{"id":1879,"date":"2020-10-23T12:19:39","date_gmt":"2020-10-23T12:19:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awlcorp.com\/?p=1879"},"modified":"2023-05-11T18:51:59","modified_gmt":"2023-05-11T18:51:59","slug":"gpa-holds-first-virtual-state-of-the-port","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awlcorp.com\/?p=1879","title":{"rendered":"GPA holds first virtual State of the Port"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch delivers live comments leading into the Authority\u2019s first virtual State of the Port event. The Port of Savannah is the nation\u2019s busiest container export gateway for American-made products. Find broadcast-quality b-roll video\u00a0here<\/a>. (Georgia Ports Authority \/ Stephen Morton)<\/p>\n

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Lynch: Strong outlook for Savannah<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

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SAVANNAH, Ga., Oct. 22, 2020 \u2013 In its first-ever virtual State of the Port Address, co-hosts Griff Lynch and Will McKnight took the Georgia Ports Authority\u2019s online audience for an on-terminal view of infrastructure advancements the Authority is making to accommodate record container growth. Lynch, GPA executive director, also highlighted nearly 9 million square feet of industrial construction now under way in Savannah\u2019s private market.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe appreciate the decisions of cargo owners to place their trust in Georgia. As our economy recovers, customers continue to be attracted by Savannah\u2019s strong fundamentals \u2013 including the people who make our ports work,\u201d Lynch said. \u201cI want to thank our GPA employees, the International Longshoremen\u2019s Association and our many partners across the logistics industry for their dedication to service.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2021 (July-September), the Port of Savannah handled 1.2 million twenty-foot equivalent container units, an increase of 1.6 percent or 19,663 TEUs. The port set a monthly record in September, growing TEUs by 11.4 percent, or 42,140, for a total of 412,148 TEUs in September.<\/p>\n

According to Cushman Wakefield, the Savannah market comprises 79 million square feet of industrial space. Another 8.7 million square feet are under construction, for an 11 percent increase in inventory. Lynch noted there is enough land permitted for private development to accommodate another 130 million square feet of distribution center space within 30 miles of the port \u2013 nearly twice the area\u2019s current industrial space.<\/p>\n

In a recorded statement, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said private development projects delivering thousands of jobs and millions of square feet of industrial space mean the long-term outlook for Georgia\u2019s ports is strong. \u201cOver the past year, our nation has faced unprecedented challenges that have impacted our daily lives and our economy. We\u2019ve had to rethink how we handle the logistics of healthcare, retail, manufacturing \u2013 and the global trade that supports these endeavors,\u201d Kemp said. \u201cThrough it all, our ports have remained steady, keeping cargo moving, attracting investment, and building market share.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kemp said that as the nation\u2019s top export gateway, the Port of Savannah provides the cost-effective connections Georgia farmers, manufacturers and other exporters need to compete globally.<\/p>\n

During the live portion of the virtual State of the Port, Lynch announced a 1.2 million square foot facility in Bryan County to be built by medical goods provider Medline Industries. Construction is expected to be complete in late 2021, with FedEx leasing 415,000 square feet to provide e-commerce capabilities.<\/p>\n

Will McKnight, chairman of the GPA board and co-host during the virtual State of the Port, said helping to bring new business to Georgia is part of GPA\u2019s central mission \u2013 and a main reason the Authority is stepping up its capacity. \u201cWe\u2019re making strategic expansions to ensure cargo fluidity as Savannah\u2019s container trade increases,\u201d McKnight said. \u201cOur long-term infrastructure investments ensure GPA is ready when our customers are ready to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ongoing infrastructure improvements include:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  • Savannah Harbor Expansion Project. Deepening the harbor to 47 feet at low tide is now 75 percent finished, with completion expected in late 2021.<\/li>\n
  • Mason Mega Rail Terminal will double the Port of Savannah\u2019s annual rail capacity to 2 million TEUs. Nine new working tracks have been commissioned, with another nine slated for completion in 2021.<\/li>\n
  • Expanding container handling capabilities at Ocean Terminal to serve smaller ships while berth renovations are ongoing at Garden City. This project will be completed by the end of 2020.<\/li>\n
  • Straightening Berth 1 to allow Garden City Terminal to dock four 15,000+ TEU vessels and three additional vessels simultaneously. The project will take approximately two years.<\/li>\n
  • Expanding container storage onto 145 acres recently added to the now 1,345-acre Garden City Terminal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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    ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Special guest Pat Wilson, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, said the state has maintained powerful momentum in attracting new business. \u201cWe have more projects than we have probably ever had. Businesses are making decisions. This is not a true recession in the sense of there was a decline in need, it\u2019s just that the world shut down,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cBusinesses are taking this opportunity to make investments to continue to grow, and they\u2019re planning for the future, for when we come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

    In FY2020, the state of Georgia won projects bringing $7.4 billion and 24,000 jobs, across sectors including manufacturing, logistics and technology. In Chatham, Effingham and Bryan counties alone, private investors announced more than half a billion dollars in industrial projects and more than 1,200 jobs just last fiscal year.<\/p>\n

    Recent economic development announcements include:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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    • FedEx is taking 415,000 square feet in a brand new, 1.2 million square-foot facility in Bryan County being built by medical goods provider Medline. Construction is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2021.<\/li>\n
    • Hooker Furniture, HMI, will open a new 800,000 square-foot distribution facility in Liberty County\u2019s Tradeport East Business Center. The $23.5 million investment will deliver 50 new jobs.<\/li>\n
    • MSI Tile plans a 675,000 square-foot distribution center in Chatham County. MSI projects it will bring 20,000 TEUs of new business to the Port of Savannah annually, and provide 225 jobs.<\/li>\n
    • Logistics provider World Shipping is opening a 280,000 square-foot facility in Savannah in November.<\/li>\n
    • Georgia Exports Company has established a location 1.5 miles from the Appalachian Regional Port in Murray County, where it will load logs into containers for export. GEC is expected to export more than 28,000 TEUs annually.<\/li>\n
    • Huali Floors is establishing its first U.S. headquarters and manufacturing facility in Murray County. The $27 million project will create 315 new jobs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      McKnight said by taking the State of the Port address online, GPA is able to share Savannah\u2019s competitive advantages with a broader audience.<\/p>\n

      \u201cWe have been able to reach out to thousands more people than we ever have before,\u201d McKnight said. \u201cIt\u2019s exciting to have the opportunity to virtually bring our stakeholders and customers onto a working port.\u201d<\/p>\n

      Georgia\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

      For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Chief Communications Officer Robert Morris at (912) 964-3855 or\u00a0rmorris@gaports.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n