History
The milestones of the port
Legacy and transformation
Cartagena de Indias was born and grew as a port city. Since the beginning of colonial times, almost 500 years ago, the bay of Cartagena has been a strategic point for international trade. Over the past two decades, a series of profound changes have transformed the port into a state-of-the-art logistics platform.
- Three decades of progress
- Título 2 que cambia
- Título 3 que cambia
Con un promedio de 223,57 movimientos de contenedores por hora, el Grupo Puerto de Cartagena en su terminal de Contecar, batió récord de productividad en la historia de la organización con la operación al buque Tempanos de la línea naviera Hapag Lloyd.
Las terminales de Sociedad Portuaria de Cartagena y Contecar cerraron el 2017 con 122 arribos de estos mega buques, cuya frecuencia se incrementó con el paso de los meses, al ritmo en que las líneas navieras renuevan sus flotas para los servicios que circulan por la región. Mientras en 2016 el promedio de frecuencia mensual fue de 5 barcos, en 2017 se duplicó.
La tercera edición del Índice de Desempeño de los Puertos de Contenedores (CPPI), ubicó al Grupo Puerto de Cartagena como el primero mejor posicionado en América y el quinto en todo el mundo en su ranking entre los 348 puertos de contenedores evaluados.
El primer bautizo de un barco portacontenedores de nueva generación en el país, el Montevideo Express. Este hecho simboliza el reconocimiento al valor estratégico del Grupo Puerto de Cartagena para la línea naviera Hapag Lloyd.
Only ten days after the inauguration of the expanded Panama Canal, the Mediterranean Shipping Company’s Neopanamax MSC Brunella arrived at the Port of Cartagena Group and sailed from our docks to cross the new third set of locks in the neighboring country.
For the fourth consecutive year, the Port of Cartagena Foundation held a concert as part of the International Music Festival, with 2,500 attendees. With the support of the Port of Cartagena Foundation, the Cartagena Youth Symphony Orchestra was created, made up of young people from Cartagena. It debuted with "Macondo," a cumbia piece composed for the occasion.
The continent's leading container, shipping, and port event brings the main leaders of the global supply chain together in Cartagena. The Port of Cartagena Group is the most competitive and productive port in the Americas.
The continent’s most important sailing ships were docked at the SPRC terminal during the 'Sail Cartagena de Indias.' In addition to 3,000 seafarers, the terminal received around 200,000 visitors, closing with an extraordinary concert by Carlos Vives with around 10,000 attendees.
During the 'Think Big, Think Smart' Forum, the creation of "intelligent territories" was proposed as a collective alternative to promote national development and achieve progress in Colombians’ quality of life. This is a space for reflection and dialogue among leaders from diverse contexts..
During the International Music Festival held in January, about 1,200 people attend the concert offered by the Port of Cartagena Foundation at the Cartagena Regional Port Society’s dock with the Gloria Barque, the bay, and the city lights in the background.
The FCCA’s 20th annual meeting is being held for the first time in Cartagena. Nearly 1,000 executives from the global cruise industry visit Cartagena and its port, where they learn about the cultural and gastronomic attractions that the city offers as a tourist destination.
Logistics and port training center, the only one of its kind in Latin America, with a state-of-the-art crane simulator that was designed and developed in Sweden.
En dos décadas, el Grupo Puerto de Cartagena multiplicó 21 veces el volumen de carga, aumentó su capacidad de almacenamiento, incrementó su productividad operativa, impulsó la sistematización y la agilidad de los trámites y estableció un férreo esquema de seguridad.
Por su infraestructura, seguridad, ubicación estratégica, y por el papel central que juega dentro del comercio exterior del país, la Asociación Nacional de Empresarios de Colombia, ANDI, escogió al Grupo Puerto de Cartagena para lanzar el Tratado de Libre Comercio entre Colombia y Estados Unidos.
Acknowledgements
Over the last two decades, the Port of Cartagena Group has been recognized for its progress and efficiency in various areas. These are some of the distinctions.
Port services
- Best Container Terminal in the Caribbean in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019. Award granted to the Cartagena Regional Port Society (SPRC) by the Caribbean Shipping Association.
- Most Trusted Port in the Caribbean in 2013 according to the Caribbean Shipping Association.
Infrastructure development and environmental management
- Project to Revamp the Cartagena Regional Port Society’s Dock," Colombian Engineering Society 2017. A project done by the Port of Cartagena Group and the company CH Pereira y CIA S.A.S., designed by the firm Moffat & Nichol and supervised by the firm Gómez & Cajiao.
- Germán Ignacio Gómez Pinilla National Environmental Award for the project "Expansion of the Channel to Access the Bay of Cartagena," Colombian Society of Engineers. Awarded in June 2016.
- First Maritime Award in the Americas, in the Sustainable Tourism Destination Port category. Received by the Cruise Terminal from the Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP), the Organization of American States (OAS), and the North American Marine Environmental Protection Association (NAMEPA) in 2014.
- Good port of embarkation infrastructure development. Recognition of the Cruise Terminal by Royal Caribbean and Cruise Insight magazine at Cruise Shipping Miami 2013.
- Calvin Hust Award from the American Association of Ports and Harbors (AAPA) in the environmental improvement category. Awarded to SPRC in 2000.
- Contecar, finalist in the Inter-American Development Bank's 360° Infrastructure Awards.
Commercial Processes
- National Export Award granted by ANALDEX to SPRC in the export cooperation category in 2000 and 2002.
- Gold Mercury Award to SPRC for operating one of the best specialized ports in the world. Recognition granted by Fenalco in 2008.
Labor management
- Colombian Safety Council Award: Three Emerald Cross Merit Medals for Contecar, and three for the Cartagena Regional Port Society for its Occupational Health and Safety management.
- Suratep Excellence Award, in the category for Best Occupational Health Management, for SPRC and Contecar.
- Contecar and SPRC were included among the best companies to work for in Colombia and Latin America. The Great Place to Work® Institute listed Contecar in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. The Cartagena Regional Port Society was on the list of the best companies in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Acknowledgements from our customers
- Contecar's exclusive vehicle terminal, or Ro-Ro Cargo Terminal, received recognition from the shipping line MOL, stating that zero damages were reported in all different Ro-Ro cargo operations in 2017.
- Bavaria's operational services area in the Innovation and Development category granted recognition to the Cartagena Regional Port Society at the 8th and 10th Suppliers Convention in 2012 and 2014, respectively, for the implementation of improvements to optimize terminal operations.
