INDEPENDENT PURSUIT Makes First Vessel Call

WILMINGTON, NC – The 550-foot Independent Pursuit inaugurated a new weekly container shipping service between North Carolina and north Europe and the United Kingdom on Thursday, March 26, 2009, when the ship docked at the North Carolina State Ports Authority’s Port of Wilmington.

“North Carolina’s businesses and industries have strong ties to Europe and the United Kingdom,” said NC State Ports Authority Board of Directors Chairman Carl J. Stewart, Jr., “and we could not be more pleased to open up this vital link to such an important trade lane.” Key sectors that will use ICL’s service will be the automotive and construction equipment industry, as well as the high tech textiles, chemical and forest products trades.

“North Carolina’s businesses and industry have responded tremendously to our announcement to open this transatlantic trade lane out of the Port of Wilmington,” said ICL CEO John Kirkland.

“The Port of Wilmington’s strategic geographic location allows ICL to extend their market scope to one of the fastest growing states in the country,” said Ports Authority CEO Thomas J. Eagar. “North Carolina is currently the 10th most populous state, and projected to become the 7th largest by 2030.”

“Operating out of Wilmington also allows us to expand our reach into the rapidly growing southeastern U.S. market,” Kirkland added.

“By using the Port of Wilmington, we can also improve overall service levels to our customers by taking advantage of the expanded facilities at Wilmington’s container terminal,” said ICL COO Dale Ross.

Wilmington’s container terminal expansion includes a 42-foot navigation channel, berth reconstruction, four 100-foot gauge container cranes and a terminal operating system that allows customers to track their own containers online in and out of the Port.

“The support demonstrated by the State’s investment in these improvements is paying off with new business that supports jobs in the region and throughout the State,” Stewart said.

ICL has served the North Atlantic trade for 24 years. The four ICL vessels in the service each have a 1450 TEU capacity and are 550 feet long. With its corporate headquarters in Richmond, VA, ICL also has offices in Antwerp, Belgium and Liverpool, England.