GEORGIA:
MAGNET FOR GROWTH
Atlanta—Kalinowski has capitalized on Georgia’s rich logistics resources to achieve remarkable growth. He believes the strength of the Georgia logistics environment—along with treating his team members as partners in the business—will keep the company thriving long into the future. “When I meet with prospective companies, I sell the culture of our workforce and our ability to solve problems,” Kalinowski says. “Atlanta has such a great logistics network. It really gives us an edge, being here in Atlanta. There’s a lot of opportunity here.” FOCUSING ON PORTS AND PROGRESS Georgia’s logistics assets acted quickly and effectively to meet the pandemic-related challenges of all types of infrastructure faced with surging consumer demand. Case in point: Georgia Ports. Aside from the period affected by the pandemic, 2023 was the best calendar year on record for containerized trade for Georgia Ports, according to the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), which oversees the state’s two deep-water ports and three inland terminals. “Georgia Ports’ demand for containerized imports normalized since the end of the pandemic,” says GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch, who adds that GPA is using this time to invest in capacity for future needs. “GPA is committed to investing $4.2 billion in the next 10 years,” Lynch says. “With the new year, we are beginning to see renewed strength in container volumes, which should result in more favorable comparisons moving forward the next six months.” In terms of roll-on/roll-off (Ro/Ro) cargo, the Port of Brunswick handled a record 775,565 units of autos and machinery in calendar year 2023, an increase of 15.6% over the previous year. At its current rate of growth, the Port of Brunswick is poised to become the nation’s busiest gateway for Ro/Ro cargo. Expanding both trade and capability at the flagship ports of Savannah and Brunswick is part of a two-pillar strategy at GPA, with Savannah focused on containers and Brunswick focused on Ro/
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Ro trade. Both pillars of GPA’s business will be positively impacted by the growth of manufacturing in Georgia, such as the new Hyundai Meta Plant now under construction in Elabell, on the outskirts of Savannah. BOOSTING CAPACITY Because the threat of supply chain disruption is a constant, GPA’s infrastructure investment philosophy is to have 20% more capacity than the current cargo demand, thus enabling its terminals to better absorb sudden influxes, Lynch says. Capacity-building projects include Garden City Terminal West at the Port of Savannah, which will add 100 acres and 1 million TEUs of annual capacity adjacent to Garden City Terminal proper. Now 70% complete, the yard will offer a new, long-term storage option for port customers to help them flex to supply chain demands. GPA also is expanding its inland port offerings. Along with the existing Appalachian Regional Port in Northwest Georgia, GPA is building the Blue Ridge Connector rail terminal near Gainesville, Georgia. Additionally, North Carolina importers and exporters can tap into a faster supply chain through a direct rail connection between Savannah and Rocky Mount, North Carolina, via the CSX Carolina Connector (CCX) intermodal
terminal. Supporting GPA’s intermodal cargo expansion is the Mason Mega Rail Terminal in Savannah, a foundational gateway terminal component. Lynch credits state infrastructure improvements for making the ports’ growth possible. “GPA has been able to add capacity because of unmatched room for expansion on the 1,500-acre Garden City Terminal in Savannah and the 1,700- acre Colonel’s Island Ro/Ro Terminal at the Port of Brunswick,” he says. “GPA has strong partners in the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Georgia Department of Economic Development in terms of building a robust statewide freight transportation system, and attracting companies to build or expand in Georgia,” Lynch adds. “Both help to drive business through Georgia Ports. Georgia is a truly integrated state when it comes to attracting and keeping business.” PROVIDING KNOWLEDGE AND POWER Prominent among the vast array of Georgia’s unique logistics resources is SMC³, a one-stop knowledge hub for everything less-than-truckload (LTL). Shippers, carriers, logistics service and technology providers rely on SMC³ to translate intricate LTL transportation pricing and transit detail into data- centric solutions, spanning the entire shipment life cycle.
42 Inbound Logistics • March 2024
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