Staff Report
Published Feb. 14, 2013

A Houston-based memory foam company has picked the Port of Charleston for all of its East Coast business, the port said in a news release.

Sinomax USA, which specializes in memory foam bedding, pillows, toppers and mattresses, began importing containers from China through the Port of Charleston in early January, the news release said. The company said it sees its Charleston operation as essential to serve the growing Southeast market.

“Sinomax was evaluating a number of ports in the South Atlantic, but they chose the Port of Charleston because of the confidence they have in our port’s capabilities and our people,” said Rebecca Yang, manager of trans-Pacific account development for the S.C. State Ports Authority, which owns and operates the Port of Charleston.

Frank Chen, president of Sinomax USA Inc., said the growth potential in the Southeast makes the region “the most significant for our company.”

“We selected the Port of Charleston because of access to the region, the mix of shipping lines that serve the port and the team in place,” Chen said. “These are people we are very comfortable working with.”

Sinomax USA selected third-party logistics provider Premier Logistics Solutions to handle the company’s warehouse and transloading operations from the port. Premier operates a 210,000-square-foot warehouse in North Charleston near North Rhett Avenue, located near the port’s North Charleston Terminal.

“Home textile is a big market today with good prospects,” Chen said. “This is a very healthy market with healthy growth.”