Carver Maritime to expand North Charleston operations

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Shipping and warehousing company Carver Maritime LLC plans to expand its existing operations in North Charleston with a $14 million investment.

Carver Maritime, at 1400 Pierside St., Building 190, Suite D, accommodates ships carrying cargo such as salt, break bulk items, gypsum and stone aggregates at its 400-acre marine terminal, which offers accessibility for ships up to 750 feet with a draft of 36 feet.

The company is constructing a new processing and distribution center that will export through the Hugh K. Leatherman Sr. Terminal, expected to open in 2021, and the planned Palmetto Railways Intermodal Container Transfer Facility at the former Charleston Naval Base complex.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved a $100,000 set-aside grant for Charleston County to assist with the costs of building improvements.

Carver Laraway, president and CEO of Carver Cos., cited a “competitive spirit of attracting new and growing existing businesses” by the city of North Charleston, Charleston County Economic Development and the state of South Carolina as part of its decision to expand in the Lowcountry.

“Like many companies, we could have expanded our business by the lure of incentives from other states, but the fact that Charleston County really wanted our business to grow here was the primary reason we made this capital investment,” Laraway said.

The S.C. Department of Commerce said in the release that Carver Maritime’s new facility is expected to create 22 new jobs. The facility is slated to be online by the summer.

North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said in the release that the S.C. Ports Authority’s expansion necessitates new warehouse and distribution capacity.

“We are happy to see Carver Maritime fulfilling this need,” Summey said.