Posted on May 26, 2025
BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Everglades Company Terminal, Inc., (ECT) has signed a new 10-year Marine Terminal Lease and Operating Agreement with Broward County, underscoring the Port Everglades‘ position as South Florida’s port of choice and a leading driver of economic growth in Broward County and the state.
The Broward County Board of County Commissioners recently approved the long-term agreement granting Everglades Terminal Company, a subsidiary of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), a new lease on a 39.18-acre terminal in the port’s Southport cargo area that is operated by Port Everglades Terminal, LLC. The agreement runs through December 31, 2034, with two optional five-year extensions.
This agreement replaces a previous lease held since 2004 by MSC.
“This agreement with ECT and the continuity provided by its terminal operator Port Everglades Terminal, LLC, further strengthens our position as a vital global gateway for trade,” said Joseph Morris, CEO and Port Director of Port Everglades.
According to economic analysts at Martin Associates, ECT’s operations under the new lease are expected to generate more than $161 million in business service revenue each year within the region, continue to support 425 direct jobs and contribute approximately $10.5 million in state and local taxes in its first year, based on 85,000 container moves. These numbers are expected to grow substantially over the life of the agreement.
“As a stevedoring and terminal services company, we are committed to providing the superior services for our shipping customers and the local community that relies on the goods that move through our terminal,” said Rick Blackmore, CEO of Port Everglades Terminal, LLC.
The new agreement also transfers permanent leasehold improvements made by Port Everglades Terminal to Port Everglades, including an office building, Rubber-Tired Gantry pads, refrigerated racks for 450 stacked reefers, and an inspection dock that has shore power infrastructure for 116 refrigerated shipping containers.
About Port Everglades
A global powerhouse for international trade, Port Everglades handles an average of more than one-million TEUs annually (20-foot equivalent units, the industry standard measurement for container volumes) and serves as a gateway to Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. Located within the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, Port Everglades is in the heart of one of the world’s largest consumer regions, including a constant flow of approximately 142.9 million visitors statewide and more than 6 million residents within a 100-mile radius. Port Everglades has direct access to the interstate highway system and the Florida East Coast Railway’s near-dock, 43-acre intermodal container transfer facility, and is closer to the Atlantic Shipping Lanes than any other Southeastern U.S. port. Ongoing capital improvements and expansion totaling $3 billion within the next 20 years ensure that Port Everglades continues to handle future growth in container traffic. More information about Broward County’s Port Everglades is available at PortEverglades.net or by calling toll-free in the United States 1-800-421-0188 or emailing PortEvergladesCargo@broward.org.
