Business View Caribbean - Feb 2024

Christopher Lake, Managing Director, and Randall Angela, Terminal Operations Manager, have been instrumental in guiding ASTEC through the various challenges and accomplishments that have marked the company’s journey. Together, they have played a role in shaping ASTEC’s growth and development, ensuring its resilience in the face of industry changes, and driving it towards its current prominence within Aruba’s economy. EVOLUTION OF CARGO HANDLING ASTEC’s story is deeply inter twined with the development of Aruba’s ports and the containerization of cargo. In the early days, Aruba’s port operations were a complex collaboration involving various groups, including shipping agents, unionized workers, and equipment providers. Efficiency was challenging, with hundreds of workers required for diverse tasks due to the absence of modern cargo-handling equipment. To formalize stevedoring (cargo handling) services at Aruba’s ports, ASTEC was founded with a clear mission closely linked to upgrading and modernizing the port facilities in Aruba. This was essential to accommodate the growing trend of containerization in the shipping industry.With ten shareholders, ASTEC was established in 1983 to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of cargo- handling operations within the region. STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH ARUBA PORTS AUTHORITY (APA) ASTEC’s journey didn’t stop at its inception. The Aruba Ports Authority (APA), a government entity responsible for overseeing port operations, recognized the need to separate cruise activities from cargo handling activities in the bustling port of Oranjestad. This decision aligned with the broader vision of the government of Aruba to optimize the utilization of its port facilities for both cruise tourism and cargo logistics. In pursuit of this vision, APA launched an ambitious international tender process in 2011. The goal was to select a partner capable of designing, building, financing, operating, and maintaining a state-of- the-art multi-cargo sea terminal in Barcadera. This endeavor was more than just a logistical upgrade; it was a significant step toward realizing a more efficient and specialized approach to port operations. FROM STEVEDORING TO MULTI - CARGO OPERATOR Under a long-term concession agreement, ASTEC emerged as the successful bidder of this tender. This marked a turning point in ASTEC’s history, 27 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 11, ISSUE 02 ARUBA STEVEDORING COMPANY – ASTEC N.V.