Abbreviation GPA Website www.gaports.com Type of business agency | Chairman of the board Robert S. Jepson Jr. Founded 1945 Leader Robert S. Jepson, Jr. | |
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Location Savannah, Georgia
Garden City, Georgia
Brunswick, Georgia
Bainbridge, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia Headquarters Savannah, Georgia, United States Profiles | ||
Georgia ports authority
The Georgia Ports Authority was founded in 1945, operates port facilities in the US state of Georgia.
Contents
Georgia’s primary deepwater ports are located in Savannah and Brunswick, supplemented by inland barge operations in Bainbridge and Columbus.
The Authority is controlled by a thirteen-member Board of Directors, which is appointed by the Governor, from the state at large, to serve four-year, staggered terms. The GPA employs more than 1,000 people statewide.
The Port of Savannah, home to the largest single-terminal container facility of its kind in North America, is made up of two modern, deepwater terminals: Garden City Terminal and Ocean Terminal.
The Port of Brunswick includes three GPA-owned deepwater terminals, two of which are directly operated by the GPA. The port is one of the fastest growing auto and heavy machinery ports in North America.
Economic Impact
According to a study by the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, port-related industry supports more than 369,000 full- and part-time jobs across the state, yielding $20 billion in personal income each year.
This business activity generates more than $84 billion in annual sales, or 9.6 percent of Georgia’s total sales.
In Fiscal Year 2016 alone, port-related manufacturing and logistics companies announced more than half a billion dollars in investment, bringing nearly 3,500 jobs and well over 5 million square feet of development to the state.
In 2015, the Port of Savannah handled 10.3 percent of all U.S. containerized exports along with 8.2 percent of the U.S. containerized cargo volume.
Sustainability
Investments in upgraded cranes, lighting and other equipment reduce fuel consumption and air-polluting emissions. For instance, moving to electric rubber tired gantry cranes for container handling reduces GPA’s carbon footprint by 96 percent per crane. Once the RTG fleet is switched completely to electric power, GPA will avoid the use of 2.7 million gallons of diesel each year.
The Georgia Ports Authority has received a 2016 EPA Clean Air Excellence Award for its electric rubber-tired gantry crane program that will transfer its container handling equipment from diesel fuel to electric power.
To reduce light spill and glare, the 1,200-acre Garden City Terminal now uses a computer-controlled lighting system and efficient fixtures that direct light downward, where it’s needed. The project saves 8.7 million kilowatt hours per year and cuts annual CO2 emissions by 3,569 metric tons, with a projected 10-year energy cost savings of $4.9 million.