Orangeburg deal would bolster port’s position in Suez trade

Friday, 07 September 2007

Page 2 of 2 Delegation members wouldn’t say precisely how the Orangeburg site landed on its radar, but they seemed extraordinarily well versed in the activities of the Port of Charleston and cargo movement in the Southeast. Individuals privy to the discussions with the group said they were told that if Jafza International does invest in Orangeburg, it won’t be in partnership with CaroLinks, which currently holds options to buy some of the land it’s thinking about acquiring. “Without question they said CaroLinks’ vision for the property will end,’” the individual said. The delegation indicated that it is seeking to forge public/private partnerships with local entities wherever it ultimately lands. “When you enter into a discussion on things like this, there are always sticking points and solutions and matters on which compromise can be achieved,” a member of the delegation said. “Right now, we're looking for cooperation on the infrastructure, on the cloverleaf interchange at S.C. (Highway) 301 and (Interstate) 95,” this person said. “As a rule, if you can achieve cooperation on infrastructure, you can feel pretty confident that cooperation on marketing and incentives and the like will follow.” This delegation member reaffirmed that Orangeburg is at “the epicenter of our interest in the Southeast,” and added that South Carolina’s efforts to market itself to the outside world were a big part of that. “The Port of Charleston, South Carolina as a whole, has established itself as a brand in the world of logistics and distribution,” the individual said. But he hastened to add that the Orangeburg facility, should it come to pass, wouldn't be geared only to serving the Port of Charleston. “We envision cargo flowing in and out from every port in the region,” he said. Dubai's involvement in South Carolina could also influence the flow of cargo through the Port of Charleston from countries and traders using the Suez Canal, the delegation member said. "Everyone who uses the Suez Canal knows us," he said. "We have very good relationships with shippers and others who use the Suez Canal." India, one of the Port of Charleston's largest trading partners, also has in recent years become one of Jafza International's biggest customers. With the mention of India, a member of the delegation said he understood the Port of Charleston had recently hired someone to specifically market its services to that nation. "That's exciting. We'd like to see Indian trade with the U.S. grow and we'd like to see it grow through the Port of Charleston," he said. Members of the delegation unanimously said they prefer to establish operations in areas that offer long-term growth potential and that are governed by individuals who want to grow and seize opportunities. "We also don't mind competition. In our view, if other warehouse and distribution centers want to open around us—and you already have a tremendous amount of activity going on in the vicinity of I-26—that's good," a member of the delegation said. "This market has a lot of room for growth, and no matter where we go, we know we won't be the last people to do something like this here. In fact, we might even open more facilities." The individual was asked whether those additional facilities would also be located in the Southeast. "Perhaps, but perhaps even in South Carolina. There's no reason we couldn't have two here if it made good business sense to establish the first," he said. "It's a field of dreams. Ripe with opportunity." << Start < Prev 1 2 Next > End >>