The basis for Savannah’s status as a hotbed of logistics activity
is, in the words of Brandt Herndon of the Savannah Economic
Development Authority, not man-made but
“god-given.” The Port of Savannah is the westernmost port on the Eastern Seaboard and is
located within two days’ drive of 80 percent of
the nation’s population.
Savannah and the state of Georgia, however, have done a lot of work enhancing that
god-given asset. The Port of Savannah is the
country’s fastest-growing port as well as the
fourth largest container port, and its Garden City Terminal
is the largest single-terminal operation in the United States.
Savannah’s strengths include its transportation connections and land availability. “Because the port is located
upriver, inland from the Savannah historic district, the port
was able to develop great highway and rail connectivity, and
the land available is second to none,” says Curtis Foltz, executive director of the Georgia Ports Authority.
Savannah and the port can be accessed via both I-95 and
I- 16 as well as by the Norfolk Southern and CSX. The
Mason Intermodal Container Facility, which is in the
process of being expanded, is actually located on terminal.
“Which is unusual for a port,” says Herndon.
According to Herndon, there are more than 100 warehous-
es and distribution centers located near Savannah, including
facilities run by such companies as Home Depot, Lowe’s, Ikea,
and Dollar Tree. In the 1990s as the port grew, the community became concerned about a possible shortage of warehouse and distribution space. That
led to the construction of the 1,600-acre
Crossroads Distribution Center a short distance from the Garden City Terminal.
Other large-scale industrial distribution
facilities have followed. For example, there’s the
RiverPort Business Park, which contains 1,400
acres of warehousing, distribution, and light
industrial space located six miles from the port. There’s also the
904-acre Belfast Commerce Centre, which is located 20 miles
from Savannah and has direct rail connections to the port.
But when it finally comes down to persuading companies to
locate in Savannah, Herndon says the tipping point is often the
city’s quality of life. As a historic site with 12 million visitors a
year, Savannah is able to support restaurants and cultural
events that many cities its size can’t. “When they’re being
shown the area, many prospective companies ask us to give
them 15 minutes to an hour to see the downtown area,” he
says. “They love the history and the oak trees; it’s an easy sell.”;
Coming up: In the September issue, DC VELOCITY will
look at emerging logistics hubs in the U.S. Northeast.
For more information …
Want to learn more about the logistics hot spots mentioned
in this article? Here’s where to find more information:
Central Florida
▪ Enterprise Florida Inc.: Enterprise Florida, a public-pri-
vate partnership formed to promote the state’s economic
development, devotes a whole section of its website to
logistics and distribution. The site includes extensive infor-
mation about the state’s logistics and distribution oppor-
tunities, infrastructure, and employment and wage pic-
ture. www.eflorida.com/Logistics.aspx?id=9158
▪ Lakeland Economic Development Council: This organization
focuses on the area around Lakeland, Fla. Its website contains
information about available warehouse space, major
employers, and area demographics. www.lakelandedc.com
Piedmont Triad, N.C.
▪ Greensboro Economic Development Alliance: This
organization is focused on the city of Greensboro and sur-
rounding Guilford County. It offers information about the
area’s infrastructure, supply chain and logistics employers,
and training programs. www.greensboroeda.com/indus-
try_clusters/ transportation_cluster_info.asp
▪ North Carolina Center for Global Logistics: This partner-
ship between industry and academia highlights the area’s
logistics education and training opportunities.
www.nccgl.com/
▪ Piedmont Triad Partnership: This private nonprofit eco-
nomic development organization focuses on the Piedmont
Triad region of North Carolina. Its website offers informa-
tion about the area’s logistics infrastructure and wages, as
well as the state’s training programs. www.piedmonttriad-
nc.com/pages/LogisticsDistribution.aspx?lid=SrX71TjoHtY=
Savannah, Ga.
▪ Georgia Ports Authority: The GPA, which serves as the
administrative agency for the ports of Savannah and
Brunswick, includes detailed information on its website
about the Port of Savannah’s two terminals, Garden City
Terminal and Ocean Terminal. The site also includes high-
way mileage charts, interstate and rail data, and operat-
ing information. www.gaports.com
▪ Savannah Economic Development Authority: This organ-
ization provides site selection services for the Savannah
area. Its website contains extensive information and
resources, including a property database and data on the
area’s transportation infrastructure, taxes and incentives,
and major distribution employers. www.seda.org
