FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Port of Philadelphia Snags Hyundai

From Port Newark

Article Taken From Star-Ledger: April 23, 2010 By Joseph R. Perone

Researched By: Eric Townes

(A Hyundai Motor vehicle on the production line at the company's factory in Asan, South Korea)

The Port of Philadelphia added two new customers, including Hyundai Motor - which will leave Port Newark  to import cars into Pennsylvania - and Sea Star line, which held a ceremony to welcome its inaugural ship. Sea Star line held the ceremony at the Tioga Marine Terminal near the SS El Faro, the main vessel the shipping line will use for the service. The company announced that Hyundai Motor will begin importing Korean-built cars out of Philadelphia instead of Newark and Baltimore. It will mark the first time cars have rolled into Philadelphia's seaport since Volkswagen left a decade ago.

Hyundai and its logistics affiliate, Glovis of America, will import and process 150,000 Hyundai and Kia vehicles each year through Philadelphia's Packer Avenue Marine Terminal. The Philadelphia Port agreed to spend $1 million to upgrade an auto process facility for Hyundai, according to port spokesman Joe Menta. Philly Ro-Ro Partners will contribute $3.7 million in improvements.

The Hyundai deal, which took more than a year to complete, is expected to create 276 full-time jobs for the city and 415 jobs throughout the region. Workers will unload the cars from roll-on-roll-off ships and prepare them for sale so they can be shipped by rail or truck to Hyundai and Kia dealers. John Estey, chairman of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, said Hyundai will bring 100 vessels a year through the port.

Hyundai distributes cars to almost 800 dealers throughout the nation.