Crunching Numbers: Port Manatee

Age: 36 years

Rank in size among Florida's 14 deepwater ports: 5

Number of berths: 8

Number of companies in residence: 30

Rank of Del Monte, Port Manatee Forestry Terminal, Inc., Eastern Portland Cement Co. and IMC Phosphates among those companies: 1, 2, 3, 4

Number of port employees: 1,200

Number of ships that offload every year: 1,200

Number of cruise lines: 0

Length of largest ship: 850 feet

Revenue in 2002: $15.2 million; in 1997: $7.4 million

Total annual import and export tonnage: 6.7 million

Rank of petroleum, cement, lumber, fruits and vegetables, stone among imports: 1,2, 3, 4, 5

Rank of phosphate fertilizer, linerboard (shipped to Guatemala and Costa Rica to make cardboard boxes for shipping fruit) and used vehicles among exports: 1,2,3

Pounds of bananas shipped every day: 1 million

Number of days it takes Costa Rican bananas to travel from harvest to the port: 4

Number of months at sea and home for ship's crew: 4 months out at sea, 2 months home

Number of drug seizures in 2001, 2002 and 2003 (through Sept. 2003): 1, 11, 16

Number of stowaways in 2001, 2002 and 2003 (through Sept. 2003): 26, 3, 0

Additional security costs since 9/11: $500,000 

Intern Erin Regan contributed to this report.