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Inland Port Greer expansion continues to boost regional, state economic growth

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The completion of expanded rail infrastructure at Inland Port Greer and plans to double the terminal’s capacity drew an assortment of local and state leaders Nov. 18 to celebrate the cargo hub’s impact on the regional and state economies.

SC Ports President and CEO Barbara Melvin said the inland port has become one of the most successful facilities of its kind in the nation and has contributed to making SC Ports the 8th largest port in the country.

Port expansion

Inland Port Greer was completed in 2013 and has grown steadily since. The expansion just completed involved building an additional rail processing track and two rail storage tracks within the terminal. The addition of 8,000 feet of new rail is expected to meet cargo demands through 2040.

The next phase of growth involves expanding the container yard by 15 acres to the east toward J. Verne Smith Parkway and the west toward Greer to handle 50% more cargo.

The expansion also involves doubling the size of the existing chassis yard capacity and building new facilities for heavy lift maintenance and terminal operations. The full project is slated for completion in winter 2024.

The more than $30 million expansion is funded by both SC Ports’ revenues and a portion of a $25 million BUILD (Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development) grant. The grant was awarded to the S.C. Department of Transportation for its Upstate Express Corridor Program.

“The expansion of Inland Port Greer adds more space for containers and trains to meet the capacity needs of our customers,” said Ed Stehmeyer, SC Ports general manager of projects and design. “The goal of the terminal expansion is to bolster the Upstate intermodal infrastructure supply chain and further develop the inland terminal to handle more cargo for our customers.”

SC Ports is also building the Navy Base Intermodal Facility in North Charleston. This rail-served cargo yard will move more cargo to and from Inland Ports Greer and Dillon, efficiently transporting goods throughout the state.

The Navy Base Intermodal Facility will be served by Norfolk Southern, CSX and Palmetto Railways when it opens in July 2025. The modern cargo yard will sit one mile from Leatherman Terminal to ensure speed-to-market for port-dependent businesses throughout the Southeast.

Inland Port Greer fast facts

  • More than 150,000 rail lifts were done at the facility in the 2022 fiscal year
  • The S.C. Energy Office estimates the inland ports at Greer and Dillon saved 970,000 gallons of diesel fuel and removed 11,500 tons of emissions from the air by reducing truck traffic in 2021 alone.
  • Inland Port Greer operates 24/7 and extends the reach of the Port of Charleston 212 miles inland to the Upstate.
  • BMW Manufacturing exports 60% of the vehicles it makes in Spartanburg County through Inland Port Greer/Port of Charleston to 120 countries worldwide.



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