Griff Lynch News

The US Port of Savannah has taken delivery of four Super Post-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes, upgrading the crane fleet to 34 machines at Garden City Terminal after four older cranes are retired and recycled.Along with the completion of our project to improve Berth 1, these cranes will help deliver faster turn times to our ocean carrier customers, including the largest vessels calling on the U.S. East Coast, said Griff Lynch, Georgia Ports Authority president and CEO. “No other terminal in the nation can bring more cranes to bear…

Dredging work to deepen Savannah Harbor has wrapped up, reducing tidal restrictions for mega-ships transiting the Savannah River to clear the way for expedited cargo movement.Dredging for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project started in September 2015, adding five feet in depth to the shipping channel. Initial feasibility studies for the harbor deepening began in 1997.“After more than 20 years in the making, we are thrilled to mark this accomplishment today,” said Griff Lynch, executive director of the Georgia Ports Authority.

On Monday at the Port of Savannah, representatives from Gateway Terminals, the International Longshoremen’s Association and the Georgia Ports Authority joined to mark the first container moved under the direction of Gateway, a new joint venture company combining locally the three legacies of Ports America, Ceres Marine Terminals and SSA Atlantic.Ports America, Ceres Marine Terminals and SSA Atlantic have consolidated container terminal, truck gate and stevedoring services under Gateway Terminals to streamline their activities.

The Port of Savannah is bringing online 400,000 TEUs of annual container capacity at just the time when many port customers are seeking new storage options."With slowing demand related to the coronavirus, port users need space to stage their cargo until that demand returns," said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch. "With these new container stack areas, Savannah is delivering the flexibility our customers need."GPA recently added container slots totaling nearly 5,000 TEUs of space to its operation.

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has plans for a new container port on Hutchinson Island to increase the capacity of the Port of Savannah, Georgia, USA. The planned expansion will double the port’s annual capacity from 5.5 million TEUs to 11 million TEUs and the facility will be able to handle 2.5 million TEUs of cargo annually The new container port occupy a 200-acre area directly opposite Ocean Terminal in Savannah.GPA executive director Griff Lynch commented: “The market has clearly chosen the Port of Savannah as the south-eastern hub for containerized trade.

The Port of Savannah set a record for intermodal cargo last month, handling 47,255 rail lifts, an increase of 10.5% over July of last year.According to Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), over the past three years, the Port of Savannah has grown its rail volume by 35.4 percent, completing more than 507,000 intermodal lifts in the fiscal year that ended in June.“We’re moving containers from ship to outgoing rail in less than 24 hours at the Port of Savannah,” said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. “That world-class service is why we’re capturing more business to inland destinations, and converting more cargo from truck to rail.”The Port of Savannah handled 47…

Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) announced that the Port of Savannah moved a record 4.5 million twenty-foot equivalent container units in the fiscal year that ended June 30, an increase of more than 305,000 TEUs, or 7.3 percent.“Our ports are firing on all cylinders,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “This success is a testament to the men and women who work throughout our entire supply chain and make a difference for Georgia and the nation every day. Because of their commitment, our factories, farms and logistics providers are creating opportunity and prosperity in every corner of our state.”For the first time ever, GPA handled more than half a million container lifts to rail, growing that number by more than 72,000, or 16.6 percent.

The Port of Savannah will soon be able to unload six 14,000 TEU vessels at the same time. The plan, which is called “Big Berth, Big Ship”, effectively doubles the port’s capacity to handle mega-boxships. Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) Executive Director Griff Lynch unveiled the new program that will allow the Port of Savannah to simultaneously handle six 14,000 TEU vessels by 2024, a press release said.“No other single container terminal in North America has the ability to expand berth capacity at this rate,” said Lynch. Currently, Savannah’s Garden City Terminal is equipped to handle two of these vessels and by April of this year that number will increase to three.Port of Savannah had just last week achieved the busiest month ever in its history…

Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia has announced the Telluride, its new eight-passenger SUV, will be shipped to the Port of Brunswick for global markets this month.“The launch of the Kia Telluride, our largest and most refined SUV to date, will be a monumental achievement for KMMG,” said Countess. “From the support we receive from GPA with our inbound parts from our global supply chain to supporting our export of finished vehicles to current and future markets, GPA will play an important role.”Through vertical integration – parts in via Savannah, autos out via Brunswick – Kia takes advantage of Georgia’s extensive road and rail infrastructure…

As infrastructure expands to handle new business, the Port of Savannah moved more than 350,000 twenty-foot equivalent container units in December. Nine of the Georgia Ports Authority's 10 busiest months were in 2018. The Port of Savannah moved 4.35 million twenty-foot equivalent container units in Calendar Year 2018, its highest annual volume ever, and a 7.5 percent increase over 2017, according to a report from Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch to the GPA Board Tuesday.

The Georgia Ports Authority is on track to reach 4.36 million twenty-foot equivalent container units handled in 2018, its highest volumes ever in a calendar year. The performance would mean an increase of 8 percent (312,385 TEUs) compared to CY2017.“Cargo expansion related to growth in inland markets, as well as increased demand right here in the U.S. Southeast have shifted the global logistics arena in Savannah’s favor, with more port users choosing to serve their customers via Georgia’s deepwater terminals,” said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch.For Calendar Year 2018 through November, the Port of Savannah has handled 4 million twenty-foot equivalent container units, up from 3.72 million over the same period last year.

The Port of Savannah moved more container cargo in October than any other month in its history, with 413,800 twenty-foot equivalent container units crossing its docks.Containerized trade at the Port of Savannah has increased by 8 percent for the fiscal year to date (July-Oct. 2018), totaling 1.53 million TEUs – up 113,000 compared to the same period last year.“A booming economy, strong consumer confidence and an expanding customer base have resulted in record trade through the Port of Savannah,” said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch. “I would like to congratulate Georgia Ports employees, the International Longshoremen’s…

The Georgia Ports Authority achieved a 12 percent increase in containerized trade at the Port of Savannah in September, along with a 37.6 percent increase in roll-on/roll-off trade at the Port of Brunswick.“The impressive volumes moving through our deepwater terminals are related to our customers building inventory for the peak buying season,” said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. “We anticipate year-on-year growth to continue as we’re trending toward a strong fourth quarter of the calendar year.”Marking 23 consecutive months of growth, the Port of Savannah handled 364,090 twenty-foot equivalent container units last month, an increase of nearly 39,000 TEUs over September 2017. GPA ended the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2019 (July-September) with 1.1 million TEUs handled.

The Georgia Port Authority (GPA) has unveiled a $2.5 billion plan to expand the capacity at the Port of Savannah to 8 million TEUs by 2028.GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch at the Savannah State of the Port detailed GPA’s 10-year,  $2.5 billion plan to expand the capacity of the nation’s fastest growing and single largest container terminal from 5.5 million twenty-foot equivalent unit containers (TEUs) to 8 million, said a press release.“We’re preparing to redefine the Port of Savannah as not simply the load center for the Southeastern U.S., but as the port of choice for major inland markets east of the Mississippi River,” Lynch said.During his presentation to nearly 1,400 people, including Gov.

Gov. Nathan Deal, state officials and more than 350 business and civic leaders were on hand today to officially open the Appalachian Regional Port (ARP) in Northwest Georgia.“The Appalachian Regional Port is a powerful new gateway to the Port of Savannah that extends the efficiencies of Georgia’s superior port operations to new markets,” Deal said. “It will also serve as an economic development magnet, drawing business and industry to the Southeast U.S.”Located in Murray County, the new state-of-the-art facility will provide logistics solutions for customers in a four-state region and remove an estimated 50,000 trucks and 15 million…

The Georgia Ports Authority achieved 14 percent growth in March container volumes, moving 355,208 Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit containers. For the fiscal year to date (July-March), TEU container trade grew by 9 percent, or 255,786 additional units for a total of 3.08 million, a new record for Savannah. "Savannah's continued strength is a reflection of our customers' commitment, Georgia's leadership, and the many dedicated service providers, GPA employees and ILA members who come together every day to achieve great things," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. "March marked our 17th consecutive month of business expansion thanks, in part…

The Georgia Ports Authority broke ground on its $126.7 million Mason Mega Rail Terminal Monday. The expansion will increase the Port of Savannah's rail lift capacity to 1 million containers per year, and open new markets spanning an arc of cities from Memphis to St. Louis, Chicago to Cincinnati. "Today is a great day for Georgia and the nation," said Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. The Mega Rail ground breaking is the latest in a series of Gov. Deal's signature projects designed to make Georgia the transportation and logistics hub of North America - which include the recent announcement of 50 percent completion of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, a new inland terminal in Northwest Georgia, and a $10 billion statewide transportation improvement plan.

The first of Georgia Ports Authority’s four new Neo-Panamax cranes came online this week, bringing GPA’s operating fleet to 27 — more than any other single terminal in the nation. “Georgia’s ports are dedicated to staying a step ahead of market demand,” said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. The super-sized crane is tall enough to lift containers 152 feet above the dock. The crane started work before dawn Wednesday on a 13,300 twenty-foot equivalent container unit Hapag Lloyd vessel. Crane operators moved an estimated 2,700 containers on and off the ship during its time at the Port of Savannah. Designed by Konecranes of Finland, these massive cranes can work the largest ships now calling the U.S. East Coast, reaching across vessels up to 22 containers wide.

Governor Nathan Deal, Port of Savannah officials and the maritime community were on hand to welcome the COSCO Development, the largest containership to ever call on the U.S. East Coast as it handled 5,500 containers, a record for Georgia’s ports. “This is another example of how the Port of Savannah is the gateway not just for the U.S. Southeast, but for America’s East Coast,” said Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. During the ship’s 30 hours at dock, up to six cranes moved 10,000 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent container Units) on and off the vessel, which translated into more than 50 percent of the vessel’s entire volume for its maiden voyage to the U.S. East Coast. With a capacity of 13,092 twenty-foot equivalent container units, the Development measures 1,201 feet long and 158 feet wide.

The largest containership ever to serve the U.S. East Coast, the 14,414 TEU CMA CGM Theodore Roosevelt, called the Port of Savannah on Friday. Working the vessel with seven cranes at the 1,200-acre Garden City Terminal, the Port of Savannah is expected to move 4,500 containers (approximately 8,000 TEUs) on and off the ship. The GPA will work six other vessels simultaneous to the Roosevelt. “Not only do these massive ships play to Savannah's strengths, they actually make us more efficient,” said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch.

Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) Executive Director Griff Lynch said the GPA increased auto processing capacity at Colonel’s Island Terminal by 50 percent over the past 12 months, all of which has been absorbed by processors and manufacturers. The Port of Brunswick now has an annual capacity of 800,000 vehicles. “Since last year, we’ve been implementing an aggressive growth plan, enabling GPA and our auto processing partners to win new customers and capture greater market share,” Lynch said. The Roll-on/Roll-off terminal has expanded from 60,000 spaces in 2016 to 90,000 spaces today, for a total capacity of 800,000 cars per year. The additional space already has been absorbed by auto processors Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, Mercedes and International Auto Processors.

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has approved the rail and gate expansion projects that will significantly boost capacity at the Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal - North America’s biggest container terminal. “A strong Southeast U.S. economy, on-terminal expansion, and investment by private logistics firms throughout the region have resulted in phenomenal growth for Georgia,” said Executive Director Griff Lynch. “But these record volumes could not have been possible without the tireless dedication of the men and women responsible for moving this cargo. In addition to record container volumes, Lynch reported to the Board that total tonnage for all terminals climbed by 25 percent, from 2.6 million to 3.2 million tons, for an additional 661,290 tons of cargo.

Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch outlined a plan that will double container handling capacity to 10 million TEUs at Garden City Terminal within 10 years. "Georgia is home to both the single largest container and roll-on/roll-off facilities in North America," Lynch said. Lynch provided an overview of GPA's 2028 Plan that calls for 42 ship-to-shore cranes, 200 yard cranes, new RTG lanes and significant intermodal expansion in Savannah. The GPA will soon open its second inland terminal in Northwest Georgia and break ground on the Mason Mega Rail project at Garden City Terminal. Combined, both intermodal projects will open new markets while significantly reducing rail crossings and over the road freight through Savannah, Atlanta and beyond.