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If you like cruising, chances
are good you’ve left on a
fabulous ocean vacation from
Port Everglades in Florida.
This beautiful port has been a
staple in the U.S.’s travel and
export industries since the
early 1900s, and in the last 20
years has become a leader for
the hospitality industry and
container shipping.
As one of the more diverse
seaports in the country,
Port Everglades is the most
active cargo port and South
Florida’s main seaport for
receiving petroleum products,
including gasoline and jet
fuel. Last year saw over $28
billion in economic activity
and the future is only going
to become more profitable for
one of the top cruise ports in
the world due to expansions
and improvements.
“Port Everglades has an
aggressive expansion
program that includes
deepening and widening the
port’s navigation channels,”
said Ellen Kennedy, Port
Everglades Assistant Director
of Business Development/
Communications. “We also
recently completed some
major landside improvements
to improve truck and rail
connections.”
Landside congestion is often
a problem for seaports, but
Port Everglades has direct
interstate highway access, as
well as a strong partnership
with the Florida East Coast
Railway (FECR) and the State
of Florida. Port Everglades
CEO and Port Director Steven
M. Cernak shared that this
relationship helps “keep
commerce on the move” for
the region and the world.
Cernak was recently honored
as one of the South Florida
Business Journal’s “2015
Ultimate CEOs.” Known for
his empowering leadership
style, Cernak shared that his
success is also the success of
the people with whom he has
worked, and has cited that
honesty and integrity are the
most important traits a leader
should have.
Cernak and the leadership
at Port Everglades maintain
that strong partnerships—
both in the region and
internationally—are key to the
port’s success.
Improvements In and Around
the Port for Efficiency
Port Everglades’ relationships
with its partners in the region
have opened doors—or rather
roads and passageways—for
commerce. The Eller Drive
Overpass connects the east
end of the I-595 directly to the
Port’s main entrance, allowing
vehicles to travel unimpeded
over two new rail tracks
to FECR’s new intermodal
container transfer facility
(ICTF). The obvious benefit
is for the shippers, but cruise
passengers will also enjoy the
expansion, which gives them
unimpeded access to the port.
The new 43-acre ICTF is used
to transfer both domestic
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Collaboration BOSS
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2015
PORT EVERGLADESCernak and the leadership at
Port Everglades maintain that
strong partnerships— both in
the region and internationally—
are key to the port’s success.