In a speech to the Propeller Club in Charleston, Lucy Duncan-Scheman, CaroLinks' founder and CEO, and a native of Charleston, revealed that as the first part of a $250M development, the company had already acquired options on 85 acres at Shipyard Creek, located directly adjacent to the former Navy Base. The company is currently evaluating options on at least two more sites in South Carolina, including 800 acres in Orangeburg. Up to 200 new jobs will be created across the state, as well strategic linkages to other Intermodal sites in the Midwest and Southeast US.
'With international trade growing at unprecedented rates, US consumers must rely on efficient, environmentally sound management of freight into and out of our nation's largest ports. The demand for additional port capacity on the East coast is enormous, note North Carolina's recent announcement to build a major new facility,' Duncan commented. 'However,' she continued, 'as capacity dramatically increases in both ships and ports, the nation's highway and rail infrastructure are hard-pressed to keep up - a burden that federal, state and local governments are grappling with. I want to stress that CaroLinks is committed to South Carolina's competitiveness, and is committed to investing here, to ensure sustainable ground solutions now and for the future.'
CaroLinks plans to barge containers from the Wando Terminal and by rail from the proposed Navy Base Terminal to its new facilities at Shipyard Creek and to various inland distribution centers. 'We expect to be a magnet for new and expanded business opportunities for companies supporting the port now, and to be a catalyst for significant employment opportunities across the state where they are most needed. We have been particularly attracted by the training incentives offered by Orangeburg which will ensure a well prepared employee base is ready to support CaroLinks and our customers.'
'I have long believed that Orangeburg County offers significant opportunities and lies in a strategic location for businesses that depend on transportation and shipping,' Congressman Clyburn said. 'CaroLinks has created a tremendous project that can capitalize on Orangeburg's possibilities for enormous economic growth.'
Kenneth Riley, President of the ILA #1422 said, 'CaroLinks, in my opinion, has developed a very exciting and innovative concept that addresses the needs of the shipping industry, the Port of Charleston, and the business community of South Carolina and the southeast region. Therefore, it is in the best interest of everyone in the industry and in state government to support the project and demonstrate to the rest of the country that South Carolina can be an innovative leader in the industry.'
Ms. Duncan Scheman has assembled a top-level management team to build the company's operations in South Carolina with a number of local experts being appointed. For example, top Charleston real estate executive, Hagood Morrison, joined the team in July as Senior Vice President, Business Development. Mr. Morrison has been a key player in commercial real estate sales and leasing since 1998. Professional accolades include serving as the President of the commercial group of the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors in 2005; being named The Beach Company Commercial Broker of the Year in 1999, 2000 and 2004; and earning the CCIM designation.
Kenneth ('Marty') Crosby, one of Charleston's best known port operations figures, recently joined as Vice President, Field Operations. He brings to CaroLinks over 25 years of leadership in port
