February 2008
By Stephen W. Haynes
Continuing decades of innovations and excellence in forest products handling and storage, the North Carolina State Ports Authority is opening a new, modern dockside warehouse that expands the existing storage capabilities at its deepwater ports centrally located on the US east coast in Morehead City and Wilmington, NC. With the new facility, both ports offer more than 400,000-ft2 of prime warehouse space ready to receive wood, pulp and paper products.
At the Port of Morehead City, the new 177,000-ft2 warehouse has been custom designed to offer the specifications the forest products industry needs, including:
- 29-ft ceilings
- Doors designed for easy access
- Weather protected railcar and truck loading
- Location adjacent to ocean berths to provide low-cost stevedoring
The high ceilings allow for a 27.5-ft stacking height with a sprinkler system specially designed to accommodate the higher stacks. The north and south ends of the warehouse each boast six wide doors, while doors on the west side provide access to the 100-ft berth where multiple gangs can work at any location. Interior columns are widely spaced to maximize space. Loading operations can take place during inclement weather as trucks can drive to the center of the warehouse and awnings on the rail dock extend over the center of the rail cars.
Good rail connections
Propane heaters inside the warehouse can maintain a constant temperature of 40°F. A circular rail track to facilitate rail car switching leads from the warehouse. Other amenities offered in conjunction with this new facility are the 45-ft navigation channel to the deep-water port, and excellent barge, motor carrier and Norfolk Southern railroad connections. Opened in September 2006 after a year's construction, the warehouse cost $20 million. The first of an anticipated variety of forest products occupied the building with the arrival of a shipment of fencing in September.
The Port of Wilmington likewise boasts multi-purpose warehouse space also offering the specifications required by the forest products industry, including:
- High ceilings
- Doors designed for easy access
- Weather protected railcar and truck loading
- Location adjacent to ocean berths to provide
- Low-cost stevedoring
Wilmington's premier forest products warehouse was developed through in-depth discussions with all of the forest product customers using North Carolina's Ports, including shippers, freight forwarders, truckers, railroads, stevedores, shipping lines and receivers. One of the major features of the structure is the jackbeam type of framing system, which minimizes the number of columns necessary. Seven interior columns support the 108,000-ft2 facility. A 70,000-ft2 dockside extension was subsequently added. Other special features included to optimize handling and reduce damage include high-intensity lighting and skylights to improve visibility in operations. A lightly pigmented floor also enhances visibility, as well as cleanliness. A high-capacity exhaust ventilation system reduces exhaust fumes and dust levels. And tire cleaning grates at all truck entrances remove rocks, pebbles and other road debris to cut down on trash brought into the building.
Other amenities offered in conjunction with these modern warehouse facilities are the 42-ft navigation channel to the deep-water port, plus excellent barge, motor carrier and CSXT railroad connections.
A million tons per year
North Carolina's ports routinely handle upwards of one million tons of forest products annually. The cargo mix has varied over the years, ranging from import and export wood pulp and lumber as well as fencing, veneers, logs and wood chips. The ports variously have handled rolled paper, kraft linerboard and other specialized forest products. Most importantly, the facilities at both Morehead City and Wilmington are designed to support both export and import trade models – an important feature as world markets and currency fluctuations create new opportunities in forest products transport.
For example, in 1997, nearly 850,000 tons of woodchips moved from the Port of Morehead City to Japan, while the Port of Wilmington exported more than 600,000 tons of wood pulp to the Far East, Mediterranean and Europe. In 2006, Gearbulk began service to the Port of Morehead City, bringing in 80,000 tons of fencing from Brazil. That same year, Wilmington handled 550,000 tons of dimensional lumber from northern Europe and Scandinavia for the southeast US construction and home improvement industries. Other forest products carriers calling at North Carolina's ports include Star Shipping Company, Saga Forest Products Carriers, Spliethoff, Transatlantic and Clipper Shipping Company. Wilmington's nine container cranes also easily service forest products shipments such as lumber for furniture manufacturing facilities in China, and rolled pulp products for a wide range of export destinations.
Strategically-located, the ports of Morehead City and Wilmington offer a world-class supply chain solution within 700 miles of 70% of the industrial base of the US. Companies can reduce inventory costs and improve turnover velocity by utilizing the mid-US east coast market warehousing situated at the port. Plus, there are the added benefits of having centrally located storage facilities with economical and timely access to important markets in both the south and north, ready to serve customers quickly and efficiently. The savings of being able to keep inventory in port for storage, as well as the convenience of a centrally located storage facility with economical and timely access to important markets throughout the eastern US, are some of the benefits that the ports of Wilmington and Morehead City can offer the forest products industry.
Stephen W. Haynes is Director of Commodities Marketing and Sales, North Carolina State Ports Authority. For more infor-mation: www.ncports.com or Steve_Haynes@ ncports.com
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