FCA US, formerly Chrysler Group has awarded a multi-year vehicle processing contract to New Castle-based AutoPort, Inc.
Vehicles built at North American plants in the Midwest and Ontario, Canada, will be transported to Delaware by rail and prepared for export to various destinations in the Middle East by AutoPort’s technicians.
Chrysler closed its Delaware plant in 2008, followed by the shuttering of the GM Boxwood plant in 2009. Fiat purchased Chrysler assets out of bankruptcy proceedings that followed the federal bailout of the company.
“This is a very proud day for the AutoPort family. I would like to thank FCA US for awarding us their valuable business. Also, I am very grateful to Delaware’s congressional delegation, Governor Markell, Cabinet Secretary and Chairman of the Diamond State Port Corporation Alan Levin and Executive Director of the Port of Wilmington Gene Bailey for their continued support throughout our marketing efforts to capture this new business,” said Roy Kirchner CEO of AutoPort. “A special note of gratitude must go to Senator Tom Carper whose tireless efforts convinced the logistics leadership of FCA US to evaluate the capabilities and advantages of AutoPort, the Port of Wilmington and the state of Delaware and which were key to our success.”
“The decision by FCA US to export cars through the Port of Wilmington is a big win for the Port and the state of Delaware,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Carper. “In October of 2012, I had the pleasure of hosting the FCA US logistics leadership in Delaware and taking them on a tour of our port. That visit spurred a relationship between FCA US and AutoPort that is responsible for the agreement announced today to ship FCA North American-made vehicles from the port to overseas markets each year. This partnership will create jobs, grow our economy, and bolster our country’s exports.”
“Back when I was governor, we built a $27 million state-of-the-art, dedicated berth for cars and trucks. The Port is also home to AutoPort, which offers conversion services for automobiles shipped all over the world, and has the experience needed to get this job done. Over the years, our Port has grown into a first-class facility and one of the busiest terminals on the Delaware River, and I’m proud to see it secure another important deal to keep its success going strong for years to come,” Carper stated.
The new contract is effective March 1 and the first PCTC is scheduled to load FCA North American vehicles bound for the Middle East in mid to late March 2015.
It was the latest milestone for the port, which has landed renewed leases at fruit importers after an effort by Paulsboro, NJ to lure business from the port.
The port also saw a controversy over a possible agreement with KinderMorgan, which wanted to manage the port. The energy products company dropped those problems, citing problems with a labor leader at the port. The change was opposed by some legislators.
The port has struggled with auto shipments after the departure of Volkswagen several years ago.
