Businesses shipping with Atlantic Caribbean Line (ACL) have been locked out from their merchandise for nearly a week following the company's abrupt closure.
According to multiple sources, cargo shipped by ACL through the Nassau Container Port (NCP) made it through customs. It was subsequently transferred to the sister facility, the Gladstone Freight Terminal (GFT). However, while business have paid all of the necessary fees, their cargo has remained locked in a
warehouse, and seemingly nobody has the ability to release it.
"I've heard about the complaints, but I have no comment," said Garth Rolle, former Nassau Port director at ACL. Earlier yesterday morning, Rolle confirmed to Guardian Business that ACL is still being run by a skeleton crew, although he is no longer working for the company.
Terry Johnson, the owner of Affordable Aluminum, said he has more than $21,000 worth of product sitting in the warehouse.
The aluminum came in on Friday, he said, and managed to clear customs. But when his driver went to GFT to pick up the product, as he normally does, "the doors were locked".
"He told me some representative is investigating, but so far nothing. My clients are upset, because it has nearly been a week now," he told Guardian Business. "It is putting me on edge."
Johnson insists that he is a paying customer, and the fact ACL went out of business is not an excuse.
"I've done everything I need to do. What am I supposed to do?" he asked.
Taneka Hanna, customer representative at the company, noted that nobody at the GFT or ACL seems to know the state of the cargo.
When she last drove down to GFT yesterday, she said there were several other business representatives with similar problems, as ACL had many shipments coming in on the days leading up to its closure. She speculated there are inefficiencies or discrepancies between the port and ACL.
Michael Maura, the CEO of APD Limited, did not return requests for comment before press time.
"This is no fault of ours," Hanna said. "We have our customers waiting on their product. These are people we deal with every day. They don't know where their product is, and we're not getting any answers."
Hanna added that Affordable Aluminum had already notified its suppliers that it will be shifting from ACL to Tropical Shipping.
On Tuesday, Guardian Business first revealed that ACL had shut its doors, putting at least 12 Bahamians out of work. The company had approximately 15 percent of the local market share.
ACL closed its offices in Nassau, Freeport, and Fort Pierce, Florida.
"It's a disappointment," said Rolle, its former manager. "The position is the owners decided to pull out of the market. The last call was on Friday, so this is with immediate effect. We were given very little information."
Maura, the CEO of APD Limited, said the closure will not have a lasting impact on shipping into The Bahamas.

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