South Carolina Ports (SC Ports) has improved its infrastructure and capacity to meet continuingly high demand and rising retail imports.
In a statement, SC Ports said its board of directors has approved a plan for the fiscal year 2022, 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022, and a capital spending plan of $349.4 million to improve container handling equipment and IT infrastructure.
Examples include further modernisation of the Wando Welch Terminal to handle mega-ships and increasing rail capacity at Inland Port Greer and the inland port in Upstate South Carolina.
SC Ports will also invest in a chassis pool to ensure motor carriers can quickly access quality chassis, increasing safety and efficiency.
SC Ports Board Chairman Bill Stern recognized SC Ports’ team, the broader maritime community, SC Ports’ board members and legislative partners for their dedication and foresight during a challenging year.
“The ability to keep freight moving would not be possible without a truly great team, as well as the support of our board members and many partners,” Stern said.
“SC Ports’ fiscal year 2022 financial plan is a thoughtful approach to continue the successes and growth seen over the past year.
“We will continue investing in port infrastructure to handle the biggest ships and growing cargo volumes, ensuring SC Ports remains a top 10 U.S. container port.”
The new plan projects an overall traffic of 1.475 million containers, which would build on SC Ports’ performance in fiscal year 2021, with a particularly strong showing in its inland port business and containerised segment.
Loaded imports were up 45.6% year-on-year (YoY) in May 2021 and up 21.6% from May 2019. Much of this growth stems from the pandemic-related shifts in buying habits, with a bigger focus on retail products and home goods.
SC Ports President and CEO Jim Newsome said, “While the pandemic has created incredible supply chain challenges globally amid unprecedented demand, SC Ports provides a great service and remains focused on finding solutions to meet our customers’ needs.
“As we look to fiscal year 2022, we plan to continue investing in our port to provide more capacity and reliability for our customers as we grow above the market.”
