Source: PRESS RELEASE, 12/17/19

North Carolina Ports was recently recognized for its speed and efficiency at an international awards ceremony. The Journal of Commerce (JOC) named the Port of Wilmington the most productive port and Wilmington’s Container Terminal also received a No. 1 spot as the most productive terminal.

The awards were presented to the top North American ports and terminals during the Port Performance North America Conference in Newark, N.J. They were awarded to ports of varying size and capacity; Wilmington was awarded in the small ports category. The rankings were determined using JOC’s Port Productivity data by evaluating overall berth productivity in 2018 – which is defined as total container moves per hour while a ship is at berth.

“At a time when North Carolina Ports is expanding rapidly, receiving this recognition could not have come at a more opportune time,” said Brian E. Clark, Chief Operating Officer, North Carolina Ports. “This award supports our value proposition of being the most efficient and cost effective option for our customers.”

N.C. Ports is in the midst of a more than $200 million infrastructure improvements plan aimed at modernizing the Port of Wilmington. Improvements include a wider turning basin, berth enhancements, new neo-Panamax cranes and an overhaul of Wilmington’s container terminal. The terminal renovations will double the Port’s annual throughput capacity to 1.2 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit) and triple its refrigerated container capacity to 1,000 plugs.

“At the center of our capital improvements plan is efficiency,” added Paul J. Cozza, Executive Director, North Carolina Ports.

“Terminal enhancements will allow N.C. Ports to maintain best-in-class landside and waterside efficiencies and better meet the needs of our expanding customer base as we continue to grow.”

About North Carolina Ports
North Carolina’s ports in Wilmington and Morehead City and Charlotte Inland Port link the state’s consumers, business and industry to world markets and serve as magnets to attract new business and industry to the State of North Carolina. Port activities contribute statewide to more than 87,700 jobs and $678 million each year in state and local tax revenues.