Port Anchors Area's Economy

History of the Port

A gentle breeze filled the sails of the small ship Carolina, pushing her up the Ashley River to a prime location on the bank of Albermarle Point. Stepping ashore, the settlers from across the Atlantic stood among the virgin trees draped in Spanish moss. They had been sent by eight English noblemen known as the Lords Proprietors, who had been granted the territory by King Charles II as a reward for their loyalty. The colonists' task was to establish Charles Towne - the first permanent English settlement in the Carolinas - as a profit-making venture on behalf of the Lords Proprietors.

While the high ground at Albemarle Point afforded a good vantage point for spotting Spaniards approaching the settlement by sea, the shallow creek leading to the landing could only accommodate a few ships at a time, making trade difficult for the colonists. So in 1680, the town moved to its present site on the narrow low-lying peninsula between the Ashley and Cooper rivers at the head of a broad bay leading to the Atlantic Ocean. Now able to accommodate a larger number of ships, trade in lumber, deerskins and indigo rapidly established Charles Towne's wealth and prosperity.

With the invention of the cotton gin and improvements in the cultivation of rice, Charleston's economy continued to grow. By 1750, Charleston was the fourth largest city in colonial America, and its wealthiest. Charleston Harbor served as a major shipping port for the rice and indigo produced throughout the region. It was also the first and largest port to receive slaves. "Cotton was king and rice was gold," and prosperous merchants and planters built lavish homes in Charleston as monuments to their extraordinary wealth.

During the Civil War, the port served as a lifeline to the Confederacy. Food, medicine and other supplies needed to support the troops in gray poured in through Charleston Harbor. Realizing the importance of this supply link, the Union Navy blockaded the harbor, greatly diminishing Charleston's value to the war effort.

After the Civil War, Charleston struggled to deal with its battered and broken economy. Without slaves to work the rice and cotton fields, the plantation system soon collapsed, and Charleston struggled to survive. Revival of the economy finally came with the establishment of a large U.S. Naval Shipyard in the Charleston area during World War I, and several military-related industries during World War II. The harbor came alive, and slowly but surely, Charleston again began to thrive.

The Port Today

Today, Port Charleston is one of the busiest ports in the Southeastern United States. It is also one of the largest containerized cargo ports on the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The port's fine, nearly landlocked harbor handles both coastal and overseas trade, giving the South Carolina business community a direct link to the international marketplace.

The mission of the South Carolina State Ports Authority is to "contribute to the economic development of South Carolina by fostering and stimulating waterborne commerce and shipment of freight. In pursuit of this mission the Authority seeks to develop and operate efficient marine terminals and seaport facilities in Charleston, Georgetown and Port Royal, South Carolina."

What the Authority's mission statement means to William P. Lempesis can be refined to one word: productivity. As the general manager of berthing and scheduling for Charleston's four terminals, Lempesis and his department maintain the international reputation the port has earned for getting ships in and out of port quickly and safely.

"What we've done here in Charleston is managed to get to the bottom line and be extremely productive," said Lempesis. "We're ranked among the best worldwide, and we're proud of that."

For Lempesis and his team, managing the movement of ships in and out of the port is like a giant chess game, where the rules are set forth, the strategy is planned, and all the players are put in place. And yet, the game has to progress around the moves made on both sides of the board.

"Nothing is random here," continued Lempesis, who has worked for the State Ports Authority in a number of capacities for 14 years. "It's all by design. And it's paperless. If a ship is scheduled to dock at Wando Terminal on Tuesday at 6 a.m., the process of getting it cleared and docked begins the day before. When it arrives, we make certain the cranes are available and manned, the crews are called in to load or unload, and yard space is available for storage. We work closely with Customs and the Coast Guard, because they also have jobs to do."

According to Lempesis, the best-laid plans are often fraught with unpredictable problems, like weather or other delays. "The worst thing that can happen is to have a ship sitting in the harbor, unable to be unloaded. That costs the shipping line money, and we do whatever we can to prevent that from occurring."

Some 2,025 to 2,050 ships come in and out of Charleston's port each year, an average of about six per day. The port operates 24 hours a day, with live personnel always available to handle any problems that may arise.

"We are committed to defending our position as the most productive port in North America by moving cargo through our facilities as efficiently as possible, everyday," continued Lempesis. "We strive to provide industry-leading productivity that produces bottom-line benefits for our customers."

Security is also a high priority for Lempesis and his team. "The truth is, the Port Police began implementing plans to improve security over a year before the terrorist attacks on September 11," he stated. "The government believed the nation's maritime industry was most vulnerable to terrorism, so they mandated assessments and implemented increased security procedures via the Coast Guard. Of course it's never foolproof, but I believe we're in pretty good shape."

Of course, he never lets his guard down. Lempesis is always looking for a better, safer way of doing things. He's constantly looking for ways to improve communications through new technology. It's all to reach the S. C. State Ports Authority's ultimate goal - unparalleled productivity for its customers. With this focus, Port Charleston will remain an anchor in the Charleston community, no matter which way the economic winds may blow in the future.

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