CHARLESTON, SC - On the heels of last week's arrival of two neo-Panamax cranes, today officials from South Carolina Ports Authority and Chinese crane manufacturer Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. (ZPMC) presented a model of the new cranes to Laing Middle School.

"On behalf of ZPMC, it is an honor to present this crane model to the Laing Middle School students and administrators," said ZPMC President Huang Qingfeng. "We are proud to be the provider of SCPA's new cranes and support the positive impacts the Port brings to region."

SCPA President and CEO Jim Newsome, Laing Middle School student Jacob Blackburn, ZPMC President Huang Qingfeng and Laing Principal James Whitehair, Jr. stand with the ship-to-shore container crane model presented as a gift to the school.
SCPA President and CEO Jim Newsome, Laing Middle School student Jacob Blackburn, ZPMC President Huang Qingfeng and Laing Principal James Whitehair, Jr. stand with the ship-to-shore container crane model presented as a gift to the school.
Having submitted a winning entry last school year in the Port's 2016 "Name the Cranes Contest," sixth-grade student Jacob Blackburn attended the ceremony to accept the model on behalf of the school. Blackburn's "Cranebob Bluepants," along with Laing classmate Annabelle Horton's "Heavy Metal," were the Port's first neo-Panamax cranes, delivered in August 2016 to enable the Port to efficiently work large container ships.

"It's a privilege for the Port to engage with local schools to help students learn about Port operations," said Barbara Melvin, SCPA Senior Vice President of Operations and Terminals. "We're pleased to join ZPMC in the presentation of this gift to Laing and will continue to involve students and the community in the exciting changes underway at our terminals to prepare for big ships and accommodate Port growth."  

The Port is hosting the ZPMC delegation for tours of the Wando Welch Terminal and the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal, the Port's new container terminal under construction. ZPMC is the world's leading ship-to-shore container crane manufacturer and has supplied cranes for both of SCPA's existing container facilities, the Wando Welch and North Charleston terminals. The company will also manufacture all of the ship-to-shore cranes for the Leatherman Terminal, which will open in 2021.