The North Carolina State Ports Authority welcomes New Belgium Brewing Company to the state. Brewing tanks arrived at the Port of Wilmington from Rotterdam and are being trucked to the New Belgium facility outside of Asheville, North Carolina this week. The tanks vary in weight from 2,000 pounds to more than 34,000 pounds. “This is a unique undertaking for our port because of the complex requirements of the equipment being moved,” said Chief Executive Officer Paul Cozza. “Not only does it show our attention to detail but it also touts the connectivity from the mountains to the coast of North Carolina. Goods moving through the North Carolina State Ports Authority helped to contribute more than $14 billion in gross revenues for North Carolina businesses in fiscal year 2014. $344 million of that contribution was made to the western part of the state, according to a recent study carried out by the Institute for Transportation Research and Education. The study also found that the North Carolina State Ports Authority both directly and indirectly supports 1,700 jobs and $3 million in local taxes to western North Carolina. North Carolina’s Ports in Wilmington and Morehead City, plus inland terminals in Charlotte and in Greensboro, link the state’s consumers, businesses and industry to world markets, and serve as magnets to attract new business and industry. North Carolina’s Ports support more than 76,000 jobs statewide and its activities contribute more than $700 million each year in state and local tax revenues.