Gaston Cantens Dishes About Florida Crystals’ New Port Project In Palm Beach County

By Author: Jennifer Hutchinsons
Total Articles: 41
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Gaston Cantens was reported by the Palm Beach Post saying that his company, Florida Crystals Corporation, is working on a new project to develop an intermodal logistic center in South Florida. The project appears to be an inland port where the seaside ports would send their cargo to be broken down and distributed.

According to the article, Gaston Cantens said the project will be located on 850 acres owned by the company in western Palm Beach County. Florida Crystals Corporation says it farms sugar cane, rice and other crops on 190,000 acres in South Florida. The majority of their acreage is located in western Palm Beach County, where the company reportedly employs 2,000 people. The site is between Belle Glade and South Bay – two small, rural cities in the largely urban county. The company and cities have estimate that the project could result in 20,000 jobs for the area.

The Post reports that Florida Crystals has been working on the development of the intermodal logistics center for at least a year. The company has just taken a next step in its process by signing an agreement with the Port of Palm Beach ...
... to work together on the project in order to bring it to life prior to the completion of the Panama Canal expansion in three years.

The company has not yet put a price tag on the development, according to Gaston Cantens, but he said they have spoken to several commercial developers about taking it on. Cantens also said it could turn into a distribution center for large retailers, giving Wal-Mart as an example.

Florida’s governor Rick Scott released a statement on the project. According to the Post, the governor said: “This is exactly the kind of partnership that results in private sector job creation. I commend the Port of Palm Beach and Florida Crystals on their forward-thinking plans to prepare South Florida."

Author :

Gaston Cantens is a Vice President of Florida Crystals Corporation, a vertically integrated sugar company with headquarters in Palm Beach County, Florida, where his responsibilities include corporate relations and government affairs.