Greer's Inland Port Draws Big Community Interest

There's no doubt about it, Greer's Inland Port is drawing big interest in the community.

More than a 100 people showed up Friday for an informational meeting to talk about the new port being constructed by the South Carolina Ports Authority and scheduled to open in September. 

Jack Ellenburg from the Ports Authority gave a brief presentation about the new port and talked about the reasons the inland port was needed.

"It's ease of proximity," Ellenburg told the crowd. He said the inland port offers an ease of transport from Altlanta to Charlotte and from Greer to the coast.
 
"Within 500 miles of Greer are 100 million consumers and those consumers have products that need to be delivered," Ellenburg told the crowd. "We think Greer is the gateway to serve that population market."

Despite what some people may think, the Ports Authority is not new to the Upstate or to Greer. Ellenburg said the entity purchased the property currently being developed back in 1982 with the plan to one day to have an inland port and more than a decade before BMW North America announced that it would build in Greer.

The project is moving quickly is an understatment, Ellenburg said. 

"We serve not just the state of South Carolina, but beyond South Carolina," Ellenburg said. "

The only entrance to the port will be off of Verne Smith Parkway. Signage from I-85 will direct traffic from Exit 58 to the inland port. The official traffic pattern will be from Brockman McClimon Road turning onto Highway 101. From Highway 101, trucks will continue on to Verne Smith Parkway to enter the inland port. There will not be an entrance off of Highway 290.

For 88-year-old Chester Reece, the meeting was an opportunity to learn more about the construction and to what it might mean for the growth of Greer and to the Upstate.

Reece, who helped to construct many buildings and churches in the Greer and in the Upstate as as the owner of Reece Construction Company, said he thought the project is one people could get excited about. 

"It's going to bring more jobs to the area, more growth," Reece said. "That's always a good thing." 

A resident lifelong resident of Greer and of the Victor community, D.J. Foster said he was excited to come and learn more about the port.

"I'm hoping to be a part of this opportunity," Foster said. "I was here to see what the job opportunities were going to be in this area. I like the way the explained the project, the upgrades that they are doing in the Victor community. It's going to be a good thing."

For Ivin Leaks, who manages a small trucking company in the Upstate, it was a chance to see the Ports presentation and get a better idea about what benefits it may have for a small business.

"I've been conversing with the South Carolina Ports Authority for a while now," Leaks said. "This was is going to be a great opportunity for the Upstate. It's going to bring a lot of jobs, not just at the port but to businesses being developed around the port."

Greer resident Liz York said that she wanted to hear more about the business that would become her neighbor. 

"My biggest concern was to see what exit they were going to be coming in on and how much traffic it was going to bring to the area," York said after the meeting.

York said she was relieved to see that it would not impact the Highway 14 area, as she had thought that it might. She said that living within a cross proximity to the airport, she also worried about the air quality. 

"Air quality is a big issue as I have allergies, so to hear that they are using electric cranes, instead of diesel, is great for me," York said. "It's going to be great for Greer. I'm excited about learning more about it."

Michael Hoffman was introduced as the Inland Port Terminal Manager.