Port Wilmington, Chiquita sign agreement extending supply chain services

Enstructure, a leading U.S. terminal and logistics company, announced a new long-term agreement with Chiquita Brands (Chiquita) to continue and further expand its partnership at Port Wilmington, Delaware as its mid-Atlantic distribution hub. 

This long-term agreement builds upon an existing partnership established in 1988 when Chiquita first consolidated its mid-Atlantic supply chain operations at Port Wilmington.

Since then, Port Wilmington has become Chiquita's largest port operation in North America, handling a fully containerized service between Central America and Wilmington, which regularly discharges bananas, pineapples, and other tropical fruits and vegetables, supplying more than 200 million U.S. and Canadian consumers. Chiquita currently makes a weekly vessel call to Port Wilmington.

Port Wilmington is a leading gateway for imported perishable cargo and operates one of North America's largest on-dock cold storage complexes. The Port is operated by Enstructure under a long-term concession agreement as part of a public-private partnership at Port Wilmington with the owner, Diamond State Port Corporation (DSPC), a State of Delaware entity.

“This agreement marks a significant milestone for Enstructure, the State of Delaware, and DSPC. We are reinforcing our commitment to the perishable fruit industry, investing in the port’s customers and infrastructure, and increasing job opportunities for our workforce, all while enhancing the quality of service we provide to long-standing partners like Chiquita,” said Enstructure Co-CEOs Matthew Satnick and Philippe De Montigny. “We are grateful to the State of Delaware and the ILA for their support and look forward to ensuring the continued success of Chiquita’s mid-Atlantic supply chain operations and Delaware’s maritime industry.”

"We win the future when Chiquita, among the world's leading global fruit producers, again chooses the Port of Wilmington," said Governor Matt Meyer. "This agreement will fuel job growth and prosperity for Delawareans for years to come."

“We are thrilled to continue our longstanding partnership with Chiquita Brands at the Port of Wilmington,” said Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez, Chair, Diamond State Port Corporation. “This renewed commitment underscores Delaware’s strategic role in fostering sustainable supply chains. Chiquita’s investment strengthens the Port’s position as North

America’s leading banana gateway while supporting hundreds of good-paying, local jobs, which contribute to our regional economy.”

“By strengthening our longtime partnership with Chiquita, Enstructure has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to the growth and sustainability of operations at the Port of Wilmington —

which plays a pivotal role in the mid-Atlantic's commerce industry,” said Senator Darius Brown, member of the Diamond State Port Corporation and chair of the Port of Wilmington Expansion Task Force. “The Port has long been considered one of the biggest drivers of economic development and sources of good-paying jobs for families living not just in the Second Senatorial District — but across the State of Delaware."

“Delaware may be a small state, but we have earned our place on the map,” said District 16 Representative Frank Cooke. “The entire country relies on the Port of Wilmington for the goods that come through it, and our communities rely on it for the jobs that it provides.

Enstructure’s new long-term agreement with Chiquita to continue and expand its 37-year-long partnership with the Port is something to be celebrated, and I cannot wait to see how this positively impacts the 16th District and Delaware as a whole.”