Peter T. Leach, Senior Editor | Aug 14, 2012 1:40PM EDT
Two new investors filed proposals Monday in a bid to take over terminals operated by the Virginia Port Authority.
Virginia Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton said the state had received two more proposals from outside companies to run the VPA facilities. Monday was the deadline to submit alternate proposals.
In addition, he said Virginia International Terminals, the private company that has been the Port Authority's operations affiliate for three decades, submitted a filing of its own.
The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm, said that it is one of the two outside bidders for the VPA terminals, but declined to provide any further details.
In announcing the new proposals, Connaughton said he would not provide any details about them until Aug. 22, after he briefs VPA board members about them in a closed session.
"Basically, we're going to have to go through each one of the proposals, make sure that they meet the minimum criteria, and we're going to have to do some due diligence on the information they present," Connaughton told the Virginian-Pilot.
Previously, APM Terminals made an unsolicited bid, estimated at between $3 billion and $4 billion to take over the operations of all the terminals owned by the Virginia Port Authority under a 48-year lease.
The Virginia Port Authority operates the terminals in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News and Richmond through its subsidiary, Norfolk International Terminals.
APMT offered to operate the Norfolk, Portsmouth and Newport News terminals and said it would be open to taking over the Richmond river-barge facility as well.
Under Virginia law, the state was required to open up the bidding to alternative proposals. Monday was the deadline for alternative offers to APM's unsolicited proposal filed on April 4 and announced by the state on May 23.
Contact Peter T. Leach at pleach@joc.com.