Brunswick sets record month for autos: Georgia Ports on track for record Ro/Ro year

April 17, 2024
Georgia Ports Authority

The Port of Brunswick has handled nearly 629,000 units of Roll-on/Roll-off cargo for the fiscal year-to-date through March. Find print-quality images here. (Georgia Ports)

APRIL 17, 2024 – Colonel’s Island Terminal at the Port of Brunswick continued its record-setting pace in March, handling 77,236 units of Roll-on/Roll-off cargo, an increase of 13,438 units or 21 percent over the same month last year.

“March was the busiest month ever for Ro/Ro cargo in Brunswick, with organic growth and new customers driving increases in both autos and high and heavy equipment,” said Georgia Ports Authority President and CEO Griff Lynch. “Import and export trade has increased as auto makers expanded production and Colonel’s Island processors have captured additional market share in the South Atlantic region.”

Among GPA’s March Ro/Ro volumes, 4,210 units were high and heavy cargo. Fiscal Year 2024 machinery volumes now total 20,113, an increase of 6,887 units or 34 percent through the first nine months of the fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2024.

From July 2023 through March 2024, GPA has moved 628,937 total units of Ro/Ro cargo, an increase of 88,200 or 16 percent. The monthly average is 69,882 units, meaning Georgia Ports could handle an all-time record of 800,000 units by the end of its fiscal year in June.

“Brunswick’s terminal capacity, its location just two miles from I-95, and on-terminal rail facilities make it the perfect gateway to serve manufacturers and dealerships across the Southeast,” said GPA Board Chairman Kent Fountain. “The investments we are making will ensure Colonel’s Island has the capacity to meet the demand of the region’s fast-growing population for years to come.”

Twenty-three carmakers and 17 heavy machinery producers use the Port of Brunswick, which handled approximately 723,515 Ro/Ro units last fiscal year.

Colonel’s Island handled a record 52 vessels in March, up 11 vessels or 27 percent compared to March 2023. The Port of Brunswick has handled 431 Ro/Ro vessels during the first three quarters of the fiscal year. Based on its monthly average, Colonel’s Island is on track to handle a record 572 ships by the end of June. The previous record was 534, set in FY2015.

To better accommodate growing trade, the Georgia Ports Authority is increasing its infrastructure for processing autos and high and heavy equipment.

Colonel’s Island is undergoing a $262 million infrastructure program that is nearing completion. Projects are expanding capacity by adding 122 acres of Ro/Ro storage and 640,000 square feet of new processing space. These projects are more than 85 percent complete and should be finished in late summer 2024. Another 300 acres are available for development.

GPA is also in the process of adding a fourth Ro/Ro berth to handle additional vessels. Currently in the engineering phase, the new berth will more efficiently accommodate vessels capable of carrying 7,000-plus vehicles. 

About Georgia Ports

Ports are economic engines. 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. Since 2012, GPA has invested $3.27 billion in building new port and inland infrastructure and is planning on spending an additional $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. GPA’s community engagement efforts are industry-leading with a $6 million donation 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 efulford@gaports.com 912-964-3806.

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