The operator of Teesport in the North East is celebrating a third long-deal deal at its recently unveiled bulks facility.
The deal - which Teesport owners PD Ports said would accelerate future plans due to growing demand from global manufacturers and shippers - follows a £9.2m investment to refurbish the former Steel Export Terminal at Teesport.
The project has helped create 44 direct new jobs and a further 250 in the supply chain.
PD Ports has also invested £50m to redevelop Teesport’s No. One Quay, supported by regional growth funding, to expand rail-connected bulk handling facilities at the port.
CEO Frans Calje said the developments at Teesport showed PD Ports’ ambitions to seize new trade opportunities and secure further long-term private investment on Teesside.
He said: “It was catastrophic for the Tees Valley when the steelworks collapsed in 2015.
“Overnight we, as PD Ports, lost a third of our business and this region lost one of its major component parts. Now, thanks to much hard work and investment, as well as an ongoing journey of diversification, we are stronger and more resilient as a business.
“As a result we are under way with our biggest recruitment drive in the history of our business – employing more people now than before the closure of SSI.
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“I am delighted to see the successful transformation of Teesport’s bulks handling infrastructure and service provision – which is underpinned by our growing customer base, which now includes three globally renowned partners, including Viterra.
“The fact that such established and world-leading businesses within the industry have selected PD Ports as their chosen logistics providers to move cargo through our new facility, further reinforces our proven track record of delivery, securing private investment in the Tees Valley region, driving the region’s economic value and creating new jobs.
“As we look ahead, we are confident that by continuing to build on the strengths the River Tees offers, utilising our newfound Freeport status to attract further investments and embrace new opportunities, we can achieve our vision of making the River Tees the 海角视频’s most successful port region by 2050.”
Teesside was one of eight areas around the country to win Freeport status in the Government’s Budget this year.
It is hoped that the plans could bring up to 18,000 new jobs to the area.