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Portia sets sights on Port of Port of Spain 'Renaissance'

For Immediate Release - 04 May, 2006

Portia Management Services, the Port of Liverpool's international consultancy, has won a three year contract to transform the Port of Port of Spain in Trinidad as a major trading gateway for the Caribbean.

The contract seeking a "renaissance" of one of the region's key ports, was awarded by the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago as part of a process of restructuring the organisation.

Portia, the UK's largest and longest established port consultancy, secured the concession to manage the container and break bulk operations against strong international competition.

The project's Chief Executive Wieger Koornstra is leading a management team of eight for Portia which has accepted the challenge of upgrading the port's position against a background of space shortage for terminal expansion, the potential for congestion in both ship and landside operations and the need for reform of working practices and steps to enhance plant availability.

After signing the three year contract, Port of Port of Spain Chairman Derek Hudson laid his authority's expectations on the line: "We expect Portia to improve productivity and customer service so that the port will regain market share and commercial viability."

He said that by the end of the contract, he expected Portia to transfer technology and develop human capital so that the Port of Port of Spain would have a highly trained management team and highly skilled workforce.

"Portia is expected to accomplish clearly defined operational benchmarks which will act as the measure of its performance," added Mr Hudson.

Portia's Managing Director John Owens commented: "There are clear challenges in terms of improving current performance to enable the Port of Port of Spain to achieve its full potential. But Portia has a long established record of success in bringing about the renaissance of port operations across the globe by setting and securing realistic, achievable and measurable targets."

Wieger Koornstra added: "The Port of Port of Spain has already made improvements within the present limitations and current performances are already showing significant increases over agreed benchmark figures."

NOTE: Portia Management Services is the international arm of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, now part of Peel Ports Group. Projects currently being undertaken by Portia include operation of the Port of San Nicolas, Argentina, the Port of Maputo, Mozambique, a major grain terminal in Mombasa, Kenya, and a new container terminal at the Port of Beirut, Lebanon. It is also involved in the development and management of a large bulk terminal in the Port of Vizakhapatnam, India and development of a grain terminal in China.

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