Brinson: S.C.-Ga. port merger a “fresh idea”

Brinson: S.C.-Ga. port merger a “fresh idea”

Brinson: S.C.-Ga. port merger a “fresh idea”

The former head of the American Association of Port Authorities has weighed in on a recently floated suggestion that the port authorities of Georgia and South Carolina merge, saying the idea was “an expression of fresh thinking in an industry too often gripped by ponderous notions that port authorities are intractable business and governance models and must always avoid any cutting edge creativity.”
   In a column in Monday’s issue of Charleston’s Post and Courier, by Ron Brinson, former president and chief executive officer of the AAPA from 1979-1986 and former president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans for 16 years, comments on the idea of a merged “Southeast Regional Ports Authority.”
   The idea of a regional port authority was put forth earlier this month by South Carolina State Ports Authority Chairman Bill Stern in an interview with the same newspaper. He made his comments following agreement by the two states to work together to develop a new ocean terminal in Jasper County, South Carolina, along the Savannah River.
   Brinson notes the idea has been “summarily rejected” by the governors of the two states — quoting a spokesman for Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue as saying separate authorities “make each party more effective and efficient,” and South Carolina Gov. Mark Stanford’s press secretary agreeing that “there’s a value to competition” and “our stand would be to leave the core operations with the respective states.”
   While praising the management of both authorities, Brinson notes that Georgia has more room to grow port operations. While Charleston is developing a new terminal at a former Navy base, he said over the longer term, “finding acceptable major port expansion footprints anywhere along the coast and especially within the Charleston Harbor service reach is difficult.”
   Brinson, a Charleston native, once worked on the executive staff of the South Carolina State Ports Authority and was also a journalist with the Charleston Evening Post and News and Courier.
   Brinson’s article can be found at: https://www.charleston.net/news/2007/dec/10/georgiasc_ports_authorities_merger_worth_consideri/