The Port of Charleston has a new customer, giving The South Carolina State Ports Authority hope for more business after a recent loss of their biggest shipping company. It’s been over a year since The SCSPA started working with The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia that makes energy-related products to get on board with the Port of Charleston. On March 30th that work will pay off as the Saudi Arabian company will start business with the port. Authority spokesman, Byron Miller says this strong public-private partnership, meaning different public agencies collaboratively working together for one privately-owned company, will not just bring in more revenue for the Ports Authority, but at a state and local level as well.
According to Miller, “This is great news, not only for the port related companies, you know, your stevedores, the trucking companies, and the tugboat companies, and the pilots, but really for the broader community because all those dollars get re-spent in the local dry cleaners and the grocery stores and the dentist office and other places. It will certainly be a positive boost for the local economy.”
The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia also uses the ports in Norfolk, VA and Savannah, GA, but Miller says they look to peel some of the business away from those ports and make Charleston the main terminal of destination.