At the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) Board Meeting held in Brunswick today, the GPA said it moved a record number of cargo containers in calendar year 2006, firmly establishing the Port of Savannah as the second-largest container port on the US East Coast.
'In 2006, the port handled 2.16 million twenty foot equivalent unit containers (teus),' said Former United States Senator Mack Mattingly, Chairman of GPA's Board of Directors. 'That is an impressive 14% increase over the previous year and clearly establishes Savannah as a vital East Coast gateway for imports and exports.'
Mattingly, however, made it clear that the Authority was proud of the tremendous growth experienced at GPA's Port of Brunswick. 'This was also a banner year for the Port of Brunswick,' said Mattingly. 'Auto and machinery units handled by the GPA at Colonel's Island totaled a record 379,001, an increase of 17% from calendar year 2005. At a time when the sale of new cars has been anemic in this country, that is a tremendous accomplishment.'
Mattingly added: 'As the fourth largest container port in the nation and the sixth largest auto port in the nation, we posted another record-breaking year for Georgia's ports. We appreciate all of the hard work the men and women of Georgia's ports are doing and the confidence our customers have in us to make our ports and our economy outpace the rest of the Southeast.'
'Investments the state of Georgia and the Authority have made in our facilities are paying huge dividends for our customers,' said Doug J. Marchand, GPA's Executive Director. 'We are setting new records, exceeding service levels and moving forward with an aggressive, $1 billion capital improvement plan to grow our business to new highs and create more jobs and opportunities for the citizens of Georgia."
Upcoming improvements include:
Port of Savannah:
- An additional 100 acres of container storage and 1,000 linear feet of dock to be completed later this year.
- Fifteen additional Rubber Tire Gantry Cranes to be in service by July 2007.
- Four additional Super Post-Panamax cranes are currently being fabricated by the contractor and are scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2008.
Port of Brunswick:
- The Anguilla Railyard expansion and the Colonel's Island overpass are near completion and will dramatically increase auto and grain capacity.
- The Brunswick Harbor Deepening Project is scheduled for completion by mid-2007.
