New company shipping scrap metal from Port Manatee, official says

MANATEE -- A new Port Manatee client will be shipping 30,000 tons of scrap metal monthly, a port official said Tuesday.

Port Manatee Scrap Metal, which set up operations several months ago just north of the port near the Hillsborough County line, was loading a vessel with a huge shipment on Tuesday, said David Sanford, deputy executive director for the Manatee County Port Authority, at a county commission meeting.

"It's a major new customer for the port," Sanford said.

The company has been collecting scrap metal to be shipped from the port to such places as Mexico or Turkey, he said.

"This is a recycling operation, so the scrap metal is re-used, and we're very, very pleased to have them as a client," Sanford said.

Sara Kennedy, Herald reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7031. Follow her on Twitter

This story was originally published September 9, 2014 at 12:57 PM with the headline "New company shipping scrap metal from Port Manatee, official says ."