Trans Cargo LLC & AutoPort, Inc. Sign a 10-Year Lease

with the Port of Wilmington, Delaware

(Wilmington, Del) --- Today, Governor Jack Markell announced a 10-year, multi-million dollar 42-acre land lease deal between Trans Cargo LLC & AutoPort, Inc., subsidiary companies of AutoPort North America, and the Diamond State Port Corporation (DSPC). This agreement will keep Trans Cargo LLC & AutoPort, Inc. as Port of Wilmington tenants through 2018.

(R-L) Roy Kirchner, President of AutoPort, Inc.; Governor Jack Markell; John Owen, Chairman of AutoPort North America; Gene Bailey, Executive Director of the DSPC; and Alan Levin, Director of Delaware Economic Development Office and Chairman of the DSPC

AutoPort Inc. is an ISO 9002 certified full-service automotive conversion, restyling and processing center located adjacent to the Port of Wilmington. Trans Cargo is the terminal operating arm of AutoPort and together they prepare over 100,000 automobiles, trucks and oversized rolling stock units annually for export onboard specially built automobile and truck carriers to Middle Eastern, African and Mediterranean markets through the Port of Wilmington.

“The only way we are going to address the challenges facing Delaware is by growing our economy so companies like AutoPort can thrive and create jobs to get Delawareans back to work,” Gov. Markell said. “AutoPort is an outstanding Delaware company and it is great news that AutoPort will be remaining at the Port of Wilmington for the next decade. I was delighted to visit AutoPort in February to announce the company would be receiving a grant to help train workers to convert traditional cars into electric vehicles. Delaware must have a public policy that places sustainability at the forefront of our economic development efforts. My administration is committed to working with companies like AutoPort to keep Delaware on the leading edge of the Green Economy.”

A recent economic impact analysis by Martin & Assoc. for the Port of Wilmington credits AutoPort’s related cargo with the creation of 675 jobs, $36 million in business revenue and $2.6 million in local and regional taxes.

“The Port of Wilmington and AutoPort enjoy a unique strategic partnership as evidenced today as we formalize our lease agreement,” said John Owen, Chairman of AutoPort North America. Mr. Owen continued by saying, “The Port of Wilmington and the State of Delaware are excellent places to do business. We look forward to working together to grow our core export and import processing business and our diversification into leading edge green energy technological initiatives such AutoPort’s work on converting the Scion xB platform from gasoline to an all electric vehicle (EV) with Vehicle to Grid (V2G) capabilities. I greatly appreciate Governor Markell’s enthusiasm for this project and want to thank him for the recent grant to AutoPort to carry on its development.”

“We at the Port of Wilmington are extremely happy to be able to conclude a lease with a world class company such as AutoPort,” said Eugene R. Bailey, Executive Director of the DSPC. “AutoPort North America has been a valued partner and has helped to establish our Port’s prominence in the automotive export business,” he remarked.

About the Port of Wilmington

Founded in 1923, the Port of Wilmington is a full service Mid-Atlantic seaport on the Delaware River strategically located serving over 200 million North American consumers by overnight truck and rail delivery. Wilmington ranks as the nation’s leading gateway for imported perishable cargo, and a major automobile export hub to the Middle East, Central America, and West Africa. An economic engine for the State of Delaware and the region, it is responsible for 14,600 jobs, $407 million in business revenue, and $29 million in annual local taxes. The Port is owned and operated by the Diamond State Port Corporation, a corporation of the State of Delaware.

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