Wallenius Wilhelmsen moves first on Brunswick port expansion

RoRo shipping company Wallenius Wilhelmsen has signed a 20-year lease agreement with the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), with options up to 30 years, for the Port of Brunswick.

The move is expected to expand the scope and scale of Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s US Southeast operations, which already include Brunswick as a port of call.

Colonel’s Island at the Brunswick Port is undergoing a US$262 million infrastructure program that is nearing completion. The expansion will see 130 acres of Ro/Ro storage and 640,000 square feet of new processing space added to the terminal. These projects are more than 85 percent complete and should be finished in late summer 2024, according to GPA. Additional 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 aims to accommodate vessels capable of carrying 7,000-plus vehicles.

“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.

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

“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 Wallenius Wilhelmsen will continue to deliver world-class reliability for our mutual customers.”

“We’re excited to welcome the additional business to Colonel’s Island Terminal from Wallenius Wilhelmsen, 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.”

“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.”

Read more: GPA determined to reach 12M TEU capacity by 2030

Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s Brunswick footprint includes expansions and enhancements to its existing terminal and auto vehicle processing center (VPC). An important addition is the new equipment processing center (EPC) that can store, customize, assemble, exercise, and distribute machinery on behalf of equipment OEMs and their dealers.

The company believes the deal will further cement the company’s position as the favored partner for North American customers, joining an established network of terminals, on-port and in-plant processing centers that handle vehicles, construction, mining, and agricultural equipment across the region.

“These state-of-the-art facilities allow us to work on our customers’ products in factory-like conditions that stand above any on-port setting,” says Mike Hynekamp, Chief Operating Officer, Logistics Services, Wallenius Wilhelmsen. “The upgraded facilities are purpose built to allow for the safe and efficient completion, storage, inspection and distribution of our customers’ products without the need to dray to an off-site location.”

Colonel’s Island Terminal continued its record-setting pace in March, handling 77,236 units of roll-on/roll-off cargo (RoRo), an increase of 13,438 units or 21% over the same month last year. 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.