Chiquita returns to Port of Gulfport

The banana and fruit company will return to its previous location in North Harbor at the Port of Gulfport in Mississippi and will expand operations into Terminal 1.    Chiquita Fresh North America finalized a 40-year lease agreement with commissioners at the Mississippi State Port Authority (MSPA).
   Under the agreement, the banana and fruit company will return to its previous location in North Harbor and will expand operations into Terminal 1, the Port of Gulfport said.
   Chiquita will double its terminal space, occupy a new maintenance and repair building, and will utilize 110,000 square feet of warehouse space in the West Terminal Transit Shed. In addition, the port will construct 20,000 square feet of temperature-controlled space.
   Previously, Chiquita operated at the Port of New Orleans. The state of Mississippi did not provide any financial incentives for Chiquita to return, MSPA Executive Director and CEO Jonathan Daniels said.
   Chiquita containers will arrive at the Gulf Coast port as early as mid-July, with the first vessel scheduled to arrive in August.