Maersk, a key partner for Port of Charleston

South Carolina Ports Authority CEO Jim Newsome has been on the job all of 52 days and already he has achieved a huge accomplishment as Maersk Line, which last year announced that it was leaving the Port of Charleston in 2010, has done an about-face by agreeing to a new deal with the port. Newsome says it was critical that the port keep Maersk. ”They signed a new contract and they’ll be staying through the year 2014 and hopefully far beyond that time. Maersk is the largest line in the world and we certainly needed to keep them here and I’m glad we were able to accomplish that.”

Maersk accounts for about a quarter of the Port of Charleston’s business.

Newsome says it was a matter of both parties reaching common ground. “I just think we both had a sense of purpose for finalizing the discussions. We listened to their requirements and needs and realized that we needed to keep them and we were able to come to a deal that made sense for both companies.”