Sea Star Line, LLC, has placed an order for 100 brand-new 53-foot cargo containers to serve customers at its Jacksonville and Philadelphia ports. The containers will be available for immediate use in the third quarter of 2011 ' just in time to accommodate the pre-holiday shipping season.

The investment increases Sea Star Line's existing 53-foot container fleet by 25 percent, making it the youngest 53-foot fleet serving the Caribbean and Puerto Rico. Many companies prefer the 53-foot containers because they can accommodate a variety of goods for customers located in the Caribbean.' In the past there have not been enough of the containers available. These containers can be rolled on and off Sea Star Line's ships or be stacked. This new equipment will be used in Sea Star's Caribbean and Puerto Rico services.

'While this new equipment is clearly a sizeable investment for Sea Star Line, we see it as an extension of our ongoing mission to provide our customers with the cleanest and most modern containers in the industry,' said Steve Hastings, President of Sea Star Line. 'It not only underscores Sea Star Line's financial stability, it demonstrates our commitment to the Caribbean and Puerto Rican trade lanes.'

Features of the new state-of-the-art containers include flooring made of reinforced, urethane-coated, apitong hardwood ' the strongest flooring available in the marine trade ' as well as side panels constructed of the highest quality Corten steel, and doors equipped with anti-theft locking hardware for increased security.