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CHARLESTON, SC -  APRIL 4, 2019 - Today South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) announced the strongest March in its history and more than 11 percent fiscal year-over-year growth.

SCPA moved 214,123 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) last month, making it the second highest month in SCPA history. The Port handled its highest monthly record in October 2018, with 217,035 TEUs moved across the docks.

"The record volumes achieved last month reflect a very positive end to our third quarter of the fiscal year," said Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO. "SCPA also saw the highest month of export loads since the fiscal year began in July 2018, with 42,524 export loads handled. The Port is well-positioned as it heads into the fourth quarter."

March was also the second highest month in the Port?s history for pier container volume, or total boxes moved. SCPA handled 120,717 pier containers, increasing fiscal year-to-date volumes to 1,016,756 containers. Last month's record-breaking volumes marked a nearly 12 percent fiscal year-over-year growth.

Inland Port Greer set a new monthly record, with 14,522 rail lifts in March. The previous record of 13,060 rail lifts was handled in June 2017. The Greer facility also handled a record number of gate moves, with 22,020 transactions last month, while the average truck turn time dropped by one minute to 12.3 minutes.

"Achieving this type of growth requires cooperation and dedication by our talented staff as well as many others in the maritime community," said Bill Stern, Board Chairman, SCPA. "We appreciate everyone who plays a role in our productive and successful port operations."

About South Carolina Ports Authority
South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), established by the state's General Assembly in 1942, owns and operates public seaport and intermodal facilities in Charleston, Dillon, Georgetown and Greer. As an economic development engine for the state, Port operations facilitate 187,200 statewide jobs and generate nearly $53 billion annual economic activity. SCPA is soon to be home to the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast at 52 feet, and the Port is an industry leader in delivering speed-to-market, seamless processes and flexibility to ensure reliable operations, big ship handling, efficient market reach and environmental responsibility. For more information on SCPA, please visit www.scspa.com.

CHARLESTON, SC - March 20, 2019 - Today South Carolina Ports Authority reported the strongest February container volume in its history and nearly 12 percent fiscal year-over-year growth.

SCPA moved 178,131 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEU) during the month of February, with 1.6 million TEUs handled since the fiscal year began in July.

As measured by the total number of boxes handled, SCPA moved 100,794 pier containers last month for a total of 896,039 containers fiscal year to date.

"A strong February contributed to the Port's continued growth, with container volume nearly six percent ahead of our financial plan for the first eight months of our fiscal year," said Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO. "We anticipate volumes from March to May will be below plan due to the impact of trade uncertainty and a significant number of blanked sailings, but we ultimately expect to achieve our FY2019 plan of 1.3 million pier containers."

Inland Port Greer handled 11,245 rail moves in February, bringing the facility's fiscal year-to-date volume to 84,761 moves. Inland Port Dillon saw 2,688 rail moves in February and has handled 18,709 rail moves in FY2019.

In non-containerized cargo, SCPA's Charleston breakbulk facilities handled 68,246 pier tons in February for a total of 383,448 tons since the fiscal year began.

Charleston Harbor Deepening Included in President's Budget

The Charleston Harbor Deepening Project to 52 feet received a $138 million allocation in the President?s Fiscal Year 2020 Budget announced last week. The project is now eligible to receive direct appropriations from Congress through the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill.

Construction on the Entrance Channel to 54 feet began in February 2018, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expected to award the next dredging contract for deepening the Lower Harbor to 52 feet this fall.

"Receiving a significant allocation for the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project in the President?s Budget was great news for our port and state," Newsome said. "The depth advantage of 52 feet will add much-needed capability in the Southeast, the fastest growing region in the country. This project has been a collaborative effort from its inception, reflecting the hard work of many supporters who are committed to delivering a deepwater harbor at record speed."

About South Carolina Ports Authority
South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), established by the state's General Assembly in 1942, owns and operates public seaport and intermodal facilities in Charleston, Dillon, Georgetown and Greer. As an economic development engine for the state, Port operations facilitate 187,200 statewide jobs and generate nearly $53 billion annual economic activity. SCPA is soon to be home to the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast at 52 feet, and the Port is an industry leader in delivering speed-to-market, seamless processes and flexibility to ensure reliable operations, big ship handling, efficient market reach and environmental responsibility. For more information on SCPA, please visit www.scspa.com.

CHARLESTON, SC - February 5, 2019 - Today South Carolina Ports Authority announced the strongest January on record and 12.5 percent fiscal year-over-year growth of container volume.

SCPA handled 205,689 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) last month. Since the Port's fiscal year began in July, nearly 1.4 million TEUs have crossed the docks of SCPA?s two container terminals.

January also marked a record for pier container volume, or total boxes handled. SCPA moved 119,042 pier containers last month, bringing fiscal year volume to 795,245 containers.

"January was an exceptionally strong month for our Port, helping drive container volumes well ahead of our financial plans," said Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO. "With uncertainty in the trade forecast this spring, our fiscal year-to-date growth through January puts the Port in a good position to weather a potential dip in container volume and still achieve our plan of 1.3 million pier containers in FY19."

January was also a strong month for Inland Port Greer, and with over 12,600 rail moves handled last month, the facility achieved its highest rail volumes since August 2017. Inland Port Dillon handled over 3,100 rail moves in January, marking the strongest volume since its opening last year.

About South Carolina Ports Authority
South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), established by the state's General Assembly in 1942, owns and operates public seaport and intermodal facilities in Charleston, Dillon, Georgetown and Greer. As an economic development engine for the state, Port operations facilitate 187,200 statewide jobs and generate nearly $53 billion annual economic activity. SCPA is soon to be home to the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast at 52 feet, and the Port is an industry leader in delivering speed-to-market, seamless processes and flexibility to ensure reliable operations, big ship handling, efficient market reach and environmental responsibility. For more information on SCPA, please visit www.scspa.com.

CHARLESTON, SC - January 29, 2019 - Today South Carolina Ports Authority celebrated the dedication of a new headquarters building at the Wando Welch Terminal with its Board of Directors, local leaders, business partners and employees.

"The Port's new headquarters offers a single, modern campus for employees with direct access to our biggest operating terminal, the Wando Welch," said SCPA president and CEO Jim Newsome. "The building design provides a open floor plan to support cross-functional internal communications, allowing our team to better collaborate and serve the needs of our customers and stakeholders."

The 80,000-square-foot building consolidates approximately 160 employees working from multiple office locations in the Charleston area. The building design features a glass atrium in the lobby extending up all four floors and a terrazzo floor pattern depicting the Charleston Peninsula and waterways. Artwork throughout the building is provided by local artists.

The Port's employee wellness focus is reflected in numerous aspects of the headquarters, including an on-site fitness center and mile walking trail surrounding the building campus, on-site primary care and occupational health services provided by MUSC Health, a cafeteria and sit-to-stand desks in all employee workstations and offices.

The building's numerous sustainability benefits include an energy monitoring system to optimize usage, low-flow plumbing fixtures, high performance glazing on the windows and external sun shades, a high-efficiency HVAC system and components, and high-efficiency LED lighting.

The design-build project was completed by Choate Construction and LS3P.

Local Students Name Container Cranes
At the headquarters dedication ceremony, two Charleston elementary students were recognized for their winning entries in a Port contest to name new container cranes at the Wando Welch Terminal.

From over 300 entries, a team of SCPA employees selected the names 'Momma Sapphire,' submitted by Sofia Morales from Sullivan's Island Elementary School, and 'Doctor Cranium,' submitted by Terrance Smalls from Hursey Elementary School.

In addition to painting the names on the container cranes, the Port will make a $500 donation to each school.

2018 Volumes
At their monthly meeting held earlier in the day, the SCPA Board reviewed the record volumes handled by the Port in 2018. SCPA's container business grew six percent over the previous year, with a record-breaking 2.3 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) handled. The Port moved 199,701 TEUs in December alone, marking the strongest December in the Port's history.

As measured by the total number of boxes handled, SCPA moved 114,018 pier containers in December and a total of 1.3 million pier containers in 2018.

Inland Port Greer handled 9,382 rail moves in December, pushing 2018 volume to 121,542 total rail moves. SCPA's newest inland facility, Inland Port Dillon, posted its highest monthly volumes to date with 3,220 rail moves in December. The facility has handled 12,594 total moves since it opened in April 2018.

About South Carolina Ports Authority
South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), established by the state's General Assembly in 1942, owns and operates public seaport and intermodal facilities in Charleston, Dillon, Georgetown and Greer. As an economic development engine for the state, Port operations facilitate 187,200 statewide jobs and generate nearly $53 billion annual economic activity. SCPA is soon to be home to the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast at 52 feet, and the Port is an industry leader in delivering speed-to-market, seamless processes and flexibility to ensure reliable operations, big ship handling, efficient market reach and environmental responsibility. For more information on SCPA, please visit www.scspa.com.

CHARLESTON, SC - January 8, 2019 - South Carolina Ports Authority is pleased to announce new infrastructure supporting agriculture export growth with the opening of C&M Hog Farm's transload facility, which handles soybeans and other local products bound for overseas markets via Inland Port Dillon.

"The expansion of C&M is exciting news that reflects the benefits of Inland Port Dillon for farming and agricultural business across the Carolinas," said SCPA president and CEO Jim Newsome. "We look forward to continuing to play a strong role in the addition of jobs and economic development activity in the region."

Demand for facilities to transload North and South Carolina agriculture products ranging from soybeans to grains, peanuts and animal feeds has increased significantly since the opening of Inland Port Dillon in April 2018. In addition to next-day rail service to and from SCPA's marine terminals, Inland Port Dillon provides local access to empty containers and the added cost benefit of a round-trip pipeline for loaded containers.

"As South Carolina's leading industry, agriculture is a direct beneficiary of Inland Port Dillon," said South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers. "C&M is a great example of how the Inland Port is creating new opportunities of growth for our state's farmers. And as we continue growing our agribusiness industry, I know Inland Port Dillon will continually be vital to future expansion opportunities."

"Our family farm has been serving the local farming community for many years," said Richard Myers, who co-operates C&M Hog Farm with Leslie Thompson. "We are proud to expand our business operations in order to provide farmers with a new, competitive access point to the global marketplace as well as bring new jobs to Dillon County."

Established in 1987, C&M is an independent hog farm, local grain elevator and trucking company located in Latta, South Carolina.

About South Carolina Ports Authority
South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), established by the state's General Assembly in 1942, owns and operates public seaport and intermodal facilities in Charleston, Dillon, Georgetown and Greer. As an economic development engine for the state, Port operations facilitate 187,200 statewide jobs and generate nearly $53 billion annual economic activity. SCPA is soon to be home to the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast at 52 feet, and the Port is an industry leader in delivering speed-to-market, seamless processes and flexibility to ensure reliable operations, big ship handling, efficient market reach and environmental responsibility. For more information on SCPA, please visit www.scspa.com.

CHARLESTON, SC - January 7, 2019 - Today South Carolina Ports Authority reported 6.4 percent year-over-year container volume growth, with a record 2.3 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) handled in 2018.

Last year marked the third consecutive calendar year of record TEU volume for SCPA. The Port moved 199,701 TEUs in December alone, a 9.2 percent increase over December 2017 and the strongest December in SCPA history.

As measured by the total number of boxes handled, SCPA moved 114,018 pier containers in December and a record 1.3 million pier containers in 2018.

"We are pleased to report our strongest December in history and record-breaking growth of our container business in calendar year 2018," said SCPA president and CEO Jim Newsome. "January is already off to a strong start, and despite uncertainty in the trade industry we are optimistic that volumes will remain strong as we work to achieve our plans for 4.4 percent growth in fiscal 2019."

In addition to record-breaking volumes, 2018 marked strong progress of key projects across port facilities. In April SCPA celebrated the opening of a second inland location, Inland Port Dillon, and a few months later the Port completed a nearly three-year effort to strengthen and modernize the Wando Welch Terminal wharf for handling new cranes and bigger ships. Construction of the Leatherman Terminal continued, which will offer important growth capacity for the Port's container business when Phase One opens in 2021.

Dredging work on the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project began in February, and the project was awarded $41.4 million in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fiscal Year 19 Work Plan. With significant completion of the project expected in 2021, Charleston will offer a wide and deep harbor for handling the biggest ships calling East Coast ports to support growth of commerce in the state and region well into the future.

The construction of a new headquarters building for the Port, located adjacent to the Wando Terminal, neared completion in 2018. The facility is scheduled to open later this month.

About South Carolina Ports Authority
South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), established by the state's General Assembly in 1942, owns and operates public seaport and intermodal facilities in Charleston, Dillon, Georgetown and Greer. As an economic development engine for the state, Port operations facilitate 187,200 statewide jobs and generate nearly $53 billion annual economic activity. SCPA is soon to be home to the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast at 52 feet, and the Port is an industry leader in delivering speed-to-market, seamless processes and flexibility to ensure reliable operations, big ship handling, efficient market reach and environmental responsibility. For more information on SCPA, please visit www.scspa.com.

CHARLESTON, SC - December 21, 2018- Today South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) announced $106,000 in grants to 54 charitable organizations through its annual Community Giving Program. The program provides grant support in regions where SCPA operates in order to positively impact maritime commerce, economic development, environmental awareness and community outreach.

"SCPA takes great pride in its Community Giving Program and the relationships we have formed with organizations that support critical programs and initiatives across the state," said Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO. "As the Port continues to grow as an economic development engine for the state of South Carolina, so do our efforts to partner with charitable organizations."

Totaling $106,000, this year's giving cycle represents the most funding ever awarded by the Port. The program includes grants of $5,000, $2,500 and $1,000.

Recipients of a $5,000 grant include Charleston Waterkeeper, Greenville Tech Foundation, Kids on Point, Lowcountry Maritime Society, SC Future Makers, Team Backpack Journalists and USS Yorktown Foundation.

Charleston Waterkeeper, whose mission is to protect and restore Charleston's waterways for our community and for future generations, will use the grant funds to conduct 90 samples as part of its Recreational Water Quality Testing Program.

Greenville Tech Foundation received SCPA funds for its Truck Driver Training Program, a 10-week certificate program that trains entry-level commercial truck drivers in long haul, short haul, and basic rules and regulations of the Department of Transportation.

Kids on Point is a year-round program that introduces young people to the world of opportunity outside of their under-resourced neighborhoods through academic, athletic and enrichment activities. Funding will provide daily after-school programming, six weeks of summer learning, enrichment activities and college and career counseling.

Lowcountry Maritime Society, whose mission is to inspire the Lowcountry's young people to reach their full potential through boatbuilding and exploring maritime culture, will use the funds for its STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) boat building program at Sanders Clyde Elementary School.

SC Future Makers exposes and connects the next generation of students to statewide opportunities and works to close the STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) gap and retain emerging talent. SCPA funds will be used to engage high school students on the STEM Premier platform and provide a direct line of communication with businesses.

Team Backpack Journalists provides students with real- world journalism experiences, including the process of writing, storytelling, film making and promotion. The group will utilize the funding towards their maritime industry film and support youth coming to the program from Title One schools.

USS Yorktown Foundation, whose mission is to cultivate and support a unique learning environment at Patriots Point that connects generations by celebrating America?s history and its heroes, will use funding for its Panama Canal Project. The project will offer a hands-on learning experience that will supplement state standards in educating students about the lock system.

Fiscal Year 2019 Recipients

Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired - Charleston (ABVI)

Audubon South Carolina

Avian Conservation Center

Beaufort-Jasper Academy for Career Excellence (ACE)

BEGIN WITH BOOKS

Berkeley Seniors, Inc.

Charleston Area Senior Citizens' Services, Inc.

Charleston Habitat for Humanity

Charleston Waterkeeper

Communities In Schools

Communities In Schools of Greenville

Community Pride Inc. of Charleston County

Dee Norton Lowcountry Children's Center (DBA Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center)

Dillon County Chamber of Commerce

Dillon County First Steps

Dorchester Children's Advocacy Center

Earth Heart Growers

East Cooper Community Outreach

East Cooper Meals on Wheels

Friends of Coastal South Carolina

Friends of Keep Charleston Beautiful

Greenville Tech Foundation

Greer Relief & Resources Agency, Inc.

Habitat for Humanity of Berkeley County (HFHBC)

Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County

Help 4 Kids Florence

Helping and Lending Outreach Support (HALOS)

I Heart Hungry Kids

Jasper County First Steps

Junior Achievement of Greater South Carolina

Kids On Point, formally Chucktown Squash

Louies Kids

Lowcountry Food Bank

LowCountry Habitat for Humanity

Lowcountry Maritime Society

MUSC C.A.R.E.S Clinic

Operation Home

Our Lady of Mercy Community Outreach

Reach Out and Read Carolinas Inc.

Reading Partners South Carolina

Rebuild Upstate

SC Future Makers

SC School for the Deaf and the Blind Foundation

South Carolina Aquarium

South Carolina Operation Lifesaver

Steam Ed Publishing dba A Backpack Journalist

The Green Heart Project

The Village Group

Trident Literacy Association

United Ministries

USS Yorktown Foundation

Water Mission

WINGS for Kids

YouthBASE

Fiscal Year 2018 Impact

Community Giving recipients complete outcome surveys at the end of the fiscal year in order to be eligible for funding in the next giving cycle. The survey allows the Port to measure the positive lasting impacts of the grant program and fulfill its mission to be a strong community partner. In the FY18 giving cycle, SCPA awarded $103,000 to 56 charitable organizations. Impacts of the funding include:

• Over 40,000 students across the state benefited from Community Giving grants
• 766 people received job skills training
• Over 21,500 students participated in STEAM activities
• 54,005 people were educated about environmental sustainability
• 12,173 people received meals through hunger-relief programs

About South Carolina Ports Authority
South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), established by the state's General Assembly in 1942, owns and operates public seaport and intermodal facilities in Charleston, Dillon, Georgetown and Greer. As an economic development engine for the state, Port operations facilitate 187,200 statewide jobs and generate nearly $53 billion annual economic activity. SCPA is soon to be home to the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast at 52 feet, and the Port is an industry leader in delivering speed-to-market, seamless processes and flexibility to ensure reliable operations, big ship handling, efficient market reach and environmental responsibility. For more information on SCPA, please visit www.scspa.com.

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CHARLESTON, SC - December 12, 2018 - Today South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) announced the strongest November in its history, with 15 percent growth over the same month last year.

The Port handled 188,585 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) in November. SCPA has moved 985,981 TEUs across the docks of its Wando Welch and North Charleston container terminals since the fiscal year began in July, an increase of 11 percent over the same period last year.

"While the US economy remains strong, there is increasing evidence that US beneficial cargo owners advanced shipments from Asia in an effort to avoid tariffs," said Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO. "Although mostly to the US West Coast, in view of the shorter transit times, there were 25 extra loaders employed by container shipping lines to meet this peak demand. Most of these ships will arrive in December which indicates that December will be a busy month. The first calendar quarter of 2019, however, is much more uncertain in terms of outlook and considering strong volumes achieved in the same period in 2018."

As measured in pier containers, or boxes handled, SCPA moved a record 107,762 boxes in November. Fiscal year-to-date, pier container volume is up nearly 12 percent with 562,185 boxes moved since July.

Inland Port Greer handled 9,558 rail moves in November, pushing fiscal year-to-date volumes to 51,476. Last month, 16,977 finished vehicles rolled across the docks at Columbus Street Terminal.

Board Action

In terms of significant actions taken at the meeting, the SCPA Board approved a capital expenditure of $60 million to complete the outfitting of the Wando Welch Terminal with neo-Panamax cranes. SC Ports will purchase four more cranes from Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC) with 155 feet of lift height for delivery in mid-2020. Once delivered and commissioned, the Wando Terminal will have 15 cranes of similar capability, giving it the ability to handle three 14,000 TEU ships at once. This combined with efforts to densify the container yard, implement a new operating system (Tideworks), and expand gate and chassis capacity, the Wando Terminal will gain an additional 700,000 TEU of capacity.

"The port continues to build critical infrastructure to ensure both reliability and fluidity for our customers, both shipping lines and beneficial cargo owners," Newsome said. "Further big-ship deployments are anticipated in advance of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2020 sulfur cap and once more clarity is achieved relative to the current trade dispute between the US and China."

SCPA also announced that its Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Stan Van Ostran, will leave the organization at the end of 2018 to pursue other opportunities and move closer to family. The SCPA Board approved the appointment of Phillip Padgett as its new CFO effective January 1, 2019. Padgett is currently the Director of Controlling at SC Ports, and has extensive experience in financial management.

"We are excited about this new opportunity for Phil and know that he will carry on the tradition of strong financial management at SCPA," Newsome said. "We wish Stan Van Ostran well in his future endeavors."

The Board acknowledged with gratitude the award of a Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant in the amount of $25 million to assist in the expansion of Inland Port Greer and the enhancement of the Norfolk Southern linehaul rail infrastructure between Columbia and Greenville.

"Growth in intermodal container rail is strategic for the port and this significant grant will assist us in further improving our share of containerized cargo handled by rail," said Newsome.

New SC Ports Headquarters

Today was the last SCPA Board meeting prior to the agency's move into the new headquarters at 200 Ports Authority Drive in Mt. Pleasant in early January.

About South Carolina Ports Authority
South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), established by the state's General Assembly in 1942, owns and operates public seaport and intermodal facilities in Charleston, Dillon, Georgetown and Greer. As an economic development engine for the state, Port operations facilitate 187,200 statewide jobs and generate nearly $53 billion annual economic activity. SCPA is soon to be home to the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast at 52 feet, and the Port is an industry leader in delivering speed-to-market, seamless processes and flexibility to ensure reliable operations, big ship handling, efficient market reach and environmental responsibility. For more information on SCPA, please visit www.scspa.com.

Media Contact:
Kelsi Childress
External Affairs Coordinator
SC Ports Authority
843-577-8676
kchildress@scspa.com

CHARLESTON, SC -- December 11, 2018 -- Today the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced a $25 million Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant to support the expansion at South Carolina Ports Authority's (SCPA) Inland Port Greer, and the extension of Norfolk Southern's Carlisle Passing Siding.

"We are very appreciative for the support of our Congressional delegation, SC Governor Henry McMaster, Secretary Chao, and the USDOT," said Bill Stern, SCPA Board Chairman. "This is a strong, collaborative partnership by public and private entities, something the Trump Administration has put an emphasis on. We are proud to partner with these entities to better improve our infrastructure in South Carolina. While this project may be in the Upstate, it will serve the entire Southeast region for years to come."

The expansion of Inland Port Greer will increase terminal capacity, allow for additional storage and processing tracks inside the terminal which will improve rail capacity, efficiency and flexibility, and expand on-terminal support facilities.

"As SC Ports continues to see record growth, this funding is critical for the expansion efforts at Inland Port Greer," said Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO. "This project will support local manufacturing, increase capacity for logistics growth, and improve transportation networks supporting traffic flows for imports and exports throughout the state and region."

"This grant award underscores the importance in partnering to build for the future of economic growth in South Carolina," stated Rob Martinez, Vice President of Business Development and Real Estate at Norfolk Southern. "Norfolk Southern commends Secretary Elaine Chao, Governor McMaster, the entire SC delegation, our project partners and SCDOT in this historic undertaking. Completion of the Upstate Express Corridor is an essential component for each partners shared growth and we are grateful for this opportunity to build for South Carolina's future."

The South Carolina Department of Transportation, Norfolk Southern, BMW, and the South Carolina Ports Authority partnered together for the grant application.

"This grant enhances the multimodal transportation infrastructure in our state significantly," said Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall. "Our overall transportation system serves as the infrastructure for economic development on a scale that improves the lives of all South Carolinians."

"Like many companies in the region, BMW Manufacturing has benefited from the inland port since its opening in 2013," said Sky Foster, Department Manager, BMW Corporate Communications. "The inland port has been essential for our day-to-day logistics operations and in our ability to expand production and add new models. We appreciate the support of the state and federal Departments of Transportation, the South Carolina Ports Authority and other partners that worked diligently to secure this funding."

About South Carolina Ports Authority
South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), established by the state's General Assembly in 1942, owns and operates public seaport and intermodal facilities in Charleston, Dillon, Georgetown and Greer. As an economic development engine for the state, Port operations facilitate 187,200 statewide jobs and generate nearly $53 billion annual economic activity. SCPA is soon to be home to the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast at 52 feet, and the Port is an industry leader in delivering speed-to-market, seamless processes and flexibility to ensure reliable operations, big ship handling, efficient market reach and environmental responsibility. For more information on SCPA, please visit www.scspa.com.