Port Canaveral CEO John Murray Named Among Orlando Magazine’s ’50 Most Powerful People’

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Murray says that Port Canaveral is unique in that it supports a broad spectrum of businesses and industries—not just cruise and cargo, but also commercial aerospace, military operations, recreation and commercial fishing.

BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – Port Canaveral CEO Capt. John Murray has been named one of Orlando Magazine’s 50 Most Powerful People in Orlando, a distinction that recognizes leaders who shape Central Florida’s future.

Since taking the helm in 2016, Capt. Murray has helped propel Port Canaveral into a vital economic engine for the region and the State of Florida, driving growth, innovation, and opportunity.

From Orlando Magazine:

“A highly respected maritime executive with more than four decades of maritime leadership, Captain John W. Murray was appointed as CEO of the Canaveral Port Authority in 2016 and has since led the Port to historic high levels of performance. Last year, it welcomed two highly sought-after cruise brands, Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises, both of which launched their first-ever sailings from Central Florida.

“These cruise brands have been so successful that both are expanding their presence at the Port with newer, larger ships arriving this November—an achievement we’re incredibly proud of,” says Murray.

In addition to bringing the number of homeported cruise lines at Port Canaveral to seven, such additions help to strengthen the Central Florida community.

“Core to the mission of Port Canaveral is generating economic prosperity for our Port community and state—creating jobs, generating revenue and boosting consumer spending across all related sectors,” says Murray. “Key to ensuring our success is the strength of our business partnerships. We strive to be the best port possible by offering top-tier facilities with a commitment to service to help our partners continue to grow their business portfolios at our Port.”

On the Port’s cargo side, terminal operators are actively working to diversify their cargo portfolios with plans to increase throughput into Port Canaveral over the next 12 to 18 months.

Murray says that Port Canaveral is unique in that it supports a broad spectrum of businesses and industries—not just cruise and cargo, but also commercial aerospace, military operations, recreation and commercial fishing.

“With our land boundaries and limited waterfront, it is a delicate balancing act to ensure our diverse business partners can maximize their opportunities for success at the Port,” he says.

He’s particularly proud of the Port’s longtime support of America’s space program, which dates back to the 1950s.

“Currently, we support commercial space companies SpaceX and Blue Origin, whose maritime assets—offshore support vessels, tugboats and recovery landing barges and platforms—are utilizing Port berths for recovery operations of launch hardware (rocket boosters and fairings).

He says that balancing the needs of all partners—cruise, cargo or recreation— is a top priority and an important part of the overall growth strategy for the Port in both the short and long term.

“Securing the capacity to handle additional cruise and cargo is essential to sustaining our continued growth for the region and state,” says Murray.”

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