Page 43: of Maritime Logistics Professional Magazine (Q4 2016)

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Planning Ahead involves Looking Back Thinking Outside the Port

In terms of TEU throughput, Charleston now ranks 4th on SCPA bills itself as “the industry leader in delivering speed- the East Coast and 9th nationally. Jim Newsome and SCPA to-market, seamless processes and ? exibility to ensure reliable have plans to change those metrics. “We think we’re going operations, big ship handling, ef? cient market reach and en- to grow twice the U.S. port market. Right now, we think the vironmental responsibility.” Statistically, it is also the fastest

Southeast is the best place to be in the port business because growing major U.S. port (since 2011) and by some yardsticks, we have an import growth based on population and export the most productive in the nation, with high container crane growth, based on expanding manufacturing.” Pressed to proj- production and low truck turnaround times. How it got there ect the port’s future position the intermodal supply chain, is, perhaps, the more important story. Jim Newsome, arguably,

Newsome offered, “I don’t have an absolute number in mind; knows this better than most.

I certainly think that we can move up the top 10 list – perhaps “My Dad was the number two man at the port of Savannah 5th or 6th nationally as a stretch target.” and I grew up around a port. It’s why I got into the industry.

Doing that means concentrating on and improving what the But, I never worked in the port industry until this job. So, it port already does best. That involves moving containers and was a unique segway for me to come back into this indus- manufactured, break bulk cargo “This includes RO/RO traf- try.” That unique entryway and family heritage also provides ? c, involving BMW vehicles, power turbines, things of that Newsome with perspective that allows for equal respect for all nature. We have a small niche cruise business which involves parts of the equation. And, if the mark of a good deal is that all about 100 cruise ships annually, something we’re not really parties to the deal – in this case the intermodal equation itself looking to grow since we think we’ve already approximated – go away ‘a little bit unhappy,’ that’s not something he’s will- the size of the market. We’re happy with what we are focused ing to say out loud. Instead, he says, there has to be something on and there isn’t a whole lot of new terminal capacity out for everyone. At Charleston, South Carolina, that’s the ulti- there,” says Newsome. mate ticket to becoming a world class port – and staying there.

In America, it has always been my opinion that the biggest op- portunity has been in intermodal operations. For example, pric- ing those services more competitively, doing those services more ef? ciently. There is a lot of waste in intermodal, and if I were back in the shipping line industry, that’s where I would fo- cus. I also see some opportunities in the chassis ? eet area, and demurrage and detention can be more effectively handled.

Jim Newsome, SCPA President and CEO

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