Still hidden, an international group presented a billionaire proposal to take over the shipyard at the Port of Suape in Pernambuco

The auction of areas at the Atlântico Sul Shipyard, in the Port of Suape, in the municipality of Cabo de Santo Agostinho (PE), was scheduled to take place last Tuesday (21), but the sale operation was postponed to July. It so happened that Tecon Suape, which already operates a terminal in Suape, and the local Cone Suape asked for changes in the rules and postponement. Now enter the game one secret international consortium of investors who presented a proposal to purchase the total space for US$ 215.000.000,00 (two hundred and fifteen million dollars), and promising thousands of jobs.

Earlier this month, company executives North Tabor Capital, headquartered in Philadelphia (USA) claiming to be representatives of a consortium of hidden companies in the sugar industry and with investors from UBS Group AG, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Santander Bank and Bank of America were personally at the Cabo de Santo Court Agostinho and formalize the proposal for the purchase of the Atlântico Sul Shipyard, in the Port of Suape.

What is known is that one of these investors is also a ship owner and operator around the world. Thus, if the auction is won by the hitherto secret group of investors, the expectation is that the Atlântico Sul Shipyard will stop carrying out just repairs and start building vessels again, with international business in the oil sector, making the Port of Suape once again become a powerhouse in job creation.

In the document sent to Judge Ildete Veríssimo de Lima, from the 1st Civil Court of the Judicial District of the city of Ipojuca, the founder, partner and manager of Capital Tabor Norte, Cole Benoit Mattox, writes that the group intends to conclude the acquisition, through the auction , of the space with an area of ​​150 hectares in a timely manner. Still in the proposal, it is stated that customers and partners will remain hidden until approval of the purchase proposal.

Suape is unaware of the billionaire proposal of a secret group

In an interview with an important political and economic blog in Pernambuco, the CEO of the Port of Suape, Roberto Gusmão, does not look favorably on the fact that Estaleiro Atlântico Sul remains in the ship production business.

“It's like selling popsicles at the North Pole”, evaluated Gusmão. "Let's wait. We have to have competition to be competitive in prices and shipping routes in Suape. Otherwise, I love you out of the game, from the new world logistics matrix that will be made post war Ukraine and COVID. And the container sector is fundamental in this. It exports and imports products with higher added value. Out of the country and in between ports, even more so with the new cabotage law”, he added.

Auction moves other million-dollar proposals for Atlântico Sul Shipyard

In the business backstage of Pernambuco, some were already betting that the auction for the internal pier of the Atlântico Sul Shipyard would be won by the global maritime logistics giant Maersk, operator of container terminals. Through subsidiary APM Treminals, from the Netherlands, the multinational offered BRL 895 million for the South Wharf, in the internal area of ​​the Port of Suape (minimum bid).

Until then, Maersk would be the only one threatened Tecon's monopoly, a Filipino company that already operates a public terminal in the organized port, linked to the control of Union rules, and that was also in the dispute for the area put up for auction at the Atlântico Sul Shipyard.

It turns out that if the Filipinos win this auction, they will have to give up the public terminal in order to have a private terminal. Thus, the Port of Suape would have to hold a new tender.

Suape could once again be a potential job generator

Currently, Atlântico Sul Shipyard has around 500 employees. Between 2007 and 2014, it generated more than 11 jobs. At that time, Pernambuco was pointed out as a State in a situation of almost full employment.

In 2021, the company carried out services on 11 vessels, which generated revenues of BRL 65,4 million, making possible a net cash generation of BRL 26,6 million. Via Web Stories