Company will invest $80M in new facility, create 200 jobs

When Billy Robinson and his partners launched Port City Logistics nearly 20 years ago, they never imagined the business would one day occupy a total of 3 million square feet.

That humble beginning has led to consistent growth and hundreds of jobs in the area.

Robinson, Port City’s chairman, in partnership with Stravinski Capital Management, recently announced plans to invest $80 million in Port Wentworth over the next 18 months to construct a new headquarters and warehouse facility.

The new 1.1 million square foot facility will join the other nine distribution centers that the full-service logistics company currently operates within a 10-mile radius of the Port of Savannah. Robinson credits Georgia Ports Authority’s growth as a major factor in his company’s expansion.

“It’s all because of the success of Georgia Ports and what they’re doing,” Robinson said. “We believe strongly in the future of GPA and our investment reaffirms our confidence in this major port gateway.”

GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch congratulated Robinson and the Port City Logistics team on the expansion.

“This is not only a great win for a local businessman and longtime friend of our ports, but the addition of more than a million square feet of warehouse space will provide our customers greater flexibility and increased capacity to grow cargo volumes,” Lynch said.

Robinson said that while planning for the new facility was in the works well before the COVID-19 crisis, this pandemic has exposed weaknesses within many major supply chains. As a result, e-commerce will continue to grow at a rapid pace which is why the company has invested heavily in a digital roadmap. Robinson noted that flow of non-essential commodities has slowed down due to the pandemic but as the economy ramps back up, that demand will return.

Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson reiterated the strength of Georgia’s infrastructure and logistics industry in helping to keep critical goods flowing in and out of the state’s deep-water ports.

“Recent events have again proven why our state’s strong logistics infrastructure is so critical to the nation and to our global partners. I am grateful to Port City Logistics for continuing to invest in our state’s exceptional logistics network and creating jobs and opportunities for folks in the Savannah area,” Wilson said.