Performance Team will operate out of the Wando Welch Terminal's container freight station, where the company will transload cargo from ocean-going shipping container to truck for distribution to its network of customers throughout the Southeast.
"We are excited to be able to offer our customers on-port transload and distribution services," said Cliff Katab, president of Performance Team. "The service will greatly improve turn times and allow their supply chains to be more flexible with increased speed."
The Wando site is expected to handle both import and export cargo as the company continues to expand in the Southeast. Transloading the goods on-site allows for greater efficiencies, reduced cost and faster speed to market for retail imports.
"We welcome Performance Team's expansion in the Charleston region," said Jim Newsome, president and CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority. "This on-terminal transloading service offers added value to shippers who rely on Charleston's high productivity, proximity to population centers and extensive service network to get their product to market."
Furthermore, the port's deep shipping channels have placed Charleston in prime position for big-ship growth in the coming years, as carriers deploy larger vessels and the Panama Canal expansion is completed in 2014. A next-generation harbor deepening project for Charleston is currently underway.
"As the premier East Coast deep water port, Charleston will be able to support all of our importers' needs for years to come. It is a great match," Katab said.
Performance Team, headquartered in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., operates more than 5 million square feet of warehouse space across the U.S., including a 250,000-square-foot warehouse in nearby Goose Creek, SC. The company has extensive experience in product-handling for the retail sector, with customers including Belk, Positec, Best Buy and others.
David Madden, the company's new senior director of operations, will oversee the Charleston facilities. After entering the local market in 2007, Performance Team's local staff has grown more than 200 percent in just 5 years.
