Business briefs: Port Manatee in Top 20 niche ports; Sarasota breaks 1M visitor mark
PALMETTO -- Thanks to its wide-ranging capabilities to handle a variety of cargo types, Port Manatee has been recognized by Global Trade magazine as one of the Top 20 Niche Ports in the United States.
Carlos Buqueras, Port Manatee's executive director, noted that the Global Trade list, which does not ascribe individual ranks to the ports, includes several of the busiest U.S. ports, such as the Port of Houston, the No. 1 U.S. foreign tonnage port, and the Port of South Louisiana, the largest total tonnage port in the Western Hemisphere. Port Manatee is one of just two Florida ports to make the list, the other being Jacksonville.
"Port Manatee is certainly in good company on this prestigious list," Buqueras said.
The Global Trade article specifically cites Port Manatee's ability to accommodate roll-on/roll-off vessels carrying such cargos as automobile, buses and trucks, as well as the expansion of the port's Berth 12 and 14 waterfront infrastructure to encompass 1,600 feet of contiguous berthing area.
Port Manatee is the closest U.S. deepwater seaport to the expanding Panama Canal, with 10 40-foot-draft berths serving container, bulk, breakbulk, heavylift, project and general cargo customers.
Sarasota breaks 1 million visitors mark for first time
SARASOTA -- For the first time in history, Sarasota County broke the 1 million mark for the number of visitors to the destination. In fiscal year 2015, 1,084,140 visitors stayed in paid lodging, representing an increase of 9.3 percent over fiscal year 2014. Both direct expenditures and economic impact increased 12 percent year over year, Visit Sarasota County announced Monday.
"We are excited to share this news," said Virginia J. Haley, president of Visit Sarasota County. "It is a testament to our industry's hard work, dedication and perseverance over the past several years. With new hotel inventory opening in the coming year, new cultural, sporting and natural offerings, and a new creative campaign, VSC will strive to ensure Sarasota County continues to be a destination of choice for new and returning visitors."
Marriott to buy Starwood Hotels in $12.2B deal
Marriott International said on Monday that it had agreed to buy Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide for $12.2 billion in cash and stock, creating the world's largest hotel company.
Under the terms of the deal, Marriott will pay $72.08 a share in cash and stock for Starwood, whose brands include Westin, the W, Sheraton and St. Regis.
"The driving force behind this transaction is growth," Arne M. Sorenson, the Marriott president and chief executive, said in a news release. "This is an opportunity to create val
ue by combining the distribution and strengths of Marriott and Starwood, enhancing our competitiveness in a quickly evolving marketplace."
In July, the InterContinental Hotels Group was reported to be in talks to acquire Starwood, but those rumors were quickly rejected by InterContinental. As recently as October, Hyatt was preparing a cash-and-stock bid for Starwood, people with knowledge of the negotiations said at the time.
The combined Marriott and Starwood company will have more than 5,500 owned or franchised hotels with 1.1 million rooms around the world, and it would have posted more than $2.7 billion in fee revenue for the 12 months ended Sept. 30.
-- Herald staff, wire report
This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 11:42 PM with the headline "Business briefs: Port Manatee in Top 20 niche ports; Sarasota breaks 1M visitor mark ."