Feature, Freight News, Sea

Port of Palm Beach Takes Expansion for Granite

[ August 7, 2025   //   Gary Burrows ]

The Port of Palm Beach has signed a new lease agreement with Thalle Construction Co. and SAB Solutions that will increase inbound shipments and diversify the port’s cargo profile.

Effective August 1, the companies will lease two acres along the port’s southwest perimeter to support the import of granite aggregate. The material will arrive via ship from Canada.

An estimated 300,000 tons of granite will be imported annually, totaling over 3 million tons during the 10-year term. 

Port Executive Director Michael Meekins said: “This new business will help supply critical materials for large-scale construction and environmental restoration projects across Florida.”

The granite will play a key role in an Everglades ecosystem restoration project that increases storage, treatment, and conveyance of water south of Lake Okeechobee. 

“There is no granite produced in the State of Florida,” said Saverio Anastasio, owner of SAB Solutions. “Yet many major construction and restoration efforts in the state require it.”

Historically, about 80 percent of the port’s cargo has been outbound. With the 300,000 tons of granite and more than 200,000 tons of cement annually, that balance is expected to shift to roughly 60 percent exports and 40 percent imports by 2031.

A recently released audit shows the Port of Palm Beach had record-breaking revenue and cargo activity in 2024. In the fiscal year, the port reached revenue of $27 million, marking the highest revenue earned in more than two decades (see line chart below). Cargo tonnage reached an all-time high of 2.8 million tons in 2024, a 12 percent increase over the previous fiscal year when the Port moved 2.5 million tons. Certain cargo types including asphalt, molasses, raw sugar, and cement fueled part of the increase in revenue.

Tags: Port of Palm Beach, SAB Solutions, Thalle Construction Co.