THE PORT EVERGLADES DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDS APPROVAL.
This action supports the Board of County Commissioners' Value of "Ensuring economic opportunities for all people and businesses in Broward" and the Goal to "Increase the economic strength and impact of revenue-generating County enterprises balancing economic, environmental, and community needs."
Seaport Hub Agencies, Inc. (Seaport Hub), was founded in 1998 in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, to provide steamship agent services to tankers of crude oil, liquified petroleum gas, petcoke, sulfur, asphalt, urea and a wide variety of dry bulk products. Seaport Hub registered to conduct business in the State of Florida on August 2, 2005. Today Seaport Hub operates eighteen offices, with 130 employees in Venezuela, Bahamas, Curacao and the United States. In the United States, Seaport Hub has been in operation in Miami (12 years), Houston (three years) and New Orleans (two years). Seaport Hub has applied for a new nonexclusive steamship agent franchise at Port Everglades. Seaport Hub intends to expand their steamship agent services to represent ships calling at Port Everglades.
Port staff has reviewed the steamship agent franchise application against the enumerated criteria set forth in Chapter 32 of the Broward County Administrative Code. Staff’s due diligence included corresponding with the Applicant’s representative to clarify franchise requirements, and reviewing the Applicant’s corporate status, business history/experience, litigation history, insurance, financial documents and creditworthiness, required licenses, company programs and policies, and statement of intended activities. In addition, the Applicant’s environmental history was reviewed, and no environmental violations were found.
Staff has determined that the Applicant meets the criteria for the granting of a new steamship agent franchise. Steamship agent franchises may be granted for any period of time up to five years. Past practice has been for staff to recommend the granting of a steamship agent franchise for an initial term of one year, and each subsequent renewal for a term of up to five years. Accordingly, staff is recommending that the steamship agent franchise be granted for an initial one-year term. Complete application and supporting documents are on file in the Port Everglades Business Administration Office. |