Nassau Container Port (NCP) took first place in a Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) study of the efficiency of 12 gateway ports in the Caribbean, beating out such territories as Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Suriname, which placed second and third, respectively. As a further honor, an aerial photo of the port appears on the front cover of the bank's report "Transforming the Caribbean port services industry: Towards the efficiency frontier".

Based on NCP's dominance in the arena of gateway ports in the borrowing member countries of the bank (BMC), the report commented that NCP's leadership should come as no surprise, given the private sector leadership. Called "a prime example of well-developed modern island port", the 56-acre facility received high commendation in several other areas. It was noted that, owing to efficient yard management, operations and terminal area, the NCP currently faces no capacity restraints. The port was also praised for using dedicated trainers for crane operators, who are trained on-site with their own equipment, producing an advantage.

In the "Development vision for the ports" section, the bank made a recommendation for a higher degree of private sector involvement in port facilities management that proved yet another accolade for NCP and the Suriname port. The study highlights the value of public-private partnerships (PPP) in the transformation of key infrastructure. The PPP between Arawak Port Development (APD) and the government of The Bahamas serves as the foundation upon which the "soft" business elements, such as human resources, and "hard superstructure", such as equipment and buildings, can be leveraged.

The report noted: "The port of Nassau represents a mature island port. The port is functioning highly efficiently. This could warrant the shift of additional responsibilities to the private sector". Using the ports of Paramaribo and Nassau as prime examples, the bank's report makes a direct equation between private sector participation, leading to greater investment in port, yielding, in turn, a higher degree of efficiency."

The objective of the CDB study was the identification of initiatives that can augment efficiencies and capabilities of gateway ports in the BMC. To this end, the researchers examined Nassau Container Port and the 11 other ports in seven areas as indicators of efficiency.

The seven areas included: Berth productivity (level of productivity with respect to unloading cargo); labor productivity (measured by TEU per employee); the state of port infrastructure; nautical access; level of autonomy of the port operator; the quality and type of stevedoring equipment and the level of information technology (IT) development.

The participating ports were then ranked in terms of efficiency.

Nassau Container Port topped the field of 12 in berth productivity and labor per TEU. NCP tied with Suriname in infrastructure; it also tied with Belize, Guyana and Suriname in autonomy. Finally, NCP tied with Trinidad and St. Lucia in IT. The study assigned the heaviest weighting to productivity and labor (20 percent and 15 percent, respectively), where The Bahamas topped the next-ranked competitor by 11 points.

Mike Maura, president and chief executive of BISX-listed Arawak Port Development Company (APD), NCP's owner/operator, said:

"First of all, I wish to congratulate the Caribbean Development Bank on undertaking such an essential port efficiency study. Ports serve as the gateway for trade and directly influence the economics and efficiency of supply chains. Consequently, port operators must continually strive for the highest standards in all aspects of our operations. These kinds of comparative studies by an internationally respected institution like the CDB represent an important metric in the pursuit of excellence. I'm proud that our port has emerged as leader in the CDB survey.

"This level of accomplishment is a result of the great work and commitment of the Bahamian men and women of the Nassau Container Port community. In addition to APD's excellent team members, we have necessary and excellent support from our terminal operators, Bahamas Customs, stevedoring partners and truckers. Each day they all influence the performance of the port. It's because of their shared commitment to excellence that the Nassau Container Port has been identified as the best port in the CDB study."

NCP has received much acknowledgment since its establishment in 2009. In 2014 the Florida Shipowners Group, which handles about 80 percent of commercial maritime traffic in the Caribbean, ranked the Arawak Cay facility the most productive of 24 ports in the region, a leadership position that NCP has not relinquished to date.

Maura noted that, in addition to a high-functioning port community, a dedication to acquiring the best equipment is a significant element in the port's growing recognition as a first-class facility. The Caribbean Shipping Association's 2015 productivity report noted that Nassau Container Port reaches an average 24.62 berth moves per hour, a pace topping other ports in the region. The association attributed this to the efficient operation of NCP's giant Liebherr Mobile Harbour Cranes, which are dependent on the terminal operators and stevedores, APD's shipside team, Bahamas Customs and a well-maintained vessel in order to achieve this significant metric.

Emphasizing the importance of the quality integration of personnel and equipment, Maura said: "Berth productivity is the product of a well-choreographed operations chain."

Identifying another input to NCP's outstanding productivity, Maura added: "From early on, our port community embraced change, worked as a team and leveraged APD's investment in technology, port infrastructure and equipment."

In 2012 the Nassau Container Port installed the Navis TOS, which leads in the marine industry as a means of maximizing terminal performance with reduced risk. The XPS yard management module was added in 2015, which enhanced the Navis TOS. The XPS module provided valuable enhancements to operational efficiency, safety and accountability.

According to the NCP's top administrator, representatives of port authorities from other regional jurisdictions have come to observe the port's operations.

"APD's directors and executive team thank the NCP community and look forward to continued success. Noted especially are Abaco Shipping, Arawak Bulk Terminals, Arawak Stevedoring Limited, Bahamas Customs, Betty K., Department of Agriculture, Department of Environmental Health, MailBoat Company, MSC, Nassau Harbour Pilots, Port Department, R.H. Curry, RoRo Company, Tropical Shipping, United Shipping, Inchcape Ship Services, McKinney Stevedoring, Eastside Stevedoring, Dockside Services, the New Providence Trucking community and APD Limited," Maura said.

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