As an Authority of the State, a thirteen-member Board governs the activities of the Authority. Members are appointed by the Governor, from the state at large, to serve four-year, staggered terms. The Executive Director reports to the Authority and is responsible for directing all phases of port operations, policies and management controls. The Authority directly employs over 1,200 trained logistics professionals. The Authority, however, is responsible for generating far more employment throughout the state. Authority operations, together with the private sector port- related operations, account for more than 439,000 jobs statewide, $106 billion of dollars in revenue, and income exceeding $24.9 billion annually. For additional information, please see the Demographic and Economic Information in the Statistical Section of this CAFR. Business of the Authority The Port of Savannah is comprised of two modern, deepwater terminals: Garden City Terminal and Ocean Terminal. Together, these facilities exemplify the Authority’s exacting standards of efficiency and productivity. Garden City Terminal is the largest single container-handling facility in North America, encompassing more than 1,200 acres and moving millions of tons of containerized cargo annually. Ocean Terminal, Savannah’s dedicated breakbulk and roll-on / roll-off facility covers 208 acres and provides customers with more than 1.3 million square feet of covered, versatile storage. The Port of Brunswick is comprised of three Authority-owned deepwater terminals, two of which are directly operated by the Authority. The port’s well-earned reputation for productivity and efficiency is heightened by its position as one of the fastest growing auto and heavy machinery ports in North America. During FY 2018, over twenty-two auto manufacturers, supported by four auto processors, utilized the Colonel’s Island Terminal. Brunswick’s Mayor’s Point Terminal facilitates the export of Georgia’s valuable forest products, while Marine Port Terminals, operated by Logistec U.S.A., specialize in the handling of bulk and breakbulk commodities at the Lanier Docks and East River Terminals. Georgia’s inland terminal operations, Port Bainbridge and Port Columbus, provide a strategic advantage for bulk commodities moving to and from the Southeastern United States. For additional information, please see the Table of Physical Characteristics of the Port Facilities of the Authority in the Statistical Section of this CAFR. LONG-TERM FINANCIAL PLANNING Over the last ten years the Authority’s container volume has grown at a faster rate than any other major port in the country. At the Garden City Terminal, the number of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) has grown from 2.68 million in FY 2008 to 4.17 million in FY 2018, an increase of over 55%. The Authority’s long-term growth forecast projects the Garden City Terminal container volume to increase over 55% by FY 2028. To prepare for this growth, the Authority has developed strategic plans to build out the Garden City Terminal’s annual throughput capacity to 6.5 million TEUs. Capital projects include densification of cargo storage areas and the acquisition of six additional neo-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes and 36 additional rubber-tired-container cranes. This expansion will support the expected container volume growth over the next decade. In 2008, the Authority entered into an “Intergovernmental Agreement for Development of an Ocean Terminal on the Savannah River within the State of South Carolina” with the Georgia Department of Transportation and the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA). Under the Agreement, the Authority purchased approximately 1,500 acres of land for the planned Jasper Ocean Terminal (JOT) jointly with the SCPA. In 2015, the Authority and the SCPA determined that going forward the development of JOT should be pursued as a joint venture between the Authority and the SPCA. JOT will provide capacity to meet the region’s long-term forecasted demand. ii
