September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

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WTDC Newsletter – September 11, 2023

 

President’s Corner

September traditionally marks the beginning of a busy season for our duty free and travel retail clients. WTDC is working with local partners to accommodate large overflow inventory projects as we continue to grow new services such as our global door to door transportation for pharmaceuticals.
Looking for warehousing space in South Florida? Contact WTDC – a one-stop-shop solution for shipping, warehousing, and Customs documentation.

Stay healthy,
Sean Gazitua, President & CEO
Send a message to WTDC President and CEO Sean Gazitua

Sean Gazitua FIU IBHS 2023

Sean Gazitua to speak at FIU’s IBHS meeting

On Monday, September 11th, WTDC President and CEO Sean Gazitua will be the guest speaker at FIU’s International Business Honor Society (IBHS). IBHS is a student-managed organization that provides opportunities and events for students to develop business skills.

IBHS also owns the only student led business in FIU: the Bandhwari Women’s Project. Each year, WTDC sponsors travel to India for a student who demonstrates exceptional professionalism in an essay format responding to Mr. Gazitua’s presentation.

FIU was announced this week as the no. 4 best public university in the country by Wall Street Journal!
IBHS FIU

FIU No. 4 best public university, according to Wall Street Journal

 

September: Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The goal of this month is to raise funds for families impacted, as well as honor the children with cancer.
Please consider supporting childhood cancer foundations such as LiveLikeBella through donations, fundraisers, volunteering, and more.
Major League Soccer is supporting childhood cancer causes through their campaign, Kick Childhood Cancer.
On September 29th, FIU Men’s Soccer has a game against USF in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Day.

Live Like Bella – Ways to Give

MLS – Kick Childhood Cancer

PortMiami to complete largest Cruise Terminal in North America

MSC Cruise terminal at PortMiami is building the largest terminal in North America. The terminal will accommodate 36,000 passengers daily.
Along with the terminal, the largest MSC ship based in North America, MSC World America, will debut from the terminal in 2025.

Cruise Fever – Largest Cruise Ship Terminal in North America Moves Closer to Completion

 

Florida ports reopen as Hurricane Idalia passes through

Florida ports reopened following the passing Hurricane Idalia. The category 3 hurricane made landfall in Florida’s big bend region, forcing ports and airports alike to halt activities.
Southeast US ports reopen after Hurricane Idalia blows through region

Southeast US ports reopen after Hurricane Idalia blows through region | Journal of Commerce (joc.com)

 

 

Water Donation for His House Children’s Home

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WTDC Newsletter

 

August 28, 2023

President’s Corner

The Florida Gulf Coast is preparing for Tropical Storm Idalia that may become a Hurricane when it makes landfall. Please be advised that even though this storm may affect Florida, WTDC is far from the projected impact. Like every hurricane season, we will prepare and keep an eye on the tropics. Hoping our friends on the West Coast of Florida are not greatly impacted.
Best Regards,
Sean Gazitua, President & CEO
Send a message to WTDC President and CEO Sean Gazitua

Water Donation for His House

His House Children’s Home is fully stocked with water in preparation for hurricane season! WTDC donated over 2600 gallons of bottled water and a water filtration system. Thank you to our employees, families, customers, and vendors for truly making an impact with your donations. Way to go Ginger Diez, WTDC Logistics Manager, on organizing this water drive!
Adrienne Cerra Simeon, His House Children’s Home Development and Marketing Manager, pictured below with Sean Gazitua, WTDC President and CEO, and Ginger Diez, WTDC Logistics Manager. Contact Adrienne for more ways to support His House, such as their Imagine Gala on October 7th at the JW Marriott Marquis in Miami.

South Florida Cruise Industry on the rise

The Cruise industry is back and better than ever as passenger demand is higher than it was prior to the COVID-19 shutdown. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings reported record revenues of 2.2 billion in the second quarter, up 33% over the same period in 2019.
South Florida ports have felt the resurgence as Port Everglades’ number of passengers has increased 77% since 2022. PortMiami has already reached $100 million in cruise passenger revenue for the year.
Due to the high demand, Port Everglades is in the process of renovating a dedicated Disney Cruise terminal set to finish before the Winter Cruise season.

MIA on pace for record passengers in 2023

26.2 million passengers passed through Miami International Airport in the first 6 months of 2023, a 2.6% increase from the same period in 2022.
“On the heels of last year’s full recovery from the pandemic downturn,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava observed, “MIA continues to lead the way for our local tourism industry and the nation in terms of passenger growth and economic impact.”

 

 

Miami-Dade County to invest millions into PortMiami

Miami-Dade County is selling $499.2 million worth of bonds to support new projects and infrastructure changes at PortMiami. An expansion for Royal Caribbean will be funded by the County, which will include redeveloping cruise terminal G for parking improvements and a new building.

 

 

School Supplies for Lotus House

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WTDC Newsletter

August 3, 2023

Lotus House – School Supplies

The children of Lotus House Women’s Shelter will be ready for the school year! WTDC dropped off 2 carloads full of school supplies yesterday. Thank you to all who donated including our employees and our corporate partners from ASCI, Amerijet International, DFASS Group, First Choice CHB, LAS Worldwide, MVC Transportation, and Uniworld Trucking. Elizabeth Blake, Lotus House Community Outreach Coordinator, pictured with WTDC. Great work WTDC Transportation Manager Castell Chavez on organizing this drive!

Lotus House – Get Involved

Lotus House and WTDC display school supplies donations.

Elizabeth Blake, Lotus House Community Outreach Coordinator, pictured with WTDC President & CEO Sean Gazitua, Transportation Manager Castell Chavez, Office Manager Daniel Fajardo, and Sales & Marketing Manager Sean Powers.

President’s Corner

I had a fun morning today shooting the new promo video for FIU’s Roar Lounge with my friend, colleague, and FIU Alumni Board President JC Alexander. I currently serve as the Vice President and will assume the President duties after JC’s term ends. Together we are energizing our students and alumni through events like Block Party to support the ongoing mission of FIU. Go Panthers!
Best Regards,
Sean Gazitua, WTDC President & CEO

 

Annual Panther Block Party

Join your FIU Alumni waterside at the 2023 Panther Block Party! Meet us at Monty’s in Coconut Grove on August 12th for an afternoon of music, food, drinks, giveaways, special appearances and so much more. Bring your friends and family! (children ages 12 and under are free). The Panther Block Party is open to the public, and proceeds support FIU Alumni.

MDPD assisted Fire Drill

Thank you to Miami-Dade Police Department’s Neighborhood Resource Unit for supervising our Fire Drill today. WTDC conducts two fire drills on a yearly basis to ensure the safety of our tenants and employees.

Safety:19 years and counting

This week we celebrated a safety milestone: 19 years without an injury accident! Each morning our staff are reminded of forklift safety best practices to protect themselves and their fellow employees.

WTDC provides air, ocean, and over the road transportation services worldwide.

MIA – Modernization in Action

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MIA – Modernization in Action

WTDC Newsletter – June 6, 2023

 

President’s Corner

With Memorial Weekend in the rearview and schools out for summer, finally we are now in the full swing of rainy season in South Florida. Furthermore, WTDC is built above dock height and not in a flood plain. Lastly, WTDC is not located near bodies of water that may swell with the storms.

Preparing our homes and businesses for tropical storms is a way of life here. Consequently over the years we have learned how we can better communicate with our customers and employees to ensure business continuity. As a result we look forward to any questions you may have.

Thank you to our colleagues and customers who reached out to wish me a Happy Birthday on Sunday!

Best Regards,
Sean Gazitua, President & CEO
Send a message to WTDC President and CEO Sean Gazitua

 

Hurricane Season

June 1st marked the official start to the 2023 hurricane season. Soon thereafter Tropical Storm Arlene popped up in the Gulf last weekend but fizzled soon thereafter.

WTDC follows the guidelines of Miami-Dade County Hurricane Preparedness as to when it will stay open or closed in the event of a storm emergency. Therefore, please find our updated 2023 WTDC Hurricane Preparation Guide here.

In the event of an impending storm, keep an eye out for WTDC emails and check out our Twitter @WTDC for the latest news.
WTDC Hurricane Preparedness

 

FCBF GMM - May 25, 2023

Executive Committee sworn in at Florida Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association General Membership Meeting FCBF GMM on May 25, 2023 at Miami International Airport MIA.

MIA – Modernization In Action

On Thursday, May 25th, WTDC attended the General Membership Meeting of the Florida Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association (FCBF) at Miami International Airport (MIA). For the first time, an all female executive board was sworn into office. Congratulations to the new team led by President Jenette Prince!

Before this, the keynote presentation from Emir Pineda, Director Marketing & Air Service Development, Miami-Dade Aviation Department, was very insightful. Mr. Pineda highlighted new airlines at MIA, marketing of the Modernization In Action campaign underway to fully rebuild and/or replace most of the 616 conveyances at MIA – 312 elevators, 206 escalators, and 98 moving walkways, construction of a new hotel and new concourses, and the VICC for air cargo.

Logistics Manager Ginger Diez and Sales and Marketing Manager Sean Powers attended from WTDC.

MIA: Modernization in Action

World Environment Day

June 5th was World Environment Day. United Nations organizers urge everyone to be more conscious of how they use and dispose of plastics. The theme this year is #BeatPlasticPollution.

Furthermore, PortMiami is making an environmental impact through shore power and electric rubber-tired gantry cranes (ERTGs). The shore power plan will enable cruise ships to turn off their engines when docked. This will greatly reduce their carbon footprint. Six new ERTGs have recently been added to South Florida Container Terminals for a total of twelve.

Finally, WTDC is taking steps to reduce its own carbon footprint. We recently upgraded our electric forklift fleet, replaced all lighting to LED, replaced old A/C units for newer efficient models, grew our recycling program, reduced paper printing for US Customs documentation, and work with our supply chain partners to minimize environmental impact while still providing timely and cost-effective service.
World Environment Day

 

Transloading or Crossdocking in Miami then door to door delivery in USA, Mexico, Canada.

Contact WTDC to transload cargo arriving at PortMiami or Port Everglades then truck to your final destination anywhere in the USA, Canada, or Mexico.

Immediate capacity available at

Port Miami (Miami,Florida)

Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

  • Palm Beach (Riviera Beach, Florida)
  • JAXPort (Jacksonville, Florida)
  • Canaveral (Cape Canaveral, Florida)
  • Tampa Bay, SeaPort Manatee, Port St. Pete (Greater Tampa, Florida)
  • NY/NJ ( Maher/PNCT/ Red Hook (Brooklyn/NJ), NYCT)
  • LA/LB
  • Oakland
  • Savannah
  • Charleston (Wando Welch)
  • SeaTac (Seattle/Tacoma, Terminal 18)
  • HOUSTON

WTDC can haul overweight containers, reefers, and standard containers.
(Drop & pick / Live loading/unloading / Transloading)

Panama Canal drought forces shipping vessels to cut weight

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WTDC Newsletter – May 24, 2023

Panama Canal drought forces shipping vessels to cut weight
Beginning today, May 24th, vessels crossing the Panama Canal will be subject to additional transit fees and be required to reduce their drafts by carrying less or reducing the weight of their loads due to a drought affecting the region. Only half the usual amount of rain fell from February to April this year, leading to an expected historic low in July of Lake Gatun – one of the two main lakes on the Panama Canal.

Bloomberg: Panama Canal Imposes Shipping Restrictions to Cope With Worsening Drought

President’s Corner

Last week was one for the record books at WTDC. It was a week that saw our family and business values tie together so well. In fantastic sales meetings and then again to a delegation of students and everyone that gathered for my father’s birthday, we had the opportunity to tell our Gazitua family and WTDC company story. Our company core values of God and Family, Health and Education, Community, and WTDC were emphatically on full display.

We invited University of Galway students and sales prospects to tour our Miami Foreign Trade Zone Warehouse.  They learned about our company while our employees shared how they impact our community. My mother and I participated in the new FIU President’s Investiture Ceremony. Lastly, my uncle John – a founder and former President of WTDC – tied it all together on Friday. At my father’s birthday celebration he spoke of the importance of spirituality and work ethic that his parents, my grandparents, instilled in the family.  We subsequently instilled these values into the company.

Wishing you a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Best Regards,
Sean Gazitua, President & CEO

 

PortMiami announces busiest cruise passenger day ever

On May 16, PortMiami announced that a record 67,594 cruise passengers passed through its terminals on Sunday, April 9, 2023. The previous record was 58,984 from February 12th of this year.

 

Sean Gazitua carries Torch of Knowledge at new FIU President Ken Jessell’s Investiture Ceremony

On May 18, Sean Gazitua had the honor of representing all FIU students and alumni at the Investiture Ceremony for new FIU President Dr. Ken Jessell. Sean carried the Torch of Knowledge as the Vice President of FIU Alumni Association Board of Directors. Sean and his mother Cookie attended the Investiture Ceremony, living our company pillars of Education and Community. Cookie attended in her role as a Senior Board Member of the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum at FIU. Proud day for WTDC and the Gazitua family at FIU!

Photo os Sean Gazitua appearing in cap and gown holding torch at investiture FIU President Ken Jessell

On May 18, 2023, Sean Gazitua had the honor of representing all FIU students and alumni at the Investiture Ceremony for new FIU President Dr. Ken Jessell. Sean carried the Torch of Knowledge as the Vice President of FIU Alumni Association Board of Directors.

 

University of Galway visit

On May 16th, WTDC had the privilege of hosting 57 students from the University of Galway – Master of Science in International Management in conjunction with FIU College of Business. Our management staff and Interns from FIU thereafter shared information about WTDC’s logistics services, corporate initiatives, and company values.

 

Community – PBA Gala

On Saturday, May 20th, WTDC Chairman Ralph L. Gazitua and his wife Cookie (pictured above) attended the 2023 South Florida Police Benevolent Association (PBA) Law Enforcement Awards. The Gazitua family sponsors a table each year to support the organization that has supported our law enforcement officers for 60 years. Mr. Gazitua served as a Police Chaplain for Miami-Dade Police Department and Everglades Correctional Institution for over 20 years until his retirement in 2021.

 

WTDC Chairman Ralph L. Gazitua celebrates 76th birthday at WTDC

On Friday, May 19th, WTDC Chairman Ralph L. Gazitua celebrated his 76th birthday with family, friends, and employees at WTDC. Thank you to Miami-Dade County Commissioner JC Bermudez, Saint John Neumann’s Father Alfaro, and all of our friends and family who attended.

 

Red Nose Day

Thursday, May 25th, 2023, is Red Nose Day. Each year, WTDC in Miami supports Red Nose Day and its efforts to break the cycle of child poverty as well as to ensure children are healthy, safe, educated, and empowered across the US. Red noses are available for a small donation at any Walgreens location.

 

Looking for South Florida crossdock or transload services for PortMiami or Port Everglades? Contact WTDC today (sales@wtdc.com) for container and flat rack loadings and unloadings in our FTZ bonded 6 acre yard just west of Miami International Airport.

Annual AWI and IAADFS 2023 Summit conferences

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WTDC Newsletter April 19, 2023

  • President’s Corner
  • Kentucky to remove barrel tax
  • 7 cruise ports of Florida
  • 2023 Summit of the Americas
  • AWI Annual Meeting
  • MSC World America

 

President’s Corner

Last week South Florida experienced historic rainfall. Our neighbors in Fort Lauderdale received over 20 inches of rain in a few hours, leading to the flooding of homes, businesses, and famously Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). The flooding disrupted fuel availability in South Florida, and many of our clients have reached out in concern for our employees.

Thankfully, WTDC and our employees have not been adversely affected by last week’s storm. WTDC sits in one of the highest elevations in Miami-Dade County and is not in a flood zone. Our loading dock and warehouse rest on a 4 foot high concrete foundation, which gives us and our clients additional peace of mind.

Wishing all of our friends affected by the flooding a speedy recovery.

Stay healthy,

Sean Gazitua, President & CEO

 

Kentucky to remove barrel tax

For more than 50 years, a tax has been assessed on every barrel of bourbon produced in Kentucky. With House Bill 5 (HB5) now passed by Kentucky legislature and signed into law by Kentucky Governor Beshear, the longstanding property tax based on the value of the spirits produced will now be phased out.

The Spirits Business – Kentucky bill to phase out Bourbon barrel tax

Spectrum News 1 – Kentucky bourbon-makers toast bill phasing out barrel tax

 

7 cruise ports of Florida

Florida is home to some of the busiest cruise ports in the world. There is one port of call, Key West, and six main ports : PortMiami, Port Everglades, Port Canaveral, Port Tampa, Jaxport, and Port of Palm Beach.

This week at the 2023 IAADFS Summit of the Americas, our Duty-Free and Travel Retail clients commented on the return of cruise passenger volume as an indicator that their stock volumes will likely increase this year

Cruise Fever – Cruise Ports in Florida: Everything You Need to Know (7 Ports)

 

2023 Summit of the Americas

WTDC attended the 2023 Summit of the Americas in Palm Beach, Florida, this week.

WTDC President and CEO Sean Gazitua, Logistics Manager Ginger Diez, Transportation Manager Castell Chavez, and Sales and Marketing Manager Sean Powers met with supplier clients and with buyers to discuss WTDC’s transportation services.

Women in Travel Retail hosted a networking event during which Ms. Diez won a raffle for a FlyWithWine suitcase. She is pictured below with TMI Editor Lois Pasternak and FlyWithWine Director of Sales Marlene Hulten, who donated the raffle prize.

 

AWI Annual Meeting

Last week WTDC Chairman Ralph L. Gazitua and Logistics Manager Ginger Diez attended the 2023 Associated Warehouses Inc (AWI) Annual Meeting in St. Pete Beach, Florida, for 3 days of networking, education seminars, and alliance building.

 

MSC World America

MSC announced that their new mega-ship, the MSC World America, will be headed to Miami April 2025. This will be the company’s first North American Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) -powered ship.

Highlights of the MSC World America include 13 dining options throughout the cruise, as well as several pool areas (6 pools, 14 hot tubs).

The cruise ship will leave from MSC Cruise’s terminal in PortMiami, which will be the largest cruise terminal in North America once construction is complete.

Cruise Line – MSC Cruises Upcoming Ship MSC World America to Sail from Miami in 2025