GT USA parent company earns industry award of excellence for second consecutive year PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. – GT USA’s parent company Gulftainer, the largest privately owned independent terminal operating and logistics company in the world, has won the prestigious Port and Terminal Operator Award at the Seatrade Maritime Awards Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa 2017. “Winning the award for the second year in a row validates our commitment to high levels of productivity for our customers through operational excellence across our operations, and reinforces our dedication to upholding impeccable service and safety standards,” said Peter Richards, CEO of GT USA.  “This achievement would not have been possible without our highly qualified team of professionals, who work relentlessly to deliver industry-leading services to our clients.”
Currently in its 10th year, the Seatrade Maritime Awards honors outstanding contributions of companies to the maritime industry in the region. An expert panel of judges selected the winners from across 20 categories. Evaluation criteria included consistent demonstration of all-round operational excellence and maintaining the highest standards of cost and supply chain efficiency, automation and customer service. The judging panel also factored in exceptional innovation, continuous improvement, profitability, and significant investment in port and terminal operations. Tom Nauwelaerts, managing director of Momentum Logistics, Gulftainer's third-party logistics (3PL) division, received the award on behalf of the company at a ceremony in Dubai. Gulftainer operates Sharjah Container Terminal, Khorfakkan Container Terminal and Hamriyah Port in the United Arab Emirates and is engaged in maritime activities in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Brazil and the United States. Gulftainer, which handles an annual throughput of 6.4 million TEUs, aims to expand its global portfolio in the next decade to more than 10,000 vessel calls and triple container handling to 18 million TEUs. GT USA began operations of Canaveral Cargo Terminal in 2016, marking a new era of multipurpose container and cargo capabilities at Port Canaveral. Joe Cruise, commercial manager of GT USA, said, “Gulftainer’s commitment to exceeding industry requirements for innovation, efficiency and customer service extends globally to our operations here as we serve a growing number of shipping lines at Port Canaveral.”