By Karen E. Thuermer, AJOTIf projections for future growth in containerized freight hold true, North Carolina Ports is right on the money as far as expansion plans are concerned. In a phone interview with AJOT, Tom Eagar, CEO of the North Carolina State Ports Authority, outlined a host of factors that indicate good news for the marketplace. Among them, he says, are projections for international trade to double by 2020 (the North American container market could double as early as 2012-2015); container capacity shortfalls at West Coast ports by 2010 and at South Atlantic ports by 2012; the recently approved expansion of the Panama Canal to accommodate mega containerships; the emergence of the Suez Canal for China-India traffic flows, and the construction of mega container vessels that require 50-foot draft. “These are a convergence of market and industry factors that are propelling the plans we have for port expansion in North Carolina, particularly the Port of Wilmington, Morehead City, Radio Island, and the new North Carolina International Port (NCIP),” he says. “We see these factors as providing North Carolina an opportunity to position itself as a major global gateway in the South Atlantic to complement Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia.” A major plus is that North Carolina State Ports’ central Eastern seaboard location is closest to the center of the southeast US market—the fastest growing region in the country. Over the last five years, port statistics already show continual growth of approximately 18% in container volumes and 16% in general terminal cargoes. During First Quarter 2007, the port continued to experience a 16% increase in containerized freight with general terminal cargoes up 12%. Breakbulk cargoes, for which North Carolina’s ports are particularly noted, include rubber, lumber, steel and wood pulp. International Paper is the largest export wood pulp supplier at the Port of Wilmington. Bulk cargoes are cement and fertilizer. “We have seen a slow down in forest products,” Eagar reveals. “Certainly the news coming out of the construction market emphasizes this.” Rubber imports out of Morehead City are also down due to issues surrounding Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., a large rubber customer at the port. “But we feel this will come back,” Eagar projects. The ports operated by North Carolina State Ports Authority, and their subsequent developments, position the Tar Heel State for increased commerce. Port of WilmingtonThe Port of Wilmington, which offers facilities to handle containerized, bulk and breakbulk cargoes, is seeing $143 in infrastructure improvements. This includes four new 100-foot gauge container cranes which are scheduled to be delivered by mid-February. “We are looking to do additional civil work in the yard to double our throughput capacity in excess of 525,000 teus that will be accomplished in three years,” Eagar reveals. “We have already invested $1.2 million in a new terminal operating system that will allow us to increase throughput and maintain velocity throughout the yard.” The new operating system will also help to expand throughput at the port’s general cargo terminal that services bulk and breakbulk commodities. The port has direct interstate access to Interstates 95 and 40, and is served daily by CSX Railways. The port’s new 42-foot channel allows current container vessel customers an additional 15% vessel capacity. Port of Morehead CityThe 45-foot channel at the Port of Morehead City makes it one of the deepest ports on the US Eastern seaboard. Only four miles from the ocean, the port handles breakbulk and bulk cargo. It has access to Interstate 95 via US Highways 70 and 17. Norfolk Southern provides daily train service. Ground was recently broken on a new $20 million, 177,000-square-foot warehouse that will accommodate the port’s rapidly expanding breakbulk business such as lumber, rubber and steel. The warehouse should be completed by Spring 2008. Across the Newport