NEW PORTS LEADERSHIP CREATING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR STATE

A series of forward-thinking changes implemented at the South Carolina Ports Authority earlier this year are yielding the state some significant financial rewards.

On Wednesday, the SPA announced it had signed a major 20-year contract with a South Carolina-based biofuel producer at the under-used Port of Georgetown.

The Charleston Post and Courier reported that Carolina-Pacific will launch its wood-pellet exporting business there in October, with 66,000 metric tons of product shipped in the first year to European markets as an energy source. The company will also occupy more than 100,000 square feet of warehouse space at the port.

The operation will employ as many as a dozen people in the warehouse initially plus a yet-to-be-determined number of dockworkers.

In a state that ranks fourth nationally in unemployment, every bit of economic development helps. And a significant contract like this offers hope for the estimated 264,957 South Carolinians who are currently out of a job.

The deal also shows that South Carolina’s ports — a vital part of the state’s economy — are back on the right track.

Much of the success is due to the new leadership of Chairman David Posek and Vice-Chairman Bill Stern, who have worked tirelessly to ensure that one of the state’s greatest financial assets flourishes.