The Georgia Ports Authority last week exhibited plans for its upcoming state-of-the-art intermodal container transfer facility (ICTF) at the 17th annual Intermodal Expo at the Georgia World Congress Center.
The facility, which will be the only one of its kind on the East Coast, is to increase international trade through the Port of Savannah by making ship-to-train container transfers faster and simpler, said Herman Brown Jr., district manager for Atlanta at the ports authority.
The ICTF, which is scheduled to be open by the fall, will span more than 150 acres next to the existing facility and will cut out up to 24 hours between the transferring of containers from ships to railroads, he said.
The Expo exhibit preludes an international advertising campaign, titled “Seamless in Savannah,” set to begin in May. The campaign will target Asia, particularly China, Northern Europe, Latin America and the U.S. The ports authority is especially interested in increasing business with China, said Mr. Brown.
“Asia already accounts for about 48% of our business,” he said, “ and with increased trade with China, the numbers will continue to grow.”
The East Coast receives a large amount of Asian shipments due to the lack of railroads on the West Coast, said Mr. Brown, something that is not likely to change any time soon.
The Port of Savannah will also be important for trade with Latin America, he said. The Georgia Ports Authority opened an office in Buenos Aires four years ago.
Contact Mr. Brown at (770) 751-8921 or visit the Web site at http://www.gaports.com