Port Manatee traveled with Gov. Scott to California

MANATEE -- A Port Manatee official accompanied Gov. Rick Scott on his business recruiting trip to California earlier this month, targeting business at West Coast ports.

Matty Appice, Port Manatee's senior director of trade development and sales, was one of a handful of representatives from Florida ports to "highlight what Florida has to offer," according to Carlos Buqueras, Port Manatee executive director.

"Not all the ports were there, but Manatee was there," Buqueras told the Port Authority at its Thursday meeting.

During the trip, Appice said Scott went "right to the point" and highlighted the differences between Florida and California.

"He stressed plenty of times that he is a businessman," Appice said. "He talked about the advantages of Florida."

Among the differences, Scott pointed out between the two states is no personal income tax in Florida versus up to 13.3 percent income tax in California, a corporate tax of 5.50 percent in Florida versus 8.84 percent in California, a 4 cent excise tax on gas in Florida versus a 39.5 cent tax in California and no

capital gains tax in Florida versus a 13.3 percent one in California, Appice said.

"He was well received," Appice said. "Everybody was very impressed with what he spoke about.

"Certainly our profile was heightened."

Port Authority member Betsy Benac said she didn't know Port Manatee was out in California but she is glad to hear that they worked with some of the other Florida ports.

"When you are with a family, you are there as one together competing," Benac said. "I'm glad you were there. Let California know that we do things a little bit different here in Florida."

Port Authority Chairwoman Carol Whitmore said the trip "created some attention to Florida."

Port Authority member Larry Bustle said Port Manatee has all the pieces but he is trying to figure out what can be done to get over the hump. Bustle pointed to the enterprise zone, the tax increment financing district, plenty of land and both Manatee County and Port Authority's desire for new business.

"We've been just around the corner from a major discovery of Port Manatee for a long time," Bustle said.

Buqueras said rather than getting large customers, they are getting smaller-sized companies.

Buqueras said they don't want oversized customers to "monopolize the port," but added they won't disregard a large company.

"We don't want one carrier to control the whole port," he said.

Buqueras said by the end of the calendar year, there will be at least three deals coming before the Port Authority.

Whitmore echoed Buqueras.

"You have to be smart and diversify so when there is some crash in some sector we can still maintain the port and not crash with it," she said.

The Port Authority also approved an amendment to Feld Entertainment's contract with Port Manatee, cutting circus train trips to Palmetto in half. Under the agreement that stretched to 2024, Feld was set to lease Port Manatee tracks every year for $22,000, plus annual increases. Those increases will go to 4.55 percent for the biennium. "We are trying to create more operational efficiencies," Philip Misiura, Feld Entertainment director of real estate, said of the amendment. "We really want to be a good partner for the port and the county. We are very happy to be here and looking to potentially grow even further."

Claire Aronson, Manatee County reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024 or at caronson@bradenton.com. Follow her on Twitter @Claire_Aronson.

This story was originally published April 17, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Port Manatee traveled with Gov. Scott to California ."