Saab Story Is Good News for Port of Hueneme

Expanding its reputation as one of the West Coast’s top spots for receiving foreign cars, the Port of Hueneme expects to have a record-setting year for auto imports as Saab begins rolling cars off the docks.

Capping years of negotiations with Oxnard’s Pacific Vehicle Processors, the Swedish auto maker agreed to expand its operations from East Coast hubs in New Jersey and Georgia to include a third processing center in Port Hueneme.

“It’s perfect for us,” said Deborah Miles, logistics director at Norcross, Ga.-based Saab Cars U.S.A., the auto maker’s domestic marketing and distribution arm. “It’s a good match, and they already have a lot of cars.”

The first local shipment of 100 cars arrived last week. Officials said they expect about 7,000 cars a year through the facility, which will boost the port’s imports to a record 223,000 cars a year.

Last year, Saab exported about 40,000 cars to the U.S.

Saab’s decision to use the Port of Hueneme is part of an agreement reached with Pacific Vehicle Processors, which will handle the inspection and final preparation of Saab imports for sale.

The company will probably hire about 20 employees to handle the processing, said Jim Kilpatrick, general manager for marketing.

Kilpatrick said that Saab has ambitious expansion plans and could double the number of cars it imports on the West Coast within five years. In the past, Saab imported through its East Coast ports, and then shipped, by truck or train, to the West.

“This will make for faster deliveries,” said Will Berg, director of marketing for the Port of Hueneme.

As the only deep-water port between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Hueneme already handles imports from Jaguar, Volvo, Mitsubishi, BMW, Land Rover, Daewoo and Suzuki, the last auto maker to sign a contract with the port, two years ago.

In recent years, the port has grabbed a larger share of foreign trade by carving a niche in non-container traffic such as cars, fruits and vegetables.

If a pending deal with the Navy is approved, the port would be allowed to use one of the Navy’s wharves, offering more cargo capacity and attracting more customers. Also, in September port officials bought the so-called Sunkist site, a 14.1-acre lot next to the port named for its historic use as a citrus packing plant, for $3.9 million.

Together, the two properties would increase the port’s available area by more than a third, from 100 acres to 137.

Berg said that although the wharf deal has approval from local Navy brass, it is still awaiting the final OK by the secretary of the Navy.

Berg said he was confident there would still be a strong market for foreign luxury cars, even as the economy sours.

“We’re as susceptible to it as anybody,” Berg said. “[But], we’re at a record pace.”