Georgia Ports Authority holds State of the Port

SAVANNAH, GA, USA – On September 15, Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), a World Trade Center Savannah Founding Investor Partner, held their annual State of the Port event where Executive Director Griff Lynch highlighted a new rail initiative and announced Floor & Decor’s plans for a 1.4 million square-foot distribution center complex. 

The rail initiative, ‘GPA’s Mid-American Arc,’ will focus on the growth of intermodal rail and help the Port of Savannah expand their reach into new markets across the Southeast and Midwestern U.S. In a GPA press release, Lynch commented on the initiative, “This enhancement of our rail capacity is a game-changer in the market to serve cities ranging in an arc from Atlanta to Memphis, St. Louis, Chicago and the Ohio Valley.” GPA’s Mid-American Arc will include a $128 million project to link two rail yards within the Garden City Terminal, improve efficiency and grow the terminal’s rail lift capacity to approximately 1 million containers each year. 

In addition to the rail initiative announcement, Lynch shared the news that flooring retailer Floor & Decor will open a 1.4 million square-foot distribution center in Savannah. The new center, set to open in 2018, will add and retain 115 jobs in Phase I and add an additional 1.1 million square feet in Phase II. 

“We are excited to expand our distribution footprint in Savannah. We looked at other East Coast opportunities, but the combination of the Georgia Port Authority, SEDA and the local logistics and distribution services could not be better for Floor & Decor than here in Savannah," said Floor & Decor’s Executive Vice President Supply Chain Brian Robbins. "It’s just a great place to do business, especially when you look at the future investment being put into Savannah’s port and distribution business.” 

Pictured above: Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch at the State of the Port event. (GPA Photo/Stephen Morton)

For additional information, please contact Kathleen Henry,  Manager of Trade Services and Research at WTCSav, at khenry@wtcsavannah.org.

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