Special for the Press and Standard
South Carolina Ports kicked off the 2023-2024 Port Ambassadors program, welcoming its largest class in the program’s six-year history.
Barnwell Fishburne along with 31 professionals from across the state will get a front row seat to the Port’s statewide operations. Monthly educational sessions will feature discussions with port leadership and state legislators, tours of marine and rail-served inland terminals, and an opportunity to visit manufacturing facilities dependent on port infrastructure.
Upon completion of the program, delegates will emerge with a thorough understanding of the Port’s vital role in supporting the Southeast supply chain and driving economic development in South Carolina.
“We are thrilled to have such a large group of leaders in this year’s program,” said Jordi Yarborough, SC Ports’ senior vice president of statewide stakeholders and local government engagement. “For these participants to be able to see firsthand how SC Ports’ operations directly benefit their communities is an invaluable experience.”
The class kicked off with a tour of Wando Welch Terminal in Mount Pleasant. This year’s class will be the first to participate in a session featuring rail-served Inland Port Dillon. Since operations began at the facility more than five years ago, Inland Port Dillon has continued to set new volume records, and now supports an estimated 25,000 jobs in the Pee Dee region.
Participants will also tour Harbor Freight Tools distribution facility and soybean transloading operations at C&M Farms during the visit.
“I’ve seen firsthand the impact SC Ports’ investments have had on the Pee Dee region with Inland Port Dillon,” Harper said. “Connecting Dillon directly to Charleston by rail has brought tremendous economic growth to our region and allows farmers, manufacturers and retailers to reach customers more efficiently. I’m glad my fellow ambassadors will have an opportunity to see these successes for themselves, and I look forward to growing my network with such a tremendous group of leaders from our state.”
To date, approximately 175 participants have been accepted to the program.
South Carolina Ports owns and operates marine terminals at the Port of Charleston and two rail-served inland ports in Greer and Dillon. As the 8th largest U.S. container port, SC Ports connects port-dependent businesses throughout the Southeast and beyond to global markets. SC Ports proactively invests in infrastructure ahead of demand to provide reliable service, efficient operations, cargo capacity, an expansive rail network and the deepest harbor on the East Coast at 52 feet. SC Ports is a vital economic engine for South Carolina, with port operations supporting 1 in 10 jobs statewide. Learn more: scspa.com.
