SAVANNAH — In its busiest April ever, the Georgia Ports Authority moved 364,481 20-foot equivalent container units (TEUs), pushing its fiscal year-to-date totals to 3.7 million, an increase of 8.7 percent (300,815)compared to the same period in FY2018.
As the No. 1 East Coast port for forest products, the Port of Savannah handled 6.7 million tons of U.S. forestry exports in Fiscal Year 2018.
Timber and lumber are a major economic driver in the U.S., especially in Georgia, where the forestry industry generates $32.2 billion in annual economic impact. With 22 million acres of commercially available, private timberland, Georgia is consistently ranked as the top forestry state in the nation.
The state is home to nearly 1,400 forest product manufacturers, supporting more than 147,000 jobs. Major forest products exporters through Georgia’s ports include Interfor, International Paper Company, Georgia Pacific, Rayonier, FR Meyers Sohn and Georgia Paper.
One of the world’s largest providers of lumber products, Interfor has enjoyed more than 150 percent growth in revenues since 2013. Interfor’s corporate office in Peachtree City, just south of Atlanta, serves as the hub for its Southeast operations. The company operates 18 mills in North America, half of them in the Southeast. More than 1,000 Interfor employees go to work each day in Georgia.
The Port of Savannah is an important part of growing Interfor’s export business, said Craig Dohm, vice president of logistics.
“The port’s proximity to our operations enable efficient and economical land transportation,” Dohm said.
The efficiency with which the Georgia Ports Authority manages containers to overseas markets is also a real advantage for Interfor’s long-term success, Dohm said.
“The port and the supply chain partners that support it provide very good customer service. Our business is important to them, and they are always interested in meeting our needs to grow business,” Dohm said.
Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 439,000 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $25 billion in income, $106 billion in revenue and $2.9 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy. The Port of Savannah handled 8.5 percent of U.S. containerized cargo volume and 10 percent of all U.S. containerized exports in FY2017.
For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Senior Director of Corporate Communications Robert Morris at (912) 964-3855 or rmorris@gaports.com.
