PALMETTO – Port Manatee announced late Thursday afternoon that it would end its employee furloughs next month. In January, the port began an "indefinite" policy of requiring all employees to take one day a month off without pay to help offset the loss of revenue occurring from the Mosaic company shifting its fertilizer shipments to a company owned terminal at Big Bend south of Tampa.

The furloughs will officially end August 22. The port says that employees can expect to receive full paychecks beginning with the August 23 pay period.

“We have been looking forward to an upturn in revenue that would allow us to end the furlough on the earliest possible date,” said executive director Carlos Buqueras. “This results from the increase in business activity and ship calls during the first half of the year. In fact, the port had the strongest July, usually the slowest month, in recent years.”

Port Manatee is a multipurpose deepwater seaport near the entrance to Tampa Bay that serves bulk, breakbulk, container, heavylift, project and general cargo customers. The port generates more than $2.3 billion in annual economic impact for the local community, while supporting more than 24,000 jobs regionally.

Mosaic's Train Keeps Rolling While Port Manatee Continues to Bleed Out