The Ecuador order represents a further strengthening of the longterm partnership between ICTSI and Kalmar, according to Gaston Chipy, Latin American Area Sales Director:
“Because ICTSI is so familiar with the quality of Kalmar’s equipment and the standard of our after-sales service, opting to equip its new Ecuador facility with Kalmar products was the natural choice,” he explains. “We work with and have delivered equipment to ICTSI at a number of its facilities around the world including, for example, Baltic Container Terminal in Gydnia, Poland, and its flagship facility, Manila International Container Terminal in the Philippines.”
Gustavo Cercos, Director of Engineering, CGSA, adds: “For the CGSA order, time was of the essence. We needed to get high-quality equipment onsite and into operation as soon as possible. The fact that Kalmar could guarantee a fast order-to-delivery turnaround time was paramount. As we fully anticipated, Kalmar has since fulfilled that guarantee, with the majority of equipment already onsite and ready to go.”
ICTSI was awarded the 20-year operating concession for the container and multi purpose terminals in Guayaquil by Autoridad Portuario de Guayaquil (APG) in March 2007. The Guayaquil facility handles some 65 percent of Ecuador’s containerised, general and bulk cargo.
Latin America is a strong market for Kalmar – and one that is still developing alongside the region’s general growth in containerised trade. Reachstackers have traditionally been the best-selling products in Latin America, although terminal operators there have in recent years revealed an increased appetite for rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes, particularly Kalmar’s E-One RTG.
Santos Brazil SA, for example, recently ordered 12 Kalmar E-One RTGs (6+1 high and 7+1 wide) for delivery between September 2007 and January 2008. Other E-One RTG customers in the region include the Port of Trinidad and Tobago, major Peruvian intermodal terminal operator Neptunia SA, Terminal Pacífico Sur Valparaiso SA in Chile and Buenos Aires Container Terminal in Argentina.
Meanwhile, the Japdeva port authority in Costa Rica recently concluded an order for three Kalmar straddle carriers for Puerto Limon on Costa Rica’s Atlantic coast, with delivery scheduled for early next year.