SESCO Cement has reached a major milestone at its new Port Tampa Bay terminal, welcoming its first two ships carrying bulk gray cement and beginning full commercial operations at the facility.
The arrivals put the terminal’s major operating assets into service just months after SESCO celebrated the facility’s opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in June. The new terminal is designed to increase the company’s ability to serve construction markets throughout Florida and expand the role of Port Tampa Bay within SESCO’s global network.
Each vessel is making a partial discharge at SESCO’s Port Redwing terminal in Gibsonton before continuing across the Gulf of Mexico to the company’s Houston terminal, where the deliveries will be completed. The two-port route connects SESCO’s Florida and Texas operations while providing additional capacity and flexibility to respond to regional demand.
New technology moves cement from ship to silo
The first deliveries were made possible by SESCO’s custom-designed ship unloader and conveyor system. The equipment moves bulk cement directly from a ship’s hold into the terminal’s storage silos.
The ship unloader arrived in Tampa earlier this year following nearly two years of engineering and design. According to SESCO, it is the largest wheel-mounted cement ship unloader currently in operation.
With the ship unloader, conveyor system and storage silos working together, the terminal can receive and distribute cement more efficiently.
“The arrival of our first bulk cement ships is the moment this terminal was built for,” said Rick Van Eyk, CEO of SESCO Cement. “With our ship unloader, conveyor system and silos now running together, we are fully operational and able to get cement to our customers faster than ever.”
The terminal’s automated silo system also allows trucks to be loaded quickly, increasing throughput and enabling SESCO to distribute more cement to ready-mix producers and other customers each day.
Expanding Florida’s cement capacity
The Port Tampa Bay terminal is positioned to serve some of Florida’s largest construction markets through a combination of maritime shipping lanes, interstate highways and rail networks.
The facility is also part of SESCO’s broader network, connecting its operations in Florida and Texas and giving the company additional options for moving cement as demand changes.
“These operations add capacity and flexibility that support both current and future demand across the region, and they establish Port Tampa Bay as a key hub within our global network,” Van Eyk said.
Upon full build-out, the Port Tampa Bay facility is expected to become the largest cement terminal in Florida, adding significant new capacity to the state’s construction supply chain.
For SESCO Cement, the arrival of its first bulk ships marks the transition from building the terminal to putting it to work—bringing a major new cement distribution operation online in the Tampa Bay region.