Charleston says growth returning

Charleston says growth returning    The Port of Charleston said it handled 741,208 pier containers in the fiscal year ending June 30, 5.2 percent from less than in fiscal year 2009, but that cargo volumes in recent months have been “buoyed by new shipping services and major new investments in the area.”
   Container volumes in the first six months of 2010 were 19 percent higher than in the same 2009 period and June 2010 volume up 34 percent over June 2009.
   “While we expect volume to moderate in the latter half of the year, we're encouraged that business has returned at such a fast pace and we're headed in the right direction,' said Bill Stern, chairman of the South Carolina State Port Authority. 'The SCSPA forecasts a 7 percent increase in container volume and a more than 50 percent increase in breakbulk and non-container cargo in the current fiscal year, which began July 1.'
   The port said contributing to the recent volume gains, Charleston added three new shipping services in the current fiscal year including Mediterranean Shipping Co.'s Golden Gate Service, which it said is bringing ships with capacity for more than 8,000 TEU to the port on a regular basis.
   The port said it would benefit from new companies coming to or expanding in the port's service area, pointing to a 1.1 million-square-foot distribution facility being built in Berkeley County by TBC Corp., parent company of Tire Kingdom.
   It said private developers are proceeding with plans to build more than 20 million square feet in new industrial space near Charleston's deepwater port facilities.