Empresa Portuaria Puerto Montt (Chile)

Empresa Portuaria Puerto Montt is a public entity located in Puerto Montt, Chile. It was founded on February 12, 1853, by Vicente Pérez Rosales, who was appointed by the government for the colonization of Valdivia and Llanquihue. The port activity began immediately, with shipments of wood to Valparaíso and Europe, as well as exports of wool, honey, leather, and wheat. In 1929, the construction of the port began in its current location in the Tenglo channel, protected from the southern winds by the island of the same name. The reconstruction of the commercial port was necessary after it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1960. The reconstruction was carried out by the company Belfi, and the first stage was completed in 1966, consisting of a 151-meter long wharf. The second stage, completed in 1979, included an additional 201 meters of docking wharf, warehouses, railway tracks, port facilities, and utilities. The construction of ramps for the ferry terminal began in 1979 and was completed in the second half of 1980. Empresa Portuaria Puerto Montt was created by Law No. 19542 of the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications in 1997, modernizing the state port sector. It operates as a public legal entity with its own assets and is the legal successor of Empresa Portuaria de Chile. The company is subject to the same financial, accounting, and tax regulations as open anonymous societies.