John Powers, special to the AJOT The growth statistics are at the same time both extremely impressive and contrary to the norm. While other US ports posted moderate growth to actual declines in calendar year 2007, Savannah grew by a robust 20.6%, increasing container throughput to 2.6 million TEUs. These figures stand out particularly in the US South Atlantic Range where in 2007 neighboring ports saw volumes drop by 7.6% to 10.9%. Notwithstanding economic conditions and the position of the US dollar, Savannah continued to buck the trend during Fiscal Year 2008 (July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008). Savannah outperformed other ports with its container increases. As recently as October 2006, the GPA attained its first 200,000-TEU month. In Fiscal Year 2008, that level was achieved in each of the 12 months. This success extends throughout GPA’s terminal network, including Bainbridge, Brunswick and Columbus. During calendar year 2007, combined traffic through these facilities reached nearly 26 million tons, representing a 17.5% increase over the previous year. While traditional import flows from Asia continue to predominate, a surge in exports and the emergence of new trade lanes and partner markets contributed heavily. Specifically, outbound shipments to the Mediterranean increased substantially, and two-way traffic with the Indian Subcontinent mushroomed. At the heart of GPA’s success story was a decision made a decade and a half ago to entice major import distribution centers to Savannah. The Georgia Ports Authority presented a compelling case based upon population concentrations and projections, infrastructure, access to consumers, transit costs and times and availability of port-proximate, developable land. The fruits of this strategy bear names such as The Home Depot, Pier 1 Imports, Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, Heineken, Hasbro, Avon, IKEA and Target. In the classic logistics chicken-egg scenario, ocean carriers in large numbers were compelled by these major shippers to offer frequent, shortest-transit services via Savannah. In short order, additional distribution center operators added multiple, competitive ocean transportation options to the list of good reasons to do business through the Savannah gateway. In a more recent trend, warehouse operators and third-party logistics providers have created a construction boom targeting small-medium shippers, as well as larger importers disinclined to invest in bricks and mortar. Further contributing to the port’s popularity among ocean carriers is Savannah’s unique balance of import and export traffic. Where equipment imbalances and lengthy drays of empty containers are the order of the day in many locations, Savannah offers ocean carriers the ability to optimize usage and profitability. A more recent development in Savannah’s ocean carrier portfolio is the emergence of all-water services between the port and Asia via the Suez Canal. As manufacturers have looked further west in Asia for low-cost production centers, a whole new series of freight origins have emerged - Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and even points in the Middle East, to name a few. Ocean miles and ease of canal transit make the Suez a logical alternative to traditional routing via the Panama Canal. At the close of 2008, seven Savannah carriers added Suez services to their sailings, with 21 carrier options calling Asia via both canals. Volumes approaching 3 million TEUs leave no room for error on the terminal operations side of the equation. Savannah has responded with its ultra-sophisticated Garden City Terminal, an integrated, single-location facility that is the nation’s largest. Its vital statistics read 1,200 acres, nearly 10,000 linear feet of berthing and nine berths. A total of 19 container cranes (4 more to arrive during first quarter 2009) permit multi-craning and optimize turnaround for the 1,600-plus container vessels calling Savannah annually. Doug Marchand, GPA Executive Director, points to the single-terminal concept as a key edge for the port, “In this res