ATI seeks expansion opportunities

Asian Terminals Inc., which operates the Manila South Harbor, continues to be on the prowl for new businesses to take advantage of an improving local economy.

ATI president Eusebio Tanco said the company remains on the lookout for opportunities to further grow its operations.

“We are looking to invest in more ports and infrastructure related to ATI’s business. Our economy is growing substantially and this is the best time for ATI to support and take advantage of this growth,” Tanco said as he debunked reports that the company is up for sale.

ATI provides a wide range of port services, including arrastre, stevedoring, storage, domestic cargo- handling and passenger terminal operations and international container freight station.

ATI earlier said it was spending at least P1.4 billion this year to expand the Manila South Harbor Terminal and purchase additional cranes.

The expansion also includes the deployment of new cranes, extension of Pier 3 rail tracks and its container yard, and upgrading of the truck management

modules of its terminal IT system.

Last year, ATI handled a consolidated 1.02 million 20- foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containerized cargoes on both the international and domestic fronts.

In the first quarter of 2012, ATI reported a five percent drop in net income to P350 million on lower domestic cargo volume.

ATI, however, expects volumes to recover in the second half.