Rudolph Bell

dbell@greenvillenews.com

GREER – The Port of Charleston is “going on offense” in its never-ending competition with the Port of Savannah by planning a second so-called “inland port” along Interstate 95 in Dillon, according to one expert.

KC Conway, a senior vice president with SunTrust Bank in Atlanta and an expert in ports and logistics, said adding the freight-handling facility in Dillon could help the Port of Charleston capture cargo business moving out of North Carolina along CSX rail lines that might otherwise go to the Port of Savannah.

“This is a really, smart strategic move,” said Conway, a former chief economist with Colliers International, the big real estate brokerage.

The South Carolina State Ports Authority announced the plan for Dillon Wednesday during a press conference at its existing, 2.5-year-old inland port in Greer.

Following the press conference, members of Dillon County Council inspected the Greer facility, as did a representative of at least one potential customer of the proposed Dillon facility, International Paper.

Marlon Jones, a Memphis-based manager of international distribution for International Paper, said his company is interested in the possibility of using the Dillon facility to move cargo from its mill in Riegelwood, North Carolina, through the Port of Charleston and on to customers in the Far East.

Jim Newsome, president of the Ports Authority, said it would study the Dillon plan together with CSX over the next nine months.

While he sees a sufficient cargo base in the Dillon area, including a Harbor Freight Tools distribution center, “the devils in the details,” Newsome said.

Dean Piacente, a CSX vice president, said the Dillon facility would expand transportation options in South Carolina, lower shipping costs for South Carolina businesses and improve competitiveness.

Ports officials say business in Greer has exceeded expectations since the South Carolina Inland Port opened there in November 2013.

It uses cranes to move cargo containers between trucks and trains, offering overnight rail service to and from the Port of Charleston. Norfolk Southern is the only rail provider at the Greer inland port.

Newsome said he expected it to take five years before the Greer facility reached a volume of 100,000 “rail lifts” but it reached that level after two and a half years.

The customer base began with BMW, which exports most of the cars it makes at its plant in Greer, but has grown to include Michelin, Eastman Chemical, Adidas and Dollar Tree, among others.

Newsome said he still expects to expand the Greer facility.

“But right now we want to focus on Dillon."