Georgia Ports seek chief operating officer

Georgia Ports seek chief operating officer    The Georgia Ports Authority has begun a search for a chief operating officer.
   The new officer will report to Doug J. Marchand, the authority’s executive director and provide direction for ongoing, day-to-day operating activities, with responsibility to help ensure long-term growth in revenue, profitability, service and market share.
   The authority said it experienced record 31.5-percent growth in containers in the last fiscal year, and a 25.2-percent growth in new autos imported and exported through Georgia’s ports. Since 1995, total tonnage has increased by 60 percent, container operations have grown by a factor of 148 percent, and the employee count has grown by more than 150.
   The new chief operating officer will oversee the development and enhancement of the authority’s infrastructure and a sustainable business model capable of managing future trends, new technologies, and customer needs, the port authority said
   “We achieved 56-percent container growth in just three years; now is the time for us to not only search for new ways to increase productivity and continue building the business, but to structure our organization to meet future requirements and help us realize our goals,” Marchand said.