In 1991 First Corporate Shipping Limited, a private company owned by Terence Mordaunt and David Ord, purchased a 150 year lease of the Avonmouth and Royal Portbury Dock Estate from Bristol City Council.
Since 1991 the tonnage throughput has increased from 4m tonnes to 12m tonnes and annual revenue from GBP22m to GBP75m. Over GBP400m has been invested in the dock estate and the Port is now recognised as being one of the most productive and technically advanced in Europe.
The Port can handle much larger ships than its competitors in the South of England - up to 130,000 tonnes dead weight.
Bristol is recognised as the most economical port distribution location in the UK, reaching some 42 million people within a 250 km radius.
Huge consumer markets in the Midlands and London, as well as the fast growing South West and South Wales, are within easy reach.
Bristol has the best motorway access. Both Avonmouth and Portbury have their own dedicated motorway junctions on the M5 - just seven miles from the M4 interchange and four miles from the Second Severn Crossing.
Bristol's entire 2,600 acre Dock Estate is zoned for industrial use and can offer spacious sites adjacent to the Port. Royal Portbury Dock is a modern facility, having been completed in 1978.
Both Avonmouth and Royal Portbury Dock are rail connected.
Bristol Port is fully compliant with the ISPS code and has been certified by the UK Government authorities (TRANSEC).
The above factors combined with creative and efficient management provide a climate for innovation, but that is not enough to ensure Bristol's continuing competitiveness. That is why we will continue to invest in the technology, the skills and the people who make it happen.