SC Ports president touts capabilities and future plans for booming Southeast

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – The president and CEO of South Carolina Ports called the state’s ports a “strong gateway” for shippers in the “thriving U.S. Southeast market.”

Barbara Melvin delivered her third State of the Port address Wednesday afternoon at SC Ports’ Columbus Street Terminal in downtown Charleston.

She told a crowd of about 1,200 people that SC Ports is strategically investing in port infrastructure to support the region’s growth.

“The investments we are making today in our port complex will support tremendous growth in the Southeast today and in the decades to come,” Melvin said. “With more than $3 billion invested in port infrastructure, SC Ports is perfectly positioned to be the port of choice on the U.S. East Coast.”

SC Ports has three large ship terminals, two rail-bound inland ports and a freight yard near the port that is under construction. She also pointed to last-mile ports under construction, the deepest port on the U.S. East Coast at 52 feet and a total of 10 million TEUs on the horizon.

A TEU is a 20-foot equivalent unit, a measure of cargo capacity that is approximately the same as the capacity of a standard 20-foot freight container.

“SC Ports is a high-performing port with the capacity and capabilities to support our customers’ growth,” said Melvin. “South Carolina’s maritime community provides our customers with highly productive, reliable operations and world-class service every day, ensuring smooth supply chains and the success of their businesses.”

She said the reopening of the Hugh Leatherman Terminal opens up an additional 700,000 TEUs in the Port of Charleston and a 1,400-foot berth, which she said provides greater flexibility and flexibility for companies that rely on the port.

Melvin announced Wednesday that expansion plans for the Leatherman Terminal are underway, including the construction of a second 1,600-foot-long berth for the terminal’s wharf, creating a total of 3,000 feet of berth for mega container ships.

When fully developed, the Leatherman Terminal will have three berths and a total capacity of 2.4 million TEU.

This state-of-the-art container terminal is already ready for large vessels with five ship-to-shore cranes located 169 feet above the quay and 25 hybrid RTG cranes, SC Ports said in a press release.

“Working with the (International Longshoremen’s Association), employers and the greater maritime community, we are once again providing outstanding port service at Leatherman Terminal for the benefit of our shipping line and cargo owner customers, expanding critical capacity on the U.S. East Coast,” Melvin said. “We welcomed our first weekly First in Asia service with ZIM, with many more to come. We now have a stronger partnership with the ILA and we are all growing together.”

SC Ports says expansions and upgrades planned or completed at its three container terminals are close to 10 million TEUs at the Port of Charleston, an unmatched asset in the Southeast port market.

A 2023 SC Ports Economic Impact Study found that port activities support one in nine jobs in the state, compared to one in 10 in 2019.

The total economic impact of the South Carolina Ports is $86.7 billion annually, supporting 260,020 jobs and $17.6 billion in labor income, the study said. Up to 73.2% of all cargo exported through SC Ports comes from South Carolina-based companies.

The Southeastern United States is projected to experience greater population increases than any other U.S. region by 2040, and South Carolina has the second highest projected population growth at 22.5%.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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