MSC Group, one of the world’s leading logistics and container shipping conglomerates and the parent company of MSC Cruises, announced today that a high-level delegation, comprised of members of its senior management team from the US and executives from its philanthropic arm, the MSC Foundation, is traveling to Nassau, Bahamas. The purpose of this urgent mission is to quickly identify, firsthand and through engagement with local officials, community leaders, and key relief and recovery organizations, the most pressing and immediate needs in order to determine how the Group can support people, both immediately and in the long term, and address the financing needs of local communities and businesses to rebuild what is necessary in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.
Gianluigi Aponte, CEO and founder of MSC Group, said: “It is heartbreaking to see the impact and devastation that Hurricane Dorian has brought to the Bahamas and its people. My entire family’s thoughts and prayers are with the people of the Bahamas, their families, and loved ones.”.
“As a family-owned company that has been located on the waterfront for over 300 years, we are fully committed to supporting the immediate and long-term relief and recovery efforts in The Bahamas. Our businesses have long been closely intertwined with The Bahamas and its people, with a rich history spanning many decades. We now look forward to supporting their efforts to rebuild and recover as much as we can across all our lines of business.”.
MSC Group has already pledged its full support directly to the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Dr. The Hon. Hubert Alexander Minnis. Meanwhile, preliminary discussions have begun to determine how the Group and all its business lines, from cargo to cruise, as well as its Foundation, can support, coordinate, and address key logistical aspects of both immediate and longer-term relief efforts. In this initial phase, in addition to providing and delivering essential goods, MSC Group's efforts will initially focus on modular prefabricated housing for the population in the areas most affected by the hurricane, as well as making MSC ships available for relief efforts from the United States to the Abaco container terminals in Freeport and Marsh Harbour.
MSC Group, through its subsidiary Mediterranean Shipping Company, has been present in the region for the past 20 years and has long been the leading import and export cargo operator in the Bahamas. Its local headquarters are located in Freeport, Grand Bahama. The operation will involve several MSC hubs in the region, in the United States, the Caribbean, and other locations.
