PortMiami building world’s largest shore power system

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WTDC Newsletter – March 2nd, 2023

  • President’s Corner
  • FIU Religious Studies visit
  • PortMiami building world’s largest shore power system
  • Chassis Dispute rules in favor of motor carriers
  • Live Like Bella 5k
  • WTDC rebrands with a new logo
  • Health and Wellness
  • Florida cruise and seaports broke records in 2022
  • Spirituality in the Workplace

 

President’s Corner

We have a new logo! The ‘Worldwide Logistics’ below our company name highlights WTDC’s evolution as a transportation and logistics company beyond the brick and mortar of our FTZ warehouse. We are excited to roll out this new company look in step with changes at the company to grow these services!

Stay healthy,
Sean Gazitua, President & CEO

 

FIU Religious Studies visit

The FIU Religious Studies Department joined WTDC for lunch on Thursday, March 2nd. Chair of Religious Studies at FIU Erik Larson and Assistant Teaching Professor Dr. Jeanette Smith visited WTDC to discuss the company’s Spirituality in the Workplace initiative.

 

PortMiami building world’s largest shore power system

Following a 2021 shore power commitment by Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, PortMiami is scheduled to receive five shore power systems to be installed by the end of 2023.
The five new shore power systems by PowerCon will significantly reduce cruise ship emissions from ships berthing in PortMiami. The system will provide electricity for the terminals that carry Virgin, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and MSC Cruise line.

MarineLog – PortMiami to deploy world’s largest shore power system

MarineLink – PortMiami to Get World’s Largest Shore Power System

 

Chassis dispute rules in favor of motor carriers

On February 6th, a judge under the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) ruled that requiring motor carriers to use specific chassis providers in order to move containers violates The Shipping Act. The complaint against the ocean carriers arose in 2020, when the Intermodal Motor Carrier Conference (IMCC) alleged that ocean carriers denied them the right to choose their provider when leasing essential equipment.

Transportation Today – Federal judge rules in favor of chassis choice for motor carriers

Freight Waves – Intermodal truckers secure win against ocean carriers

 

Live Like Bella 5k

On Saturday, February 18th, WTDC started their day early to support the Live Like Bella Superhero 5k. The Live Like Bella Foundation was created in an effort to end childhood cancer and support affected families.
Thank you to WTDC General Manager Vera Gazitua for organizing our team again this year!

 

WTDC rebrands with a new logo

In time for our 46th anniversary on March 8th, WTDC is rebranding with a new company logo. As a NVOCC, IAC, and freight forwarder for over ten years, WTDC manages transportation and logistics throughout the world on a daily basis.

 

Health and Wellness

On Friday, February 24th, Andrea De La Madriz visited WTDC for yoga and a meditation session.
WTDC’s Health and Wellness Initiative encourages staff to adopt healthy living to improve mental and physical wellness.

Schedule a class with Andrea

 

Florida cruise and seaports broke records in 2022

Port Canaveral was the busiest Florida cruise port in 2022 with 4,072,396 multi-day passengers, surpassing PortMiami’s 4,022,544.
Florida sea ports also reported record high is 2022. 112.5 million tons were received by all Florida sea ports. Florida’s 16 public sea ports have shown to be efficient and reliable, positioning themselves to gain a larger market-share in the next five years.

AJOT – Florida seaports see record-high cargo in 2022
Seatrade Cruise News – Port Canaveral overtook Miami as world’s busiest cruise port in 2022

 

Spirituality in the Workplace

On Sunday, February 26th, WTDC staff visited Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church as part of our Spirituality in the Workplace initiative. The service was led by community leader and longtime pastor Dr. Walter T. Richardson. Afterwards, WTDC shared lunchwhile discussing the sermon at Los Ranchos Steakhouse.
WTDC Spirituality in the Workplace committee attends places of worship not to convert or espouse any one faith or doctrine but to educate and inspire WTDC employees to better themselves through faith of any kind whether it be Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, or other.

FIU IBHS Bandhwari Scholarship

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WTDC Newsletter – November 15, 2022

  • Presidents Corner – EDI Integration
  • FIU IBHS Scholarship
  • Spirituality in the Workplace – St. Dominic Catholic Church
  • Thanksgiving Food Drive for Lotus House
  • Pajama Drive for HisHouse
  • Health and Wellness – Peak360 CrossFit

 

President’s Corner
After months of development, WTDC began rolling out our new EDI interface with customers this summer. We are now in the process of linking our WMS with the existing systems of our customers. This technology streamlines order processing and US Customs documentation. By continuing to invest in technology, we can offer a better customer experience. If you would like to know more about this opportunity, please contact me and I would be happy to help you.

Stay healthy,

Sean Gazitua, President & CEO

 

FIU IBHS Scholarship

On Thursday, November 10th, WTDC presented Kassandra Perez, FIU IBHS student, with a $1,500 scholarship towards travel for the Bandhwari Project, a micro-enterprise in India led by IBHS students focused on providing women economic opportunities.

WTDC has sponsored the program since 2015. The presentation fostered a great round-table discussion about the value of making and maintaining business relationships, FIU’s international reach, and giving back. In attendance was Dean Hardin III of FIU College of Business, WTDC President and CEO Sean Gazitua, WTDC Interns Fernando Menendez and Leilani Shirvis, faculty and staff from FIU Alumni, College of Business, as well as IBHS students.

Congratulations Kassandra!

 

Spirituality in the Workplace

WTDC visited St. Dominic Catholic Church on Sunday, November 13th, as part of the Spirituality in the Workplace initiative. Fr. Orlando Cardozo joined us for a meal and discussion afterwards at Novecento restaurant. WTDC will now be offering Emmaus retreats for our staff through their church.

 

Thanksgiving Food Drive

WTDC’s 4th Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive’s last day to donate is tomorrow, November 16th. Please join us in supporting Lotus House, the largest shelter for women and children in the country.

Donation drop off will be at WTDC Operations and Suite 217.

Can’t make it to WTDC? Contact WTDC Transportation Manager Castell Chavez for more ways to donate.

 

Pajama Drive for His House

Join WTDC in donating new pajamas for the children of His House Children’s Home in our 8th Annual Pajama Drive. Donations can be dropped off or addressed to WTDC. Thank you for your years of support!

Can’t make it to WTDC? Contact WTDC Logistics Manager Ginger Diez for more ways to donate.

 

Health and Wellness

On Saturday, November 12th, the WTDC team joined Chairman Ralph Gazitua at Peak360 for a CrossFit class. As part of our Health and Wellness initiative, we encourage our staff to prioritize health for an overall improved life. Thank you Guido for the class!

For additional photos, click here

New CDC airline rules for U.S. arrival

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WTDC Newsletter – January 12, 2021

CDC to require negative COVID-19 test for airline passengers arriving to U.S.Virgin Voyages breaks ground on new PortMiami terminal

  • Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas returns to PortMiami
  • About the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)
  • President’s Corner – Health and Wellness in 2021, Healthcare Logistics

President’s Corner  
We’re kicking off this new year with a renewed focus on health and wellness, a commitment to our long-time Duty Free and Travel Retail clients who await the return of tourism, and our growth with new clients and partners in renewable energy, health care logistics, and Chile transportation sectors.

We spend a good deal of time in the workplace so we decided to upgrade our Health and Wellness room here at WTDC to take full advantage of our breaks. WTDC employees and our tenants can now access a weight set, rowing machine, 75″ smart TV for workouts and Zoom meetings, a meditation room, and exercise equipment for yoga and cross training. Everyday we host stretching and yoga during the lunch hour, and once a week a masseur visits WTDC for the employees and tenants.

We’ve hosted Zumba, Tai Chi, and other fitness courses and look forward to more of the same in 2021. Fitness is just one aspect of a healthy lifestyle so we provide health insurance and free healthy lunches for our employees. WTDC is a Florida Drug-Free Workplace with quarterly drug testing, ensuring that our staff are fostering a safe work environment.

It’s been a pleasure to see our Health and Wellness program at WTDC develop over the years and I encourage our readers to implement one at their company. The daily fitness classes are a great team building exercise.

In the video above, I’m sharing a peek into our logistics for the health care industry. We’ve been diving more into video and multimedia over the last 6 months and look forward to sharing more content with you over the next year. Be sure to like and subscribe on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Cheers to your health! -Sean Gazitua, President & CEO   Send an email to WTDC President & CEO Sean Gazitua    


CDC to require negative COVID-19 test for airline passengers arriving to U.S.  
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued an Order on January 12, 2021 requiring proof of a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 for all air passengers arriving from a foreign country to the US. The verifiable test result must be provided to the airline prior to boarding and must show the test was done within 3 days of the flight.  
CDC: Requirement for Proof of Negative COVID-19 Test or Recovery from COVID-19 for All Air Passengers Arriving in the United States Miami International Airport Twitter video: Travel Alert    
  Photos: Virgin Voyages  

Virgin Voyages breaks ground on new PortMiami terminal  
On January 12, Miami-Dade County officials and Virgin Voyages broke ground on Terminal V, the new terminal for Virgin’s cruise ships. The terminal features an iconic palm tree grove design by Miami architecture firm Arquitectonica overlooking downtown Miami. The 200,000 square feet terminal is targeting LEED Gold Certification and will be a home for Virgin’s fleet featuring the Scarlet Lady and the Valiant Lady. In the ground breaking ceremony, Virgin Voyages President and CEO Tom Alpin stated that both ships would be carbon-neutral and that ‘This iconic view will set the stage for the incredible voyage we’ll take our sailors on, and what a fantastic way to start that journey!’  
Miami Herald video: Virgin Voyages celebrates groundbreaking at PortMiami
Seatrade Cruise News: PortMiami breaks ground for Virgin Voyages’ Terminal V  
Arquitectonica: Virgin Voyages Cruise Terminal at PortMiami      

African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)  
On January 1, the long awaited African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) went into effect. The FTA covers the entire African continent with 54 of 55 countries signing the agreement that eliminates 90% of cross-border tariffs on goods. Now realized after years of discussion and most recently COVID-19 delays, proponents have touted the agreement as a way to increase trade among African countries, bolster economies, and eventually lift millions from poverty.   African Union: AfCFTA Washington Post: As World Wavers on Free Trade, Africa Embraces It   Quartz: The world’s largest free trade area starts up on Jan. 1, 2021    

Photos: Cruise Hive  
Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas returns to PortMiami  
On January 9, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class Allure of the Seas returned to PortMiami for the first time since March 2020. The visit to PortMiami was brief, however, with the ship departing later that day to join the rest of the Royal Caribbean fleet off the lines private island CocoCay in the Bahamas. The Allure of the Seas is currently scheduled for its return to cruising on March 7, 2021, from PortMiami.  
Cruise Hive: Oasis-Class Cruise Ship Arrives Back in Florida    

CDC extends Cruise Ship No Sail through October 31

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WTDC Newsletter – October 1, 2020
– President’s Corner – #CroquetaDay and #LiveLikeBella
-CDC extends Cruise Ship No Sail Order through October 31st
-WTDC President and CEO Sean Gazitua featured in Foreign Trade Zone article
-WTDC Health and Wellness program


President’s Corner  
Today I’m enjoying Croqueta Day with a ham croqueta – and dash of lime – from my favorite Cuban restaurant Sergio’s. My cousin Carlos Gazitua is CEO of Sergio’s Restaurants and it brings me pride to see people across the country celebrating with croquetas today. If you don’t have a Sergio’s ventanita near you, you can now order online nationwide!

A couple weeks ago I had lunch at Sergio’s with Live Like Bella Chairman of the Board Raymond Rodriguez. Mr. Rodriguez shared that each day 43 families receive the devastating news that their child has cancer. Live Like Bella is now using the number 43 in their childhood cancer awareness campaigns. My cousin Carlos passed by our table to say hello and a few minutes later an amazing cross-promotion was hatched to sell 43 limited edition Sergio’s wagyu burgers topped with croquetas for $43 dollars on October 1st. Reservations for the promotion quickly sold out and $2020 in proceeds went to Live Like Bella! Last weekend WTDC participated as a silver sponsor in Live Like Bella’s Get Active for Kids with Cancer event. Our WTDC team ‘got active’ at the workplace and we had a little fun making a video for the Live Like Bella event, see the last article in today’s newsletter for more.  

   
CDC extends Cruise Ship No Sail Order through October 31  
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced yesterday that the No Sail Order expiring on September 30th would be extended through October 31st. From the CDC Media Statement: “The continued spread of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, risk of resurgence in countries that have suppressed transmission, ongoing concerns related to restarting of cruising internationally, and need for additional time to assess industry measures to control potential SARS-CoV-2 transmission on board cruise ships with passengers without burdening public health, support continuation of the No Sail Order at this time.”  
CDC: Cruise Ship No Sail Order Extended Through October 31, 2020  

Sean Gazitua featured in article on Foreign Trade Zones
 
Supply Chain Dive reached out to WTDC President & CEO Sean Gazitua for his comments on renewed interest in Foreign Trade Zones throughout the U.S.:

Interest in these locations has grown as a result of the trade war, which increased tariffs by as much as 25% on some items imported from China. Shippers have also become more interested in FTZs during the pandemic as a way to cut costs, said Sean P. Gazitúa, the president and CEO of Miami-based WTDC, a logistics company, FTZ operator and consultant.
“It’s been a busy year,” Gazitúa said. “A lot of people have been trying to cut costs or hold on to their cash as long as possible.”

Click the article below for additional comments from Mr. Gazitua on how WTDC is assisting companies as a FTZ Consultant to create their own Foreign Trade Zones and how companies are using FTZs to defer duties as a cash savings strategy during these uncertain times.
 
Supply Chain Dive: FedEx opens Foreign Trade Zone in El Paso, Texas, as trade war and pandemic increase shipper interest
 
 WTDC Health & Wellness
 
In the first article of today’s newsletter, we mentioned a video taken at WTDC for the Live Like Bella Get Active for Kids event, linked in the photo above. WTDC recently upgraded the workout equipment available to its employees and tenants in the WTDC fitness center.
Since its creation we’ve been able to offer daily yoga and stretching sessions, healthy lunch options to our staff, health insurance options for all full time employees, massages from a licensed masseuse, flu shots, annual participation in the Live Like Bella 5k, a quiet room for meditation, COVID-19 testing and deep cleanings of the facility to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Programming has included Zumba, Tai Chi, Ballet, and cross training.
WTDC’s Health and Wellness program was born out of an idea to make our workplace a welcoming and healthy environment for our tenants and employees. We continue to learn from the best practices of like-minded companies and our findings mirror those discussed by our payroll and HR service company ADP in the article below: a healthier workforce is a more productive and engaged one.
 
ADP: Employee Health and Wellness: What the Healthiest Employers Do Differently