Colonel’s Island poised to become top U.S. auto port

April 24, 2024 – The Georgia Ports Authority and Wallenius Wilhelmsen have signed a 20-year terminal agreement consolidating the company’s port and logistics operations at the Port of Brunswick.

“We’re excited to welcome the additional business to Colonel’s Island Terminal from WW, where we are developing the nation’s premier gateway for all carriers handling autos and heavy machinery,” said GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch. “This move is an important part of our two-pillar strategy, which calls for all Roll-on/Roll-off cargo to be located in Brunswick, and all container trade in Savannah.”

For GPA, specializing the ports according to cargo type improves efficiency and creates centers of excellence. For customers such as Wallenius Wilhelmsen, expanding Brunswick infrastructure means greater ability to target new business opportunities.

“Our expansion and new long-term commitment in Brunswick strengthen our position as the preferred supply chain partner to North American automotive, equipment and breakbulk customers providing our complete package of market-leading end-to-end logistics services.” says Lasse Kristoffersen, CEO, Wallenius Wilhelmsen.

To increase capacity in Brunswick, GPA has developed an additional 130 acres of Ro/Ro storage and multiple warehouses to serve processing needs at Colonel’s Island. Another 300 acres are available for development.

“We are thankful for our longtime partnership with Wallenius Wilhelmsen, and are excited to begin this new chapter of service,” said GPA Board Chairman Kent Fountain. “With the efficiencies of their Brunswick operation, GPA and WW will continue to deliver world-class reliability for our mutual customers.”

Port officials said the 20-year contract allows manufacturers to plan for the long-term.

“Not only can customers depend on Wallenius Wilhelmsen as a full-service provider through the Brunswick gateway, the nature of our agreement adds a great deal of certainty to the supply chain,” said GPA Chief Administrative Officer Jamie McCurry. “It’s a foundation on which auto and machinery producers can grow their business in the U.S. Southeast and Midwest.”

WW now has the ability in Brunswick to perform a variety of services, including assembly, refurbishment and customizations to a variety of different construction, agricultural and mining equipment. The facility will also include dedicated paint booths and wash bays to ensure machines are in the exact condition required by dealers and end customers. Installing customer-requested components on-terminal increases speed to market and avoids the cost of an additional haul to a separate facility.

“With the size and scope of our operations, Brunswick is an exceptional location, where we can provide all of our core services – ocean and inland transportation, vehicle and equipment processing, and terminal services,” said Mike Hynekamp, chief operating officer of Wallenius Wilhelmsen. “The company’s customers can have peace of mind knowing all their cargo moving through Brunswick is being managed by a single provider.”

A new fumigation warehouse adjacent to the berths ensures biosecurity requirements are met for shipments to Oceania.

Repositioning car and truck imports to Colonel’s Island not only serves Georgia customers more effectively, it stages the vehicles closer to high-volume markets. The move also helps consolidate auto trucking fleets, instead of splitting motor carrier capacity between Georgia’s two ports.

For breakbulk and project cargo, new dock upgrades and a new state-of-the art 100,000 square-foot warehouse provide short- and long-term storage at Mayor’s Point Terminal in Brunswick.  This modernization upgrade will help support rubber shipments delivered on Wallenius Wilhelmsen vessels.

Georgia Ports Investments

GPA is nearing completion of a $262 million investment in the Port of Brunswick to grow its capacity and services for Ro/Ro cargo.  

Port and carrier officials said Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s long-term lease commitment helped lay the foundation for the overall investment and signifies the longstanding relationship with GPA. Together, the two have built a successful partnership over many decades, and this investment demonstrates Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s commitment to maintaining the relationship for many years to come, the leaders added.

GPA has received federal approval to construct a fourth berth that will be available to all Ro/Ro vessels calling Colonel’s Island. Currently in the engineering phase, the project will more efficiently accommodate larger vessels with a capacity of 7,000-plus vehicles.

Brunswick harbor and waterway improvements

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and the state legislature recently allocated just over $6 million for special harbor improvements at the Port of Brunswick to support the safe, efficient transit of vessels. This allocation will go to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as Georgia’s share of the project costs. The Corps of Engineers plan includes a bend widener, expansion of the turning basin and an expanded vessel meeting area at St. Simons Sound (to allow vessels to pass each other in two-way traffic).

Congress recently approved nearly $38 million for Brunswick, including the $11.35 million federal share of the harbor improvements project. Another $26.6 million will go to dredge the federal waterway to its full authorized depth of 36 feet in the inner harbor, 38 feet in the outer harbor.

About Georgia Ports

The Port of Brunswick handled a record 775,565 units of autos and machinery in Calendar Year 2023, an increase of 15.6 percent over the previous year.

Georgia’s ports and inland terminals support more than 561,000 jobs throughout the state annually, contributing $33 billion in income, $140 billion in revenue and $3.8 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy. GPA anticipates investing $4.5 billion in the next ten years as part of its port master plan to expand cargo handling capabilities to support future supply chain requirements. As part of GPA’s community engagement efforts, $6 million will be donated to communities located near the Port of Savannah to support a multi-year, local workforce housing initiative. CNBC ranked Georgia #1 in the U.S. for infrastructure in America’s Top States for Business in 2023.    Area Development  – a site selection news outlet for the U.S., has ranked Georgia as the Top State to Do Business for ten consecutive years.  For further information, visit gaports.com or contact Manager of Media Relations Edward Fulford at [email protected]  912-964-3806.