GPA receives ecommerce investment boost

At the Port of Savanna, national furniture supplier Noble House will build a 630,000 square-foot facility, while home accessories company Best Choice will build a 345,000 square feet base.

“We’re expanding on all fronts,” GPA executive director, Griff Lynch, said during his annual State of the Port Address. “We’re adding market share through organic growth and the addition of new accounts, and we’re building the new infrastructure necessary to continue processing this cargo with world-class efficiency.”

Increased distribution space

Mr Lynch said the new customers will bring a combined 1m sq ft of additional distribution centre space to Savanna.

This is in addition to 3m sq ft of distribution centre space completed within the last year, and 5.2m sq ft currently under construction.

E-commerce is a growing opportunity for Georgia as companies take advantage of cost savings related to landing cargo closer to population centres in the Eastern US, Mr Lynch said.

8.3% tonnage growth

GPA saw growth of 8.3% in total tonnage across all terminals during Fiscal Year 2017. Savannah handled 3.85m teus and Brunswick moved 607,000 auto and machinery units.

Mr Lynch said the port authority also has plans for a USD$128m mega-rail project to provide additional track which will allow the GPA to better handle 10,000-foot long unit trains.

The project aims to position Savannah to rapidly increase service to inland markets. Construction is expected to begin in Q1 2018. Completion is anticipated to be at the end of 2020.

Other projects include the Appalachian Regional Port inland rail yard, which on completion in 2018 will cut Atlanta truck traffic by 50,000 trips per year and expand GPA’s reach into Tennessee, Northeast Alabama and parts of Kentucky.

GPA will add six truck lanes to its current gate structure, giving Garden City Terminal a total of 54 lanes, a 12.5% increase.