Ports America, Ceres, SSA Atlantic join forces in Savannah
Kevin Price to lead joint venture company
Ports America, Ceres Marine Terminals Inc., and SSA Atlantic LLC have consolidated container terminal, truck gate and stevedoring services under a joint venture company, Gateway Terminals LLC, to help increase efficiency at the Port of Savannah.
Bringing together three experienced organizations under one umbrella provides a compelling opportunity for growth, especially in light of the tremendous increase in demand for services to support Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), the nation’s third busiest container port complex.
“The benefits of this joint venture company for the Port of Savannah and its customers include integrated operations across all berths, providing the ability to turn more ships and move more cargo,” said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch.
Additionally, Kevin Price was recently named president of Gateway Terminals. Price will transition from his current role as Chief Operating Officer for the Virginia International Terminals and start in this new position Dec. 1. “I am very excited to be asked to lead our new, coordinated efforts,” Price said. “I also want to thank the Virginia Port Authority, Virginia International Terminals and the local International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) for three wonderful years.”
“Kevin has the right experience to head this new organization” said Griff Lynch. “He is a perfect leader to successfully merge the stevedoring services, bringing operations experience from ports, terminal operators and drayage companies, so he understands the various components and the supply chain issues the country is facing.”
GPA’s expedited infrastructure projects include adding 1.2 million twenty-foot equivalent container units of capacity by July 2022 and a total of 4.6 million TEUs of new container handling space by 2025.
“I would like to give a special thanks to the local leaders of the three member stevedoring operations, Mark Montgomery, Craig Mygatt and Mark Knudsen, for doing a great job in structuring this exciting new organization and partnering with GPA as we expand our operations in Savannah,” Lynch said.
About Ports America
Ports America is a U.S. based terminal operator and stevedore, with operations in every major port in the nation. With more than 100 years of experience through predecessor companies, Ports America possesses dedicated resources that only a company of such scale and scope can deliver, including: skilled personnel, robust training programs, best-in class technology and experienced management.
About Ceres
CERES is North America’s premier stevedore and terminal partner with over 60 years of industry experience, operating services across multiple cargo types. CERES container business continues to grow, operating in multiple North American ports, and is known for its consistent and reliable service, customer support, and stable long-term relationships with a wide range of customers. The company puts a focus on investing in different sectors in the industry and partnering with many companies to make the transportation industry better. CERES is wholly owned by Macquarie Infrastructure Partners.
About SSA
SSA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Carrix Inc. SSA Marine is an independent, privately held marine terminal operator, with activities at more than 250 terminal facilities and rail operations throughout geographies in the U.S., Canada, Latin and South America, Asia, New Zealand and South Africa. Since its founding in 1949, SSA Marine has continued to grow, always with its customers’ interests in focus.
Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 496,700 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $29 billion in income, $122 billion in revenue and $3.4 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy. The Port of Savannah handled 9.3 percent of total U.S. containerized cargo volume and 10.5 percent of all U.S. containerized exports in FY2020.