Dive Brief:
- Dole Food Co. signed a 15-year lease extension with the Port of Wilmington, Del., ending its threat to move its fruit-importing operations to the Port of Paulsboro, N.J.
- Dole is the largest tenant at Wilmington and has been unloading ships there for 31 consecutive years.
- Crucial to the winning efforts to keep Dole was an agreement by the local longshoremen's union to accept a pay cut and freeze through 2018.
Dive Insight:
Dole is a powerhouse at Wilmington. The company brings in a ship roughly once a week filled with bananas, pineapples and other produce. The ships are then refilled with general cargo for the backhaul. The entire operation requires that Dole lease almost 40 acres of land and 100,000 square feet of storage -- driving a good portion of the 5,200 jobs at the port. So we're happy to hear that Dole has ended its flirtation with New Jersey. It seems that the good news just keeps coming for Wilmington.