Officials from the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), the Georgia Governor and Cordele Intermodal Services (CIS) have signed an agreement to establish an inland port.
Designed to create and expand international markets for regional businesses, the Cordele Inland Port ensures a direct 200-mile rail route to and from GPA's Garden City Terminal in Savannah, state and GPA, according to a press release.
The inland port will serve as a gateway to southwest Georgia and adjacent regions in Florida and Alabama. It will also provide direct container rail service to and from the Ports of Brunswick and Savannah.
The inland port is located on 40 acres in the Crisp County Industrial Park with an option of expanding up to 1,200 acres. It is less than a mile from major highways.
“This new partnership provides our customers direct access to 38 weekly shipping services, connecting the region to vibrant global export markets,” said GPA Executive Director Curtis Foltz.
CIS President Jonathan Lafevers added: “Large shippers in Albany and Tifton, Ga., Montgomery and Mobile, Ala., and Tallahassee, Fla., will benefit from our services.
“The inland port concept has also generated tremendous interest in the Cordele area from shippers and other logistics-based companies looking to relocate near our facility.”