Category: GA Ports Authority Press Releases

SAVANNAH, Ga., June 15, 2022 – The Georgia Ports Authority moved an all-time high 519,390 twenty-foot equivalent container units in May, breaking the previous record of 504,350 TEUs set in October 2021.

GPA’s May volumes grew by 8.5 percent, or 40,770 TEUs, compared to the same month last year.

“Despite global supply chain challenges, the Port of Savannah continues to be an economic driver, providing reliable, world-class service for port customers across our state and nation,” said Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. “Delivering new opportunity for hardworking Georgians and supporting economic prosperity across the Peach State is central to the mission of our deepwater ports.”

GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch noted Garden City Terminal is handling more business during the current influx of trade than during the previous spike, last fall. The additional trade is driven in part by vessels diverting to Savannah from other East and West Coast ports.

“Strong consumer demand continues to drive higher volumes at the Port of Savannah,” Lynch said. “The infrastructure improvements and pop-up yards approved by the GPA Board have enabled our operations to maintain the flow of cargo across our terminal, despite unprecedented container volumes passing through the port.”

As of April, GPA has added 900,000 TEUs of annual capacity to Garden City Terminal. Another 300,000 are expected to come online in July for a new total of more than 7 million TEUs of container handling space.

Additionally, Phase I of the Garden City Terminal West expansion has added a 25-acre container yard adjacent to Ga. Highway 21, a principal truck route approaching the main terminal. Phase II will add up to 1 million TEUs of annual capacity, which will begin coming online in 2023.

“By increasing container space at Garden City Terminal, GPA is accommodating the expansion in global commerce that supports job growth in Georgia,” said GPA Board Chairman Joel Wooten.  “Industries from logistics to auto manufacturing, and agriculture to retail depend on Georgia’s ports for reliable supply chain solutions.”

The Port of Savannah completed 327,400 truck gate moves in May, counting loaded import and export containers, as well as the movement of empty chassis. Thanks to the flexibility of motor carriers taking advantage of night gate hours, Garden City Terminal facilitated more than 15,000 truck moves between the hours of 7 and 11 p.m. last month, up from just over 10,000 in April. Another 48,000 containers (approximately 88,000 TEUs) moved by rail in May.

In addition to the container trade, GPA achieved a 28 percent increase in breakbulk cargo for the month. Breakbulk commodities including iron and steel, rubber, and forest products reached 320,722 tons in May, up 70,780 tons.

Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 496,700 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $29 billion in income, $122 billion in revenue and $3.4 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy.

For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Chief Communications Officer Loretta Lepore at (912) 964-3855 or llepore@gaports.com.

The Port of Savannah handled 4.75 million twenty-foot equivalent container units over the first 10 months of Fiscal Year 2022 (July-April), up 8 percent. Georgia Ports Authority is expanding berth and container yard capacity in Savannah to accommodate growing business.

GPA SET FOR MAJOR CAPACITY IMPROVEMENT

SAVANNAH, Ga., May 17, 2022 – The Port of Savannah handled 495,782 twenty-foot equivalent container units last month, a record for the month of April and the Georgia Ports Authority’s third busiest month ever. GPA’s Garden City Terminal now handles nearly one out of every nine loaded containers crossing the nation’s docks.

“The phenomenal growth we have achieved has been made possible by the team effort of GPA and Gateway Terminals employees, the International Longshoremen’s Association, and our partners in trucking and rail,” said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. “Their hard work has ensured the free flow of cargo between major markets across the U.S. Southeast and the world.”

GPA’s containerized trade increased 6.2 percent, or 29,150 TEUs in April, compared to the same month a year ago. The growth is related in part to retailers replenishing depleted inventories and making early orders to ensure product availability. For the fiscal year to date, GPA has handled 4.75 million TEUs, an improvement of 8 percent or 344,260 TEUs year over year.

“Our long-running program of infrastructure expansion, coupled with the Authority’s ability as an owner-operator to speed up the schedule of development, has allowed the Port of Savannah to adapt to heightened container volumes,” said GPA Board Chairman Joel Wooten. “On-terminal and inland capacity improvements enable cargo to flow across our docks without congestion.”

Savannah was recently ranked the top U.S. container port by loaded export volume, handling 1.38 million TEUs in Calendar Year 2021.

Board Actions

At Tuesday’s meeting, Board members voted to retain the current slate of officers, maintaining Chairman Joel Wooten, Vice Chairman Kent Fountain, and Secretary-Treasurer Alec Poitevint. The three will serve a second term in their positions in Fiscal Year 2023, running from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.

Capacity Improvement Update

• In other business Tuesday, the Board approved a measure to replace a 50,000 square-foot cargo shed at Mayor’s Point Terminal in Brunswick with a new, 100,000 square-foot warehouse with up-to-date life safety improvements and flooring upgrades to handle heavy cargoes.
• The renovations to Container Berth 1 at Garden City Terminal are more than 40 percent complete. The realigned CB-1 will increase annual berth capacity by 1.4 million TEUs and provide an additional big ship berth served by new ship-to-shore cranes. Substantial completion is expected in June 2023.
• In addition, the Authority expects to bring online nine new electric rubber-tired gantry cranes by the spring of 2023. This will bring the Port of Savannah’s total RTG fleet to 207.
• The Peak Capacity Project has added 900,000 TEUs of annual container yard capacity to Garden City Terminal as of April 13. Another 300,000 TEUs of capacity are expected to come online by July.
• Phase I of the Garden City Terminal West project will add a 25-acre chassis yard adjacent to Ga. 21. Grading and placement of aggregate base are ongoing, with the contractor having turned over approximately 10 acres of space for use in February. Construction should be complete by mid-summer.
• Phase II of the Garden City Terminal West project will add a total of 1 million TEUs of annual capacity, with the first phase coming online in 2023.

Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 496,700 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $29 billion in income, $122 billion in revenue and $3.4 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy.

For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Chief Communications Officer Loretta Lepore at (912) 964-3855 or llepore@gaports.com.

$538M capacity expansion approved to meet demand

Project helps accelerate global commerce

SAVANNAH, Ga., March 25, 2022 – The Georgia Ports Authority, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Georgia Department of Transportation and dignitaries joined Friday to mark completion of the Savannah Harbor deepening. The project expedites the flow of cargo to and from global destinations by reducing tidal restrictions for mega-ships transiting the Savannah River.

Georgia exporters now have greater opportunity to move goods overseas, because ships can take on more cargo. Additionally, faster vessel service means the Port of Savannah can handle more ships each year.

“This is a great day for the state of Georgia and for the nation,” said Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. “The Port of Savannah is the gateway port for our region, and the first choice of businesses serving the U.S. Southeast. Completion of our harbor deepening is a testament to a shared commitment between state and federal partners – like our previous governors and current and former members of Congress who worked tirelessly to help move this project forward – to provide the infrastructure our economy needs to thrive. Our collaborative approach to economic development is what makes Georgia the best place to live, work, and raise a family. I also want to thank the Georgia General Assembly for their valued partnership and for backing this project through many legislative sessions.”

Dredging for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project started in September 2015, adding five feet in depth to the shipping channel. Initial feasibility studies for the harbor deepening began in 1997. 

“After more than 20 years in the making, we are thrilled to mark this accomplishment today,” said Griff Lynch, executive director of the Georgia Ports Authority. “A deeper channel means more than just efficient passage for the largest vessels calling the U.S. East Coast. It means continued opportunity, job growth and prosperity for the people of our state.”

According to a Corps of Engineers study, the project is expected to net more than $291 million in annual benefits to the nation, or approximately $7.70 for every dollar invested in the project.

“The Savannah District is proud to partner with the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Georgia Ports Authority in completing the deepening of Savannah Harbor,” said Col. Joseph R. Geary, Commander, Savannah District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “Complemented by unprecedented remediation efforts, the economic and environmental benefits provided through shipping efficiencies will drive healthy growth in the Southeast for decades to come.”

Deepening the Savannah Harbor to 47 feet at mean low water (the average depth at low tide), provides ample draft for vessels carrying 16,000+ twenty-foot equivalent container units, allowing ships to transit the river with more containers each trip and during more hours of the day. Along with Savannah’s 7-foot tidal swing, the water is as deep as 54 feet at high tide.

The deeper water enables ships to load up to approximately 1,000 containers worth of additional cargo, for increased efficiency in vessel transport.

“That’s important to our exporters, because it means Georgia-grown and manufactured goods reach international markets faster,” said Joel Wooten, GPA board chairman. “The harbor deepening directly complements our overall mission to support growth through global commerce.”

Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 496,700 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $29 billion in income, $122 billion in revenue and $3.4 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy.

For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Chief Communications Officer Loretta Lepore at (912) 964-3855 or llepore@gaports.com

SAVANNAH, Ga., March. 9, 2022 – In response to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announcement that deepening is complete for the Savannah Harbor, Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch has issued the following statement:

After more than 20 years in the making, we are thrilled to celebrate the completion of dredging for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project. A deeper channel means more than just efficient passage for the largest vessels calling the U.S. East Coast. It means continued opportunity, job growth and prosperity for the state of Georgia.

Georgia Ports and the thousands of customers who rely on us owe our gratitude to our state’s leadership, Georgia’s congressional delegation and our federal partners who have championed this project from beginning to end.  In particular, the many women and men who have worked on this project with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers deserve our gratitude for their hard work and integrity in seeing this project through.

This is an exciting day for Georgia, as we open a new chapter in providing the world-class service customers have come to expect from the Port of Savannah.

Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 496,700 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $29 billion in income, $122 billion in revenue and $3.4 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy.

For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Chief Communications Officer Loretta Lepore at (912) 964-3855 or llepore@gaports.com.

Adding new berth, expanding storage, growing breakbulk capability

SAVANNAH, Ga., March 9, 2022 – At the Brunswick State of the Port event Wednesday, the Georgia Ports Authority unveiled plans to grow capacity at Brunswick’s flagship autoport and its breakbulk terminal for forest products.

“We’re expanding berth and terminal capacity at both Colonel’s Island and Mayor’s Point so that we are ready to take on additional trade,” said Griff Lynch, GPA executive director. “The investments we are making will lay the groundwork for job growth and new opportunity in the Brunswick region.”

As the nation’s second busiest hub for Ro/Ro cargo, behind only Baltimore, the Port of Brunswick moved 650,000 units of vehicles and heavy machinery in Calendar Year 2021, an increase of 10 percent over the previous year.

“A testament to the trust customers have in the Georgia Ports Authority and its partners across the logistics community, the Port of Brunswick delivered an outstanding performance this year – despite economic headwinds,” said Governor Brian P. Kemp. “In the coming years, Georgia’s posture as the number one state for forestry and as a global leader in the automotive industry – for automakers of both combustion and non-combustion engines – will continue to strengthen, and I’m confident given the exemplary leadership and hardworking Georgians who keep cargo moving, that the Port of Brunswick will continue to be a driving force behind the Peach State’s success.”

At the Wednesday event, hosted by the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce, GPA Chief Administrative Officer Jamie McCurry outlined a $150 million development plan. GPA will add a fourth berth at Colonel’s Island, 360,000 square feet of new warehousing, and 85 additional acres for auto processing. The new pavement and buildings are slated to be complete in 2023. The additional auto storage on the south side of the island will increase the terminal’s annual capacity from 1.2 million to 1.4 million vehicles. Colonel’s Island has a total of 355 acres permitted for expansion.

“Home to more than 20 automaker brands, Colonel’s Island is poised to become the Southeast’s premier autoport,” said GPA Board Chairman Joel Wooten. “With more room to grow, better connections to inland markets, and an operation dedicated to Roll-on/Roll-off cargo, Colonel’s Island is the region’s busiest gateway for autos and machinery.”

The new berth, recently approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will include a concrete deck and system of mooring dolphins extending Ro/Ro vessel berthing space from 3,355 feet to 4,630 feet. Construction is anticipated to begin at the end of 2022 and take two years to complete.

In addition to growing the auto trade, GPA will upgrade near-dock storage areas to better accommodate heavy machinery used in agriculture, construction and warehousing operations.

The GPA also reported that bulk cargo handled by terminal operator Logistec totaled 902,000 tons at East River Terminal last year, while Mayor’s Point handled 88,380 tons of forest products in 2021.

Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 496,700 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $29 billion in income, $122 billion in revenue and $3.4 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy. The Port of Savannah handled 9.3 percent of total U.S. containerized cargo volume and 10.5 percent of all U.S. containerized exports in FY2020.

For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Chief Communications Officer Robert Morris at (912) 964-3855 or rmorris@gaports.com.

Yard, dock, river improvements support expanding trade 

On Feb. 2, Georgia Ports employees and partners including the International Longshoremen’s Association and Gateway Terminals worked the Hapag Lloyd Ulsan Express using eight ship-to-shore cranes. The GPA handled 479,000 twenty-foot equivalent units in January, an increase of 4 percent compared to the same period last year.

Cargo growth bolsters port’s impact on economy

SAVANNAH, Ga., Feb. 9, 2022 – The Port of Savannah handled a record 479,700 twenty-foot equivalent container units of cargo in January, an increase of 4 percent over the same month a year ago, a month in which cargo volumes had expanded by 22 percent. The Port of Savannah has now set monthly records for the past 18 months.

“The steps we have taken to add capacity have broken the logjam in global logistics for our customers and created jobs throughout the supply chain” said Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) Executive Director Griff Lynch. “The dedication and hard work of our GPA employees, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), and our other partners throughout the logistics community have also played a key role to keep cargo flowing.”

Over the past year and a half, the Port of Savannah has grown its container volumes by 1.2 million TEUs, and by more than 930,000 TEUs last year alone. According to the most recent economic impact study by the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, port activity supports one job for every 10 TEUs moved each year, or an additional 93,000 full- and part-time jobs throughout Georgia in 2021. GPA alone grew by 145 employees last year. “It has been an inspiration to see how our team, the ILA and so many others in the supply chain have been ramping up the workforce with highly skilled and dedicated team members,” Lynch said.

In addition to expanding its workforce, GPA has now arranged a fifth pop-up container yard to grow its capabilities further. The Port of Savannah is now loading import containers for delivery to the 330-acre CCX Yard in Rocky Mount, N.C., which is owned and operated by CSX. In its initial arrangement with the railroad, GPA will use up to 400 container slots (about 800 TEUs), for an annual capacity of 40,000 TEUs. While GPA’s current use of the site will be limited to its Southeast Supply Chain Relief Program, the location has the potential to serve Raleigh, N.C., approximately 40 miles away from the CCX Yard.

“The success of our inland pop-up yards has provided an excellent relief valve and reduced the number of containers at the Port of Savannah,” said GPA Board Chairman Joel Wooten. “In combination with the on-terminal storage capacity that we continue to expand, our customers can be assured of the fast, reliable, world-class service they have come to expect from Georgia Ports.”

Four other flexible pop-up facilities are located near manufacturing and distribution centers in Savannah, Atlanta, Statesboro and the Appalachian Regional Port. The yards add 410,000 TEUs of additional container space, bring cargo closer to customers and reduce the amount of storage time at Garden City Terminal. 

Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 496,700 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $29 billion in income, $122 billion in revenue and $3.4 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy. The Port of Savannah handled 9.3 percent of total U.S. containerized cargo volume and 10.5 percent of all U.S. containerized exports in FY2020.

For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Chief Communications Officer Robert Morris at (912) 964-3855 or rmorris@gaports.com.

The Georgia Ports Authority achieved a record level of container trade in Calendar Year 2021, handling more than 5.6 million twenty-foot equivalent container units of cargo. By June, the GPA will grow the Port of Savannah’s annual container capacity by 1.6 million TEUs, an increase of 25 percent. 

Expanding terminal capacity by 25 percent

SAVANNAH, Ga., Jan. 25, 2022 – The Port of Savannah moved a record 5.6 million twenty-foot equivalent container units in Calendar Year 2021, growing volumes by a million TEUs, or 20 percent, compared to 2020. In Brunswick, Colonel’s Island Terminal handled 649,550 units of cars, trucks and machinery, an increase of 10.6 percent.

“While Georgia’s maritime logistics community has been tested by a challenging year, I am proud of our ports’ achievements to keep cargo flowing, support jobs and industry across the region and the world, and to serve customers in every corner of the state,” said Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. “The Georgia Ports Authority not only powers economic success in the Peach State, it has served as an example to the nation in solving the supply chain crisis.”

The Port of Savannah has experienced 12 consecutive months of record container growth. December was no exception, with a record 465,000 TEUs handled, and an all-time high of 312,000 truck gate moves. Counting Roll-on/Roll-off cargo handled via Ocean Terminal in Savannah, GPA moved a total of 668,166 units, an increase of 11 percent or 65,400 units.

In intermodal rail, the Port of Savannah grew by 10 percent in 2021, topping 538,000 container lifts, or nearly 1 million TEUs, a record. The addition of nine working tracks in November expanded the Port of Savannah’s rail lift capacity to 2 million TEUs per year, an immediate increase of 30 percent. The expanded rail yard allows Savannah to build and receive six 10,000-foot long trains simultaneously, speeding the flow of international trade to and from the nation’s third busiest container gateway.

“Our expanded rail and yard capacity, along with new operational practices, allowed GPA to overcome serious headwinds in the international supply chain,” said Executive Director Griff Lynch. “The team – including our GPA employees, the International Longshoremen’s Association, stevedores, shipping lines, pilots, motor carriers and rail – came together to handle an unprecedented level of business last year.”

In 2021, Georgia Ports expedited the purchase of new equipment, completion of new capacity on terminal and hiring to accommodate increased demand for services. In total, GPA added four rail-mounted gantry cranes, 10 rubber-tired gantry cranes, 145 employees and annual yard capacity of 400,000 TEUs.

“Together, we are delivering on a promise of world-class customer service,” said GPA Board Chairman Joel Wooten. “With the expedited capacity projects that are already coming online, our customers can have confidence in our ability to grow along with their businesses.”

In March, GPA will add 500,000 TEUs of annual capacity, growing to a total of 1.6 million TEUs of new capacity by June – a 25 percent increase in Savannah’s previous capacity for container trade. At the Port of Brunswick, major expansion efforts are under way at Colonel’s Island that will increase Ro/Ro capacity to 1.3 million units by the end of the year, as well as adding new services to prepare vehicles for export.

Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 496,700 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $29 billion in income, $122 billion in revenue and $3.4 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy. The Port of Savannah handled 9.3 percent of total U.S. containerized cargo volume and 10.5 percent of all U.S. containerized exports in FY2020.

For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Chief Communications Officer Robert Morris at (912) 964-3855 or rmorris@gaports.com.

SAVANNAH, Ga., Jan. 14, 2022 – With the pending departure of Georgia Ports Authority Chief Communications Officer Robert Morris, the GPA has announced the hire of Loretta Lepore, who will assume the leadership role.

“Ms. Lepore is a seasoned communicator who will continue GPA’s tradition of professionalism in media and public relations,” said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. “We are happy to welcome her aboard at Georgia Ports.”

Lepore’s career spans nearly two decades as a journalist for CNN, NPR and Westwood One Radio Networks. Lepore has held roles as press secretary for the Georgia Governor’s Office, director of marketing and communications for the Georgia Department of Economic Development and as a senior advisor for strategic communications at the law firm McKenna Long & Aldridge, now Dentons. She later advised Fortune 500 companies as founding principal of a communications and government relations firm. Most recently, Lepore served as senior advisor to the director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Lepore joins the GPA on Jan. 18 following a nationwide executive search.

“This is a remarkable opportunity and I really look forward to working with the GPA team to serve Georgians and propel the state’s diverse industries,” she said. Lepore and her family will move from Atlanta to Savannah, where they will live.

Morris said it had been an honor to be a part of the Georgia Ports Authority, and to witness Savannah transform from a mid-sized regional port into an international hub for American commerce.

“After 20 years at Georgia Ports, I am excited about exploring new opportunities,” Morris said. “I am proud of the body of work our communications team has produced, and I look forward to working with Loretta as she transitions into her new role.”

Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 496,700 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $29 billion in income, $122 billion in revenue and $3.4 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy. The Port of Savannah handled 9.3 percent of total U.S. containerized cargo volume and 10.5 percent of all U.S. containerized exports in FY2020.

For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Chief Communications Officer Robert Morris at (912) 964-3855 or rmorris@gaports.com