Paul Anderson, President & Chief Executive Officer, Port Tampa Bay

July 2026 — Invest: spoke with Paul Anderson, president and chief executive officer of Port Tampa Bay, about resilience, diversification, and the port’s role in keeping Florida’s economy moving. “Ports are more than places where ships come and go. They are economic engines,” Anderson said.

What changes over the past year most impacted Port Tampa Bay, and in what ways?

Two major hurricanes hit Florida’s west coast back-to-back in 2024, and that sequence put real pressure on systems that usually get tested one storm at a time. Port Tampa Bay plays a critical role in the state because we supply fuel and energy and move essential cargo. In many ways, we serve as the energy gateway for a large share of Florida’s residents and visitors, so it was an important moment to show that the port can operate, recover, and keep serving the region when conditions are at their worst. 

Coming through those storms reinforced how important Port Tampa Bay is to Florida’s overall growth. We are the state’s largest port by tonnage, acreage, and cargo throughput. A significant portion of that tonnage consists of fuel and bulk cargo that support construction, infrastructure, and development. Many of the materials that help Florida grow, from building inputs to road materials, move through this port. Additionally, 43% of the state’s fuel flows through Port Tampa Bay.

Even with those disruptions, we set records in multiple areas. Our operating revenue came close to $100 million for the first time, representing roughly 15% growth year over year. We handled nearly 263,000 containers and welcomed 1.66 million cruise passengers, both record figures. We also moved about 66 million barrels of petroleum products to keep Florida supplied with energy. For us, those numbers are not abstract. They represent real commerce, real jobs, and real benefits to families, businesses, and communities across the region.

Which recent capital projects, expansions, or partnerships are most critical to enhancing resilience and long-term growth for the port?

Resilience starts with the fundamentals. In the port industry, you must maintain existing infrastructure while also investing in growth. That means continued focus on bulkheads, berth improvements, terminal upgrades, and projects that increase flexibility and long-term capacity. These investments directly support resilience because a stronger, well-maintained port is better able to withstand shocks, whether from storms, supply chain disruptions, or changes in global trade patterns.

We also have a longer-term roadmap that guides decision-making. Our Vision 2030 framework helps us prioritize projects that expand capacity while protecting the core. One of the most significant examples is our Port Redwing East development, which is an omni-terminal designed to handle multiple types of cargo. It represents about $100 million in investment and expands the kind of flexibility that helps a port stay competitive in a changing market.

Diversification is another critical piece. It is one of our biggest strengths, and it is also recognized by financial rating agencies. We maintain an A-plus rating, and a major reason is that we are not dependent on one cargo stream. When a port is diversified, it is more resilient to downturns, commodity shifts, and disruptions. That could be geopolitical instability, shortages in key waterways like the Panama Canal during drought conditions, congestion at other ports that diverts cargo, or disruptions in trade lanes. Diversification helps protect the port from downside impacts and allows us to keep building through change.

On hurricane preparedness specifically, we run an annual hurricane exercise that has become one of the largest in the state. This year will be our 14th year doing it. The exercise brings together customers, partners, government entities, emergency management, and the Coast Guard, and it focuses on how we prepare, sustain operations through a storm, and recover quickly. Hurricane planning is not only an operations responsibility.

Every part of the organization participates, from facilities to finance to human resources, because resilience is ultimately an organization-wide commitment. The last thing you want is to be impacted by a hurricane, but if you are, you have to learn from it. We could not have planned for two back-to-back hurricanes, so we are taking those lessons and strengthening our approach.

What differentiates Port Tampa Bay in an increasingly competitive port landscape?

Our competitive advantage comes down to diversity and flexibility. We are one of the most diversified ports in the nation, and certainly among ports in Florida and across the Gulf. That means we are not operating in a single lane. We handle fuel and bulk cargo, containers, breakbulk, cruise, automobiles, and other areas, creating a strong mix of business lines.

That diversity benefits customers and strengthens the port’s stability. It also creates momentum when multiple segments grow simultaneously. We have seen this play out, particularly with container growth. Several years ago, our container volumes were much smaller. Today, we handle more than 260,000 containers annually, and we continue to invest in the infrastructure needed to support that growth. We just received two new cranes and that brings us to a total of six that will be fully operational in the coming months. It was not long ago that we brought in our first two.

We are also expanding into new areas, such as automobiles, and we have global customers that reflect the region’s connection to major supply chains.

We are investing in our cruise business, including the construction of a new cruise terminal. It is expected to support more than 200 additional ship calls, 1 million more passengers, and $100 million in additional economic impact across West Central Florida.

When you combine growth across cruise, containers, bulk cargo, and other areas, it strengthens the port’s top line and reinforces the resilience that comes from not relying on a single business segment.

How does Port Tampa Bay attract, retain, and upskill talent across maritime, logistics, and port operations?

People are the most important asset any organization can have. My leadership philosophy centers on talent: how you attract it, train it, develop it into leadership roles, and retain it in a competitive market. Port talent is in demand, and the people who understand maritime operations, logistics, engineering, safety, and security can move across ports or into private sector roles. That means retaining strong team members requires real investment in development and a culture that supports growth.

We support education and training and build career pipelines. We work with schools, workforce boards, and education partners, including local community colleges with programs such as welding and skilled trades. We also believe strongly in mentorship. I am the product of great mentors early in my career, and that mindset matters, especially in an industry where institutional knowledge and leadership experience are critical.

We are also building interest in the next generation. We recently launched a maritime expo that drew strong participation from high school students. The goal is to expose young people to career opportunities in the maritime sector and in related skilled trades, including shipbuilding, welding, and pipefitting. These are well-paying jobs, and nationally, there is renewed attention on rebuilding and strengthening the skilled workforce. For us, it is not only about filling today’s jobs. It is about ensuring the region has the long-term talent base needed to support future growth.

Which trends are having the greatest impact on port operations today?

Supply chain resiliency is no longer a temporary focus. It is permanent. Ports have to be prepared for volatility and disruptions that can come from multiple directions. Diversification again plays a key role because it helps absorb swings that might hit one commodity or one trade lane harder than another.

Technology is also shaping operations. We look at technology through the lens of efficiency, safety, planning, and customer needs. The goal is not to adopt technology for its own sake, but to deploy tools that improve how we operate and how we serve customers.

Another important factor is industry leadership and collaboration. We participate actively in national port and maritime organizations, and several members of our leadership team chair national committees at the American Association of Port Authorities across areas such as cruise, engineering, information technology, and security. That involvement helps ensure we learn from peers, share best practices, and stay focused on emerging challenges and opportunities in the industry.

As you look ahead, what are your key goals and priorities for Port Tampa Bay over the next two to three years?

A major long-term priority is channel deepening. Deepening a channel requires federal authorization, and it is a milestone-level project for any port. At Port Tampa Bay, the channel is long, more than 40 miles, and deepening it is a multi-year effort that will guide our focus for the next half-decade to a decade. The payoff is significant because deeper channels support larger vessels, more cargo, and stronger long-term competitiveness.

That work ties directly to the growth of Florida and the Tampa Bay region. While Florida’s population growth has tempered compared to the peak period during and immediately after the pandemic, we are still seeing significant growth in the region. We must be prepared to meet that demand with investments in infrastructure, capacity, and resiliency.

We are also watching trade lane shifts and nearshoring trends. As a Gulf port, we are positioned differently than east or west coast ports, and that creates opportunities as supply chains evolve. Through it all, flexibility and diversification remain competitive advantages. Our priorities are to invest in infrastructure, strengthen efficiency, grow workforce partnerships, and ensure that growth benefits the region and stakeholders.

Ports are more than places where ships come and go. They are economic engines that drive opportunities well beyond the coastline, and when Port Tampa Bay grows, the region and state benefit.