SESCO Cement welcomed the first two ships carrying bulk gray cement to its import terminal at Port Tampa Bay, bringing the facility's major assets online and marking the start of full commercial operations. The arrivals come just months after the company celebrated the terminal's opening with a ribbon cutting in June.
Each vessel is making a partial discharge at the Port Redwing terminal in Gibsonton before continuing across the Gulf to SESCO's Houston terminal to complete delivery. The two-port route links SESCO's Florida and Texas operations and gives the company added capacity and flexibility to meet current and future regional demand, building Port Tampa Bay into a key hub within SESCO's global network.
The deliveries were made possible by the terminal's custom-designed ship unloader and conveyor system, which moves bulk cement from the ship's hold directly into SESCO's storage silos. The unloader, the largest wheel-mounted cement ship unloader in operation, arrived in Tampa earlier this year after nearly two years of engineering and design.
Activating the silos also dramatically speeds distribution to customers across the region. The new automated silo system provides quick and efficient truck loading, significantly increasing throughput and allowing SESCO to move more cement to ready-mix producers and other customers each day.
The Port Tampa Bay terminal is strategically positioned to serve Florida's major construction markets via maritime shipping lanes, interstate highways and rail networks. Upon full build-out, it will be the largest cement terminal in Florida.