Peter T. Leach | Jul 02, 2010 12:39PM EDT
North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue reappointed Carl J. Stewart, Jr. as chairman of the North Carolina State Ports Authority for a six-year term.
Stewart, former Speaker of the N.C. House of Representatives, was originally appointed chairman in 2004. A resident of Gastonia, he served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1967 through 1980.
He was elected Speaker in 1977 and again in 1979. Currently, he practices law in Gastonia.
Under Stewart’s leadership the N.C. State Ports Authority has expanded significantly at the Ports of Wilmington and Morehead City, including the proposed North Carolina International Terminal in Brunswick County. The ports have attained considerable milestones under Stewart’s guidance, including:
--The continuing expansion of Wilmington’s container terminal, which began in 2004 with the completion of the 42-foot Cape Fear River navigation channel to the Port, and includes four new all electric post-Panamax container cranes, refurbishments to the terminal’s container berths, new container handling machines and a new terminal operating system.
--Container volumes also have doubled in that time due in part to two new container shipping companies beginning service to Wilmington in 2009.
-- At the Port of Morehead City, a new 177,000 square foot warehouse serves the Port’s rubber and forest products customers, a new six-acre open paved storage area supports military shipments through the Port, and improvements to the rail system facilitate quick cargo movement.
-- Contact Peter T. Leach at pleach@joc.com.
