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If the future of commerce in southeastern North Carolina pans out like North Carolina State Ports Authority CEO Tom Eagar said it might at a Greater Whiteville Chamber of Commerce forum Thursday, Columbus County should feel enthusiastic about the North Carolina International Port, slated to be open in Southport by 2015.
A healthy effort is needed from local advocates and the Ports Authority to keep the project in the state’s good graces.
Eagar is a motivator, and he made local business leaders feel confident about development plans for the port and what a new influx of imports and exports could do for the area’s prosperity.
If the Ports Authority can meet expectations, commercial activity along the U.S. 74 corridor should take off.
Recently, the Ports Authority misstepped in spending $30,000 in taxpayer money during a state-funded party cruise to see a tall ship in Beaufort. We hope the Ports Authority learned a valuable lesson from the mistake—that even minor errors in judgment can injure the new port’s potential.
There’s a lot riding on the project. Local supporters can lend their efforts to right the ship, so to speak.
Eagar called on area business leaders to lobby on behalf of the Ports Authority’s operating budget. Putting effort into this project might reap even greater rewards down the line.