Jimmy Allgood News

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…

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.

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.

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 (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 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.

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 Georgia Ports Authority achieved outstanding January results, with double-digit growth across all business sectors and a 26 percent increase in total tonnage. "The Port of Savannah is unrivaled in its connectivity into the heartland of the U.S. and the service excellence that port customers enjoy," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. Lynch credited those supply chain efficiencies for the record 3 million tons of cargo GPA moved in January, up 623,504 tons compared to the same month a year ago. Containerized trade saw strong growth, with 331,468 twenty-foot equivalent units crossing the docks at the Port of Savannah, up 16.2 percent, or 46,167 TEUs. Of that trade, loaded containers accounted for approximately 268,000 TEUs, also a record.

Today the Georgia Ports Authority announced the sale of 500 acres of property for commercial development to accommodate growing customer demand for warehousing, distribution and transload facilities near the Port of Savannah. The new development, located on five parcels of land at GPA's Savannah River International Trade Park, is less than five miles from the Garden City Container Terminal and can accommodate up to 5 million square feet of logistics space. "Today's announcement will help further establish Savannah as a gateway port for the U.S. Southeast and beyond," said Executive Director Griff Lynch. The project is just one mile from I-95 and will help fill a growing need to service a larger range of customers from the Southeast to the Midwest U.S.

The Georgia Ports Authority marked 12.3 percent container volume growth in December, moving 292,172 twenty-foot equivalent container units, an increase of 32,099 TEUs compared to December 2015, a record for the GPA. Roll-on/Roll-off cargo mirrored that growth, with a 12.3 percent increase (7,000 units) in passenger vehicles and heavy equipment handled at Colonel's Island terminal in Brunswick and Ocean Terminal in Savannah. Georgia's deepwater ports moved 63,967 Ro/Ro units last month.

Four new Super Post Panamax ship-to-shore cranes arrived at Garden City Terminal yesterday, bringing the Port of Savannah's total to 26, more than any other terminal in the U.S. "For customers, it means the capacity to move up to a thousand containers per hour across a single dock at America's largest terminal - allowing us to work more vessels, more quickly," said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch. Designed by Konecranes of Finland, these enormous cranes can work the largest ships calling on the U.S. East Coast, reaching across vessels 22 containers wide. "We're growing our crane fleet in order to stay ahead of demand," said GPA Chief Operating Officer Ed McCarthy.

Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch reported to the GPA board Monday fiscal year to date growth of 4 percent for loaded container traffic, moving 1.01 million twenty-foot equivalent container units, an increase of 40,545 TEUs compared to the same period in 2015. In October, the GPA handled 251,566 loaded TEUs, an increase of 5,876 TEUs, or 2.4 percent, to set an all-time GPA record for the month. "I would like to thank our customers for their continued confidence, and congratulate our entire team on this record growth, achieved despite challenges related to Hurricane Matthew and the Hanjin bankruptcy," Lynch said. Also on Monday, the board approved $4.27 million for the Savannah Multimodal Connector, a rail project pivotal to expanding GPA's service frontier westward.

At the annual State of the Port address hosted by the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce Wednesday, Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch announced a 100-acre expansion of the Colonel's Island auto terminal, and welcomed Logistec's announcement of the completion of 221,000 square feet of wood pellet storage at GPA's East River Terminal. "The additional 100 acres will allow GPA to grow along with our existing customers, and to attract additional carmakers to the nation's second busiest auto port," Lynch said. Twenty of the 100 acres are paved and in use by Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, while International Auto Processing has leased another 49 acres it will occupy by May 2017.

At the Georgia Ports Authority board meeting Monday, Executive Director Griff Lynch reported the GPA achieved an August record of 330,846 twenty-foot equivalent container units, a robust increase of 5 percent compared to August 2015. "August container unit volumes were the third highest in the Authority's history, behind April and May 2015 at the height of diverted cargo from the West Coast," Lynch said. Total cargo across all terminals reached 2.62 million tons in August, an increase of 117,470 tons, or 4.7 percent.

At its July board meeting, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) approved a spending package of $19.7 million to construct the Appalachian Regional Port in Chatsworth, Murray County, Ga. The funds consist of $10 million from the state of Georgia and $9.7 million from the GPA. In addition, CSX is making off-site improvements to facilitate the new inland port. Murray County purchased the land at a cost of $700,000 and deeded the site to GPA. For the land purchase, $500,000 came from a state economic development grant and $200,000 from the Murray County Economic Development Authority. "We would like to thank our Board of Directors, Governor Deal, the state of Georgia, Murray County and CSX Transportation for making this incredible partnership possible," said Executive Director Griff Lynch.

The Georgia Ports Authority has received a $44 million Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to increase rail capacity at the Port of Savannah. "I would like to thank the Georgia Congressional delegation, including Congressmen Buddy Carter and Rob Woodall, and Senators Johnny Isakson and David Perdue, for their dedicated support of this program," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. "As the nation's fourth busiest container port, Savannah's continued rail expansion is a key component to freight mobility in this country. The $44 million award, made possible through the Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects (NSFHP) Program…