM) Certification in 2013. Manuel is currently an AAPA member of the Board of Directors and cruise committee and was elected twice to serve as Chairman of the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development program. Upon joining the Port of Palm Beach in 2008, Almira exacted strict budgetary controls and focused on income, bringing two multi-day passenger vessels, a casino day cruise and metal exporter to the port. These measures brought the port from deficit to profit for the first time in a decade.