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The Georgia Ports Authority continues to break its own records, with tonnage, containers and autos at an all-time high for April.
“And this is on top of unbelievable numbers last year,” GPA executive director Curtis Foltz told his board Monday, adding that the port expects to wrap up the fiscal year June 30 close to a half-million containers higher than the year before.
While much of the growth in container numbers reflects the recent chaos at West Coast ports and growing congestion at other East Coast ports, Foltz said he expects some of that diversionary cargo to become permanent.
“We’ve earned new business,” he said. “Across the logistics industry, focus has centered on GPA’s ability to handle volume increases with no congestion.”
Container numbers weren’t the only record setters for GPA in April. Ocean Terminal, GPA’s multi-purpose facility just west of the Talmadge Bridge, nearly doubled its breakbulk cargo in April, setting an all-time record for iron and steel imports.
GPA’s autoport in Brunswick also set a new monthly record, moving more than 77,500 auto and machinery units in April. A total of 2.8 million cargo tons in April was the highest ever recorded for a single month.
Dry and liquid bulk commodities were down more than 18 percent for the month but were still up slightly for the year, with the biofuel export business at Brunswick’s East River Terminal up more than 10 percent and wood pellets up by 21 percent.
Record volumes also delivered record revenue in April, bringing some $33.3 million into GPA coffers, up 24 percent over the previous April and nearly 26 percent ahead of budget. For the year, revenues are running more than 14 percent ahead of fiscal 2014.
Although the GPA’s practice of staying ahead of the growth curve has been strained somewhat in the last few months, the authority continues to be committed to expansion, Foltz said.
“We’re finding ourselves with growth we really didn’t expect until 2018 or 2019,” he said. “Fortunately, the state and our board continue to support the capital expenditures we need to stay ahead of the growth curve.”
To maintain the service levels the port has become known for, the board on Monday OK’d more than $140 million in its fiscal 2016 budget for capital improvements, including boosting the power infrastructure for its cranes, paving, increased rail capacity and other upgrades.
Needing to accelerate improvements is an enviable problem to have, said board vice chairman Jimmy Allgood.
“Our longtime policy has been to maintain capacity at least 20 percent above demand through timely infrastructure investments,” Allgood said.
“By making these commitments now, GPA will be prepared to handle expanding cargo volumes both now and in the future.”
