SCPA Opens New Terminal HQ

CHARLESTON, SC – January 29, 2019 – Today South Carolina Ports Authority celebrated the dedication of a new headquarters building at the Wando Welch Terminal with its Board of Directors, local leaders, business partners and employees.

“The Port’s new headquarters offers a single, modern campus for employees with direct access to our biggest operating terminal, the Wando Welch,” said SCPA president and CEO Jim Newsome. “The building design provides a open floor plan to support cross-functional internal communications, allowing our team to better collaborate and serve the needs of our customers and stakeholders.”

The 80,000-square-foot building consolidates approximately 160 employees working from multiple office locations in the Charleston area. The building design features a glass atrium in the lobby extending up all four floors and a terrazzo floor pattern depicting the Charleston Peninsula and waterways. Artwork throughout the building is provided by local artists.

The Port’s employee wellness focus is reflected in numerous aspects of the headquarters, including an on-site fitness center and ¾ mile walking trail surrounding the building campus, on-site primary care and occupational health services provided by MUSC Health, a cafeteria and sit-to-stand desks in all employee workstations and offices.

The building’s numerous sustainability benefits include an energy monitoring system to optimize usage, low-flow plumbing fixtures, high performance glazing on the windows and external sun shades, a high-efficiency HVAC system and components, and high-efficiency LED lighting.

The design-build project was completed by Choate Construction and LS3P.

Local Students Name Container Cranes

At the headquarters dedication ceremony, two Charleston elementary students were recognized for their winning entries in a Port contest to name new container cranes at the Wando Welch Terminal.

From over 300 entries, a team of SCPA employees selected the names “Momma Sapphire,” submitted by Sofia Morales from Sullivan’s Island Elementary School, and “Doctor Cranium,” submitted by Terrance Smalls from Hursey Elementary School.

In addition to painting the names on the container cranes, the Port will make a $500 donation to each school.

2018 Volumes

At their monthly meeting held earlier in the day, the SCPA Board reviewed the record volumes handled by the Port in 2018. SCPA’s container business grew six percent over the previous year, with a record-breaking 2.3 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) handled. The Port moved 199,701 TEUs in December alone, marking the strongest December in the Port’s history.

As measured by the total number of boxes handled, SCPA moved 114,018 pier containers in December and a total of 1.3 million pier containers in 2018.

Inland Port Greer handled 9,382 rail moves in December, pushing 2018 volume to 121,542 total rail moves. SCPA’s newest inland facility, Inland Port Dillon, posted its highest monthly volumes to date with 3,220 rail moves in December. The facility has handled 12,594 total moves since it opened in April 2018.

About South Carolina Ports Authority

South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), established by the state’s General Assembly in 1942, owns and operates public seaport and intermodal facilities in Charleston, Dillon, Georgetown and Greer. As an economic development engine for the state, Port operations facilitate 187,200 statewide jobs and generate nearly $53 billion annual economic activity. SCPA is soon to be home to the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast at 52 feet, and the Port is an industry leader in delivering speed-to-market, seamless processes and flexibility to ensure reliable operations, big ship handling, efficient market reach and environmental responsibility. For more information on SCPA, please visit www.scspa.com.

Source: 106.3WORD