- The Port Tampa Bay Board of Commissioners approved an agreement with Celadon Development Corporation to lease 37 acres for the construction and operation of a paper fiber manufacturing plant. The plant will have significant economic and sustainability benefits generating up to 20,000 export containers per year (40,000 TEUs), creating approximately 100 jobs and involving a capital investment of $160 million during Phase One of the project. The facility will receive and process mixed paper, corrugated cardboard and plastic products sourced in Florida to produce paper fiber sheets for export to Asia. Environmental and sustainability benefits include increased recycling, water re-use and reduction of greenhouse gases, saving over 1.8 million tons in carbon dioxide emissions. Phase Two of the project will see the addition of a second production line that will double the plant’s capacity, increasing the output to 40,000 export containers per year (80,000 TEUs), resulting in a total capital investment approaching $400 million. The site which is on Port Tampa Bay’s Hooker’s Point property is located alongside the Port’s container terminal which is also undergoing a significant phased expansion and is operated by Ports America under a long-term lease. The site is adjacent to the City of Tampa’s wastewater treatment plant with plenty of capacity to accommodate the project’s use of reclaimed water and wastewater needs.

“We are delighted to welcome Celadon to the Port Tampa Bay family,” stated Paul Anderson, Port Tampa Bay President & CEO. “This project will have hundreds of millions of dollars in generational economic impact. In addition to the job creation and diversification it offers our maritime community, Celadon and its partners are global leaders in environmental sustainability and will use cutting-edge technology to create a new recyclable product. The benefits span our entire community and region. We would like thank all of our partners, including the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County and the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council for helping to make this happen."

“This project perfectly complements our container development strategy by generating export return loads heading back to Asia and filling containers which arrive with goods for retail and e-commerce distribution centers along the I-4 Corridor,” noted Raul Alfonso, Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer for Port Tampa Bay. “With the Celadon manufacturing plant’s location right next to our container terminal, we expect great synergies and supply chain cost savings.”

Celadon Development Corporation LLC is a partnership between Nicollet Industries and Kamine Development Company, two leaders in green infrastructure and sustainable development. Port Tampa Bay is Florida’s largest and most diversified port. Given its proximity to the rapidly expanding Tampa Bay/Orlando I-4 Corridor which has emerged as Florida’s Distribution Hub, Port Tampa Bay, and terminal operator Ports America are expanding container terminal facilities to keep pace with this growth.