Port of Tacoma opens new auto processing facility

The Port of Tacoma has opened a new, $40 million, leased auto-processing facility, the Marshall Avenue Auto Facility, which allows the Port and AWC to continue the expansion of auto import processing in Tacoma. The company currently processes Isuzu, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Suzuki auto imports through Tacoma. In 2002, these vehicles accounted for a Port record of 180,000 autos.

At 146.5 acres, the Marshall Avenue Auto Facility is capable of storing and processing more than 19,000 vehicles at a time. The facility, which includes buildings for offices, washing and vehicle maintenance, is designed for quick, efficient transfer from ship to auto processing, and to truck or rail, says Steve Seher, President and CEO of Auto Warehousing Company.

In addition to the new auto-processing facility, the Blair Terminal (formerly the Blair Log Dock) on the Blair Waterway was upgraded to meet the requirements of auto ships. As vehicles exit ships at the terminal, they will cross Port of Tacoma Road to the Marshall Avenue complex, via a dedicated bridge, now under construction. The bridge is scheduled for completion in 2004.

“The short-term auto storage is in very close proximity to rail and truck load-out areas. Our objective in the design of this facility was to make everything as seamless and efficient as possible,”said Seher.

According to Dick Marzano, President of the Port of Tacoma Commission, the new auto-processing facility is a reflection of the Port’s growth, its commitment to cargo diversity, and it demonstrates a vision of the future. “It also shows our commitment to our customers. By meeting the growth needs of our customers and developing facilities like this, we are meeting their needs – both today and for decades to come.”

Construction is also underway at the new Evergreen Terminal project – the centerpiece of the Port’s five-year, $341 million capital development program. The 171-acre terminal, which features an on-dock intermodal yard, will have an annual capacity of more than 480,000 container lifts – or approximately 840,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent ‘containers’) when the new terminal opens in early 2005. Evergreen’s move to this site, formerly used for auto processing, created the opportunity for AWC and the Port to construct the Marshall Avenue complex.