Tampa Bay Car Terminal: GLOVIS Expands Capacity to 10,000 Vehicles

Port Tampa Bay announced on Monday, Nov. 9, a long-term agreement with GLOVIS America to expand its vehicle shipping terminal. The deal secures 32 acres of new land, increasing GLOVIS's total operating footprint from 48.5 acres to more than 80 acres. This expansion represents an approximate 66% increase in the company's local presence and creates space for a planned capacity of 10,000 vehicles.

The primary goal of the expansion is to add roughly 3,000 new vehicle storage spaces. Currently, many cars arriving by ship are moved to off-site facilities for storage. With the new acreage, GLOVIS intends to keep more vehicles at the terminal. This change is expected to reduce the number of shuttle trips required to move cars to outside lots, allowing the company to coordinate shipments more easily as volumes fluctuate.

Construction on the first 12 acres of the expansion began in August, several months before the deal was publicly announced. GLOVIS has already renovated a 33,000-square-foot building at the site and is currently developing a new car wash and body shop. These facilities will allow the company to perform additional work on vehicles before they leave the port. Development of the remaining 20 acres is targeted for completion by the end of 2027.

The new land is located near CSX rail infrastructure and other inland transportation connections. This positioning provides direct access to the port's shipping berths and routes used to distribute vehicles throughout Florida and the southeastern United States. Raul Alfonso, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Port Tampa Bay, said the partnership began in 2022 and has already helped move more than 160,000 vehicles through the port.

Alfonso stated, “We’re grateful for their continued investment and commitment to this operation, which positions the port to help meet Florida’s growing demand for vehicles while supporting businesses and consumers throughout the region.” He added that GLOVIS has been instrumental in the rapid growth of the port's roll-on/roll-off business since the partnership started.

Sergio Gutierrez, chief operating officer of GLOVIS America, described the Tampa expansion as part of a wider effort to build a connected vehicle distribution network across North America. The agreement grants GLOVIS operational control of the additional land. However, the two companies did not disclose the specific financial terms or the duration of the lease.

The 10,000-vehicle figure cited in the announcement represents the terminal's projected capacity once the full expansion is finished. GLOVIS plans to use the increased space to pursue additional business from automakers distributing vehicles across the Southeast. The first phase of construction is already underway, with the remaining work scheduled for completion by late 2027.