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Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Stewart Sworn in as Chairman
Carl J. Stewart Jr. sworn in as Chairman of NC State Ports Authority Board
 WILMINGTON, NC – Carl J. Stewart Jr. was sworn in today as chairman of the North Carolina State Ports Authority Board of Directors. The Honorable Sidney Eagles, retired Chief Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals and long-time friend of Mr. Stewart, conducted the swearing-in ceremony at the Ports Authority Board meeting in Wilmington.
Stewart, who lives and practices law in Gastonia, was appointed to the Board for a six-year term and named Chairman by Governor Mike Easley. He served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1967 through 1980, representing the 38th district which comprised Lincoln and Gaston counties. Stewart was elected Speaker in 1977 and again in 1979, and was the first speaker in the State’s history to serve consecutive terms.
As the new Ports Authority Board leader, Stewart said he would like to see the Board get more involved in helping bring more business to the Ports in Morehead City and Wilmington, as well as to the inland terminals in Charlotte and Greensboro.
“The Ports are a part of the whole state of North Carolina,” Stewart said. “In fact, more than half of the cargo going through the Ports goes to the Piedmont and western regions of the State, and the Ports can handle double the volumes that they presently ship.”
Stewart added that he also wants the Board to be more aggressive in spreading the message about the statewide value of the Ports. “Nearly 50,000 jobs statewide are related to the international trade for which North Carolina’s Ports serve as gateways,” he said.
Stewart served on the North Carolina Board of Transportation from 1981 until 1983. He was a member of the Economic Development Board and the North Carolina Board of Technology from 1999-2001. Stewart was also the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Preservation North Carolina during this time. He has served as Chairman of the Gastonia-West Committee since 1996.
Stewart received undergraduate and law degrees from Duke University. He has five children.
ABOUT THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE PORTS AUTHORITY:
North Carolina's Ports in Wilmington and Morehead City, plus inland terminals in Charlotte and the Piedmont Triad in Greensboro, link the State's consumers, businesses and industry to world markets, and serve as magnets to attract new business and industry. Port activities contribute statewide to 85,000 jobs and $299 million each year in state and local tax revenues. The proposed NC International Terminal in Brunswick County and Port expansion projects in Morehead City and Wilmington will make North Carolina a key player in international trade, and multiply related jobs and economic impact in the state.
Top trading partners are China, Venezuela, Colombia, India, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Korea, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and Turkey.
Primary exports include fertilizer, woodpulp, forest products, general merchandise, food, chemicals and metal products.
Top imports include forest products, chemicals, natural rubber, cement, scrap metal, steel, coal and general merchandise.
INFORMATION:
Karen Fox, Director of Communications (910) 343-6491 1-800-334-0682 Email
Susan Clizbe, Communications Manager (910) 343-6482 (910) 367-3559 Email
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