Jim Newsome, President & CEO, The South Carolina State Ports Authority

October 14, 2013

Opening this month, the South Carolina Inland Port (SCIP) in Greer, SC will extend the reach of the South Carolina Ports Authority’s marine facilities more than 200 miles to the interior. The facility will improve the efficiency of international freight movements between the Port of Charleston and companies across the Southeast region while spurring additional economic investment in the area.

The Greer terminal will be linked to the Port of Charleston by the Norfolk Southern main rail line and is positioned along the rapidly growing I-85 corridor midway between the key markets of Charlotte and Atlanta. From the SCIP, shippers will have access to more than 94 million consumers within a one-day drive.

By utilizing rail, importers and exporters can maximize tonnage moved per gallon of fuel, providing both environmental benefits and cost savings. Shippers in the region also will benefit from proximate access to empty containers for loading export goods and the availability of intermodal chassis on site.

Jim Newsome: The Port of Charleston is the major strategic asset of South Carolina.  In a global sourcing/global manufacturing world, a port is a tremendous tool for business development.

0:00 – Overview of the Charleston Harbor assets

1:03 – The new terminal at the Navy Base; the new intermodal transfer facility

1:29 – The South Carolina Inland Port (SCIP) in Greer, SC

3:20 – The megatrends affecting the SCSPA

4:13 – Deepening the harbor