b'THE CHALLENGE OF THE DAY IS SUPPLY-CHAIN MANAGEMENTNewsome says SC Ports has built a product thats recognized around the world. He credits SCSPA with an intense focus on being a good employer and the people in the maritime com-munity, including longshoremen and truckers, who show up every day.Were a highly skilled industry with a big learning curve to becoming proficient, so levels of pay and quality of workplace are tremendously important. Theres great respect for the maritime industry here. One longshoreman family is represented by six generations on the waterfront. Theres a lot of pride attached to supporting the global supply chain and thats important to providing a good product because SC Ports will continue to grow and require more workforce.Today, the Port is doing everything possible to add more fluidity to the supply chain (keep freight moving), and that means continuing to make critical infrastructure improvements to attract world-class companies to the Charleston region.Reflecting, Newsome says, I joined the Port in September of 2009. Someone called me in October to say Boeing was going to build wide-body airplanes in South Carolina. I said, get out of here. It was a game changer for the region. Boeing doesnt use the Port a lot. They have an air-freight-based supply chain with the 747 Dreamlifter to move parts back and forth, but I would tell you having a good port was a consideration for them in locating here. Should that supply chain change in one way or another, they were comforted by the fact that we have a port here.I WAS HEARTENED IN MY TIME RUNNING THE PORT OF CHARLESTON, NEWSOME SAYS, BY THE SUPPORT WE RECEIVED FROM THE COMMUNITY. THERE IS RECOGNITION THAT THE PORT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE FABRIC, HISTORY AND FUTURE OF THE CHARLESTON REGION.16 CHAMBER RETROSPECTIVE250 YEARS'