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South Florida Company to Manage Port Antonio Marina

November 4, 2003

The Full Story

South Florida based Westrec Marinas has been awarded a five-year management and operations contract by the Port Authority of Jamaica, for the Port Antonio Marina and West Harbour Development Project in Portland.
Under the terms of the contract, Westrec, considered the world’s largest marina management company, will manage the Port Antonio facility as of November 1, 2003 for a five-year period.
The partnership with the Port Authority marks the beginning of Westrec’s expansion into the Caribbean, said John Louis, Westrec’s Regional Manager and newly appointed Manager of the Port Antonio Marina.
Details of the arrangement were announced on October 30, at the start of a five-day Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
Rosalie Donaldson, Senior Vice President, International Marketing and Client Services for the Port Authority, said that because of Westrec’s proven track record in marina management worldwide, the partnership would be advantageous to the entire community of Port Antonio, which would benefit from the expected increase in visitor arrivals.
She noted that the contract would also cover the Henry Morgan Marina, Port Antonio Boat Yard and the retail amenities in the entire West Harbour Development in Port Antonio.
Miss Donaldson outlined some of the plans for the marina, which included, opening Navy Island as a private location for luxury boutique cruise ships, the expansion of the area’s airlift capacity, increasing retail space, and expanding the Henry Morgan Marina to accommodate larger boats.
Jamaica’s Consul General to Miami, Ricardo Allicock, commended the new operator, and noted that the “new alliance augurs well for Port Antonio’s return to glory as a premium yachting destination”. He added that the new partnership symbolized broader mutual benefits which could accrue to Jamaica and South Florida.
Citing the already established opportunities for economic development between Jamaica and South Florida, Mayor Diane Wasserman-Rubin of Broward County said this added partnership would further enhance the business relationship in trade and development between the two regions.
The mega-yacht sector of the marine industry has experienced tremendous growth since 1997, according to recent data released by the Marine Industry Economic Impact Report, commissioned by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida. “Much of this is due to the many vessels based in South Florida, while visiting or chartering to nearby Caribbean destinations,” the data further showed.
To this end, officials at Westrec have committed to making the Port Antonio Marina a premier yachting destination in the Caribbean to accommodate the cruising vessels.
The Port Antonio Marina was officially opened in September 2002 by Prime Minister P. J. Patterson.Westrec Marinas was selected through a comprehensive tender process issued by the Port Authority. The company is known for major redevelopment projects worldwide. Founded in 1987, Westrec presently operates marina locations in the USA, South America and the Caribbean.

Last Updated: November 4, 2003

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