Why has Savannah been the fastest-growing port for the past 10 years?

Georgia’s logistics infrastructure saves time and money by seamlessly connecting air, sea and land transportation. Its deepwater ports provide greater scheduling flexibility and market reach with direct interstate connections, on-terminal rail, and the most container ship services of any East Coast port.

The Savannah Model refers to the strategy of bringing distribution centers to the area for major retail outlets such as Target, Walmart, Ikea, The Home Depot and Pier 1. These facilities are within minutes of Garden City Terminal, reducing drive time and increasing supply chain efficiency.

There have been two direct benefits of bringing the distribution centers here. First, these major retailers influenced the shipping lines to bring more cargo to Savannah, benefiting Georgia’s logistics industry and giving exporters greater choice in global cargo transport.

Secondly, when the arriving import containers are emptied, they provide a steady supply of boxes for Georgia exports. Prior to the implementation of this strategy, Georgia producers experienced a shortage of export containers. Thanks to the foresight of GPA and state leaders in the 1990s, the Port of Savannah now acts as a logistics hub serving a multi-state region. Other advantages include:

• The Port of Savannah now hosts 37 weekly vessel calls, the most on the U.S. East Coast.
• According to Colliers International, the Savannah market includes 67 million square feet of industrial space, with 7 million square feet under construction.
• By 2020, GPA’s 36 ship-to-shore cranes will handle 1,300 container moves per hour across a single dock.
• Garden City Terminal is served by two Class I railroads — Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation.
• To improve safety and expedite truck traffic, Georgia opened the Jimmy DeLoach connector in 2016, providing direct truck access between Garden City Terminal and Interstate 95. The connector cuts 11 minutes from the drive time between the port and the interstate.
• The Mason Mega Rail Terminal will double the Port of Savannah’s annual rail lift capacity to 1 million containers. The expansion, expected to be completed in 2020, will better accommodate 10,000-footlong unit trains for Norfolk Southern and CSX transportation, the East Coast’s two Class I railroads.
• Georgia Ports is an economic engine for the State of Georgia, accounting for one out of every 11 jobs in the Peach State.