Another record-breaking year for auto imports at Port of Davisville

NORTH KINGSTOWN – Last year was another record year for automobile imports at the Port of Davisville, with a 27 percent increase compared with 2014, according to Quonset Development Corp., which operates Quonset Business Park.
A total of 227,021 automobiles were imported at the port in 2015, surpassing the previous record set in 2014 by 48,806 vehicles, according to a press release issued Wednesday from the development corporation.
An additional 42,150 vehicles arrived by rail and truck for a total of 269,171 autos arriving at the port last year.
The release said the amount of cars imported is more than six times the volume seen at the port two decades ago – a 547 percent increase.
Vehicles that arrive at the port are processed, finished and distributed across the country by North Atlantic Distribution Inc., which has invested more than $40 million at the park since its arrival in 1986. NORAD employs nearly 400 full- and part-time workers and operates in 230,000 square feet of building space at Quonset.
Steven J. King, managing director of QDC, said auto manufacturers using the facility, particularly Volkswagen, Suburu, Audi and Honda, see the value in landing vehicles in Rhode Island. Positive auto industry growth also has helped boost the number of imports at the port, King said.
“As long as that trend continues, the need to bring the goods here will continue,” King said.

NORAD, King said, has done a “great job” processing the vehicles. It also handles Porsche, Bentley and Ford, but Ford vehicles arrive only by rail, he said.

The port has been one of the top 10 auto-importers in North America for the past several years, according to the development corporation.

“The Port of Davisville is one of our state’s most important assets and today’s announcement is another example of how Rhode Island can be a leader on the global stage,” Gov. Gina M. Raimondo said in a statement.
“We need to continue this momentum and pursue initiatives that will ensure the port continues to expand, creating even more economic growth and jobs in the future,” she said.

- Advertisement -

NORAD has built an additional 35,000-square-foot auto processing facility to help meet the demands of the growing auto import business at the port. The company is putting the finishing touches on the facility, and was set to celebrate it at a Feb. 5 event featuring officials such as the governor, but it had to be postponed due to weather. It may be rescheduled to March, according to the development corporation.
King said the company broke ground on the project about a year ago.
“State and federal leaders have done an incredible job in positioning this port for more growth. We recognize their commitment to this unique asset, and we will continue to invest here and bring more jobs to Rhode Island,” Michael Miranda, president and CEO of NORAD, said.
The governor also included a $70 million bond proposal in her state budget last week to modernize and reconstruct Pier 2 at the port; the investment would add an additional 50 years to its life. It was built in 1956 with a 50-year design life.
“For a vision of what is possible in Rhode Island, we don’t need to look any further than the Quonset Business Park. Here in North Kingstown nearly 11,000 people work at over 200 companies, including one of the top 10 auto importers in all of North America,” Raimondo said.

No posts to display