Page 47 - The Anchor

he port in Savannah is larger and sees more
container ships each year, but the Brunswick
port welcomed 591 vessels to its base on
Colonel’s Island in 2022.
T While GPA already has an impressive
operation, construction has started on a new 350,000
square-foot warehouse. A new auto storage section, 100
acres in size, is also under development. To add to the
progress, GPA has received a federal permit to build a
fourth berth for vessels on Colonel’s Island. This new berth
will accommodate larger ships and extend berthing space
up to 4,630 feet. Near-dock storage is also being improved,
so that heavy equipment can more easily navigate between
ships and warehouses. All of this will allow GPA to increase
the annual capacity on Colonel’s Island to 1.4 million autos
and heavy equipment per year.
The port supplies hundreds of jobs for the area
and provides links to international markets. The Port of
Brunswick is currently the second busiest autoport in the
United States, with the Savannah port the fourth most
active overall (ports in Los Angeles, Long Beach, CA, and
New York/New Jersey top the activity list).
“The Georgia ports have the deepwater and inland
facilities to provide reliable service,” said Ed McCarthy, Chief
Operating Officer for GPA. “The work we do supports the
economic vitality of Georgia. In fact, there are more than
560,000 jobs across the state that rely on port activity.”
“Through our ports,” reads the GPA vision statement,
“Georgia proudly serves as a gateway for America.”
Brunswick-Golden Isles Community Magazine • The Anchor • BrunswickGoldenislesChamber.com 43
Ro/Ro Logistics
at Brunswick
Two key companies, Wallenius Wilhelmsen (WW)
and International Auto Processing (IAP), are part of
the process of bringing automobiles into the Port of
Brunswick and moving them on to their final destinations.
Employing more than 8,200 people worldwide.
The Georgia Ports Authority plans to shift breakbulk
cargo carried by WW from the Port of Savannah to the
Port of Brunswick’s Colonel’s Island Terminal. The shift
from Savannah to Brunswick entails constructing a
360,000-square-foot warehousing space and 85 acres
of auto storage.
The new warehousing and auto storage space also
will help IAP grow its services more. IAP is one of three
on-terminal auto processors at the port. Once the
vehicles arrive in Brunswick, IAP processes the cargo
for destinations elsewhere. Since 1986, IAP has processed
over 6.3 million vehicles.
While IAP is not the only auto processor at the Port,
it may very well be the largest. In 2022, IAP received more
than 400,000 units, which represents about two-thirds
of the vehicles going through the Port of Brunswick. Its
customers include GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes,
Polestar, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo.
Wallenius International
Wilhelmsen Auto Processing
Learn more at
gaports.com.