NEW INFRASTRUCTURE HELPS EXPANDS MARKET SHARE
The Georgia Ports Authority moved 428,400 twenty-foot equivalent container units in October, an increase of 14,600 TEUs or 3.5 percent. The strong month gave the Port of Savannah a fiscal year-to-date total of 1.6 million TEUs, up 90,600, or 6 percent.
“We have seen three years of incredible volume growth, and the economy of the U.S. Southeast remains a powerhouse,” said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. “Georgia’s market share continues to expand as new commodities come online and customers in new regions rely on our services.”
In October, A&R Logistics selected the Savannah market for its new global export hub for plastic resins. The 600,000 square-foot packaging facility will be operational by late 2020, with an option to expand up to 1 million square feet. A&R Logistics’ Export Division will also be headquartered in Savannah to support global supply chain development for the chemical industry. In April, Plastic Express announced it is investing $172 million in two resin packaging warehouses in Savannah – each measuring 1 million square feet.
“Savannah is already the port of choice to serve the U.S. Southeast,” said GPA Board Chairman Will McKnight. “To accommodate future growth, GPA has and continues to make significant infrastructure investments that are allowing the GPA to take on new business, create jobs and economic development across Georgia and beyond.”
For example, all nine berths at Garden City Terminal are now back online after berths 4, 5 and 6 were strengthened to accommodate larger cranes and vessels. The port can now serve three 14,000-TEU and four other Post-Panamax ships simultaneously. Savannah’s ship-to-shore crane fleet will expand by six to 36 in the first half of Calendar Year 2020. Additionally, the Mason Mega Rail Terminal, the nation’s largest on-port rail facility, is more than 50 percent complete.
In Roll-on/Roll-off cargo, Colonel’s Island Terminal at the Port of Brunswick and Ocean Terminal in Savannah handled a total of 63,353 units in October, an increase of 7.8 percent or 4,600 units. For the fiscal year to date, Ro/Ro volumes remained flat at 220,000 units. Georgia is the second busiest U.S. hub for the import-export of Ro/Ro cargo behind only Baltimore.
Total tonnage crossing all GPA terminals reached 13 million tons July through October, up 4.7 percent or 583,500 tons, including containerized, bulk and breakbulk cargo.
This is a press release from the Georgia Ports Authority.
Brad
November 20, 2019 at 8:34 pm
It’s great to see so much prosperity coming to the port as a Georgian I support that of course. But what I do NOT support is having the port be the cause for the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam in Augusta to be destroyed, which would destroy our riverfront, just so that port business can expand. The Chairman is form Augusta yet he doesn’t speak up for the DAMAGE the SHEP project is doing to his own city. The port should not expand at the expense of other Georgia cities
Jimmy LaRussa
November 20, 2019 at 9:34 pm
Mr.McKnight ,while I understand the economics impact this gives to Georgia ,we in Augusta shouldn’t be the ones cutting off our economic growth by removing a dam to satisfy environmental 501 groups demands and cause investments on that river to fall in value.There are better ways to do this that works for us all .Not some hasty rushed job so the port can thrive and the hell with us up river
Ray Walden
November 21, 2019 at 4:56 pm
Mr McKnight, you and your company have been doing business and building properties all over Richmond and Columbia co. This area and it’s people have been good to you as you have been for us. I don’t understand why you have turned your back on us.
Charles Jenkins
November 22, 2019 at 5:37 pm
Will McKnight – I support Georgia Ports but I don’t support Augusta paying the price for the expansion. Please reconsider your non action on this matter and help your town. You could be a hero or you could have people wanting to run you out of town. Step up to the plate and do the right thing. People know you have made millions with the corps projects.