Let's face it. Flexibility, seamless transport and the requirement to move cargo faster and more cost-efficient than the competition are the demands that echo throughout every facet of the transportation industry.

Garden City Terminal, I-95 and I-16

        Beyond the billions invested in landside and harborside infrastructure, every port faces the challenge of sustaining and growing cargo volume. The biggest winners among U.S. ports have been those that have been able to think beyond the berth and the gate as strategic links in the logistics chain. The proven winner among East Coast ports is unmistakably the Port of Savannah.

Fifteen years ago Savannah's first retail import distribution center opened its doors -- Pier I Imports. Since that time the Georgia Ports Authority has moved aggressively to establish Savannah as the most dominant retail port in the U.S. South Atlantic. Savannah area DC's have expanded over the last decade to include "big name, high-volume" import retailers such as Best Buy, the Bombay Company, Dollar Tree, Fred's, Kmart, The Home Depot, Hugo Boss, Lowes Home Improvement, Michael's, and Wal-Mart.
        Together, Savannah-area import distribution centers control nine million sq. ft. (836,100 sq. m.) of covered storage and account for between 300,000 and 325,000 TEUs annually.
        "To put their impact on our operations into perspective, we anticipate handling 1.6 million TEUs in calendar year 2003, with DC activity representing one out of three loaded containers transiting the Garden City Terminal's docks," stated Doug J. Marchand, Executive Director, Georgia Ports Authority.
        Added Marchand, "Our success in attracting high-volume import retailers is directly tied to Savannah's dominance as the primary U.S. South Atlantic gateway for Asian imports. We maintain a portfolio of forty-one ocean carriers providing 14 weekly ocean carrier services to and from Asia. Sixty-five percent of Asian based cargo transiting the U.S. South Atlantic, a majority DC related, moves via Savannah."
        The Port of Savannah's ability to attract distribution center activity goes far beyond Garden City Terminal's "single-terminal" design, far beyond the extensive portfolio of Asian carrier services. To understand the success behind Savannah's marketability, you have to take these two proven advantages and package them with four key selling points – location, land, labor and links.
        Is there access to a deepwater container facility? Can that facility grow to meet the retailer's present and future import volume? Is the location conducive to service provider options? Without a doubt Savannah easily meets these criteria. Savannah's geography alone is a gateway to over 70 percent of the U.S. population.
        Savannah's vast inventory of land resources in close proximity to the Garden City Terminal continues to pose considerable problems for South Atlantic competition. "We have the necessary land to construct and expand large-scale operations for the present and foreseeable future," stated Stacy Watson, GPA Manager of Economic & Industrial Development.
        A successful DC operation is only as good as the labor that services it. Savannah area DCs, as well as inland hubs such as Atlanta, enjoy a workforce versed in the critical logistics skills needed to move retail goods.
        "Beyond the issues of geography, land and labor, without the proper intermodal links to facilitate cargo flow, everything else is meaningless. We're fortunate to offer access to two Class I railroads, as well as immediate access to two major Interstates, I-95 (North/South) and I-16 (East/West). In fact, the Georgia highway system is ranked among the best in the U.S. We owe this recognition to state leadership for its commitment, vision and understanding of the importance of a strong Interstate system to Georgia's marketability," stated Watson.

During the late '90s, the GPA began identifying the strengths and weaknesses of not only Savannah, but also that of its competition. The GPA analyzed the distribution strategies of port-users throughout its 26-state hinterland, while also identifying their primary intermodal links. The GPA also examined the regional and local operations corresponding to the port's key intermodal providers.
        Findings revealed operational inefficiencies out of the GPA's direct control that were impacting cargo delivery and hampering growth opportunities. The data identified delays in off-terminal Class I rail operations that centered upon the additional time needed to mingle domestic and international freight for inland transport. These delays resulted in one to two additional transit days to a number of strategic inland destinations. The findings also revealed similar delays experienced in competing U.S. South Atlantic and Gulf ports.
        To improve rail service, the GPA opted to construct an on-terminal "intermodal container transfer facility," or ICTF. The ICTF's success evolves around the GPA's ability to build dedicated unit trains consisting of international containers only. With reduced labor costs and transit time reductions, Class I providers are able to more aggressively promote service options via Savannah. Today, service includes overnight delivery to Atlanta and 2 to 4 day delivery to inland hubs such as Chicago, Charlotte, Memphis and Dallas.

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