Press Release -  8.30.2006

Frank Vignuli Named Diamond State Port Corporation’s
New Director of Operations

Wilmington, Del. - The Diamond State Port Corporation (DSPC) is pleased to announce that Frank Vignuli has accepted the position of Director of Operations beginning August 28. Vignuli is a well-seasoned supply-chain and logistics executive. For over 24 years, he held various logistics leadership positions with Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (Chiquita), one of the largest banana producers in the world and a major supplier of bananas in Europe and North America.

For the past eight years, as Chiquita’s General Manager of Port Operations at the Port of Wilmington, Delaware, Vignuli directed both the discharge and loading during the Great White Fleet’s weekly container ship calls, as well as the company’s major fresh fruit distribution center at the Port.

In 1989, as a Port Manager for Chiquita in Wilmington, Delaware, he headed the transition from break-bulk cargo to palletized cargo and subsequently held the positions of Port Manager and General Manager in Savannah, Georgia; Gulfport, Mississippi; and Freeport, Texas.

DSPC Director of Operations, Frank Vignuli

Wilmington, Delaware is the world’s top banana hub and the nation’s largest gateway for imports of fresh fruit and juice concentrates. It is also the busiest terminal and the number one container port on the Delaware River.
 

As DSPC Director of Operations, Vignuli will oversee 308 acres of port operations; loading and discharge of over 400 ship calls annually; and North America’s largest on-dock cold-storage complex and distribution center of 800,000 sf. In addition, he will lead the customer service and quality control groups to provide competitive, timely, and quality services to the Port’s various niche cargo customers.

“Frank’s proven ability to successfully and simultaneously manage multiple fast-tracked projects along with his deep understanding of port operations and his wealth of experience in all aspects of our business will be tremendous assets to our organization,” remarked DSPC Executive Director, Gene R. Bailey. “On behalf of the Board of Directors and the staff I welcome Vignuli to our team,” he added.

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Founded in 1923, the Port of Wilmington is an important asset for the local and regional economy, generating more than 5,800 jobs and contributing over $24 million in annual tax revenues to state and local government.  The Port is owned and operated by the Diamond State Port Corporation, a corporation of the State of Delaware.