Georgia Ports Authority – A Key Player in SEGA

Southeast Georgia Alliance (SEGA) sees the Georgia Ports Authority as an essential partner in the growing economy of the region. A six-county collaborative, SEGA positions these coastal Georgia counties as a leader in global business and industry.

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has ports in both Savannah and Brunswick. While the port in Savannah is larger and sees more container ships each year, the Brunswick port welcomed 591 vessels in 2022.

GPA is an important part of the economy for southeast coastal Georgia. The ports supply hundreds of jobs for the area and provide links to international markets. Companies in auto manufacturing, agriculture, and forest products can take advantage of those global markets thanks to the work of GPA.

The Port of Brunswick is currently the second busiest autoport in the United States, with the Savannah Port the fourth most active overall. GPA expects Brunswick to take the number one position for the import and export of vehicles in the next few years. More than 560,000 jobs across the state rely on port activity.

“Through our ports,” reads the GPA vision statement, “Georgia proudly serves as a gateway for America.”

Wallenius Wilhelmsen (WW) is a major importer/exporter for both ports. Employing more than 8,200 people worldwide, WW has 121 processing centers and offices in 29 countries. GPA plans to shift breakbulk cargo carried by WW from the Port of Savannah to the Port of Brunswick. Breakbulk cargo pertains to individual pieces of cargo that do not fit into a container and as a result cannot be carried in bulk.

The shift from Savannah to Brunswick entails constructing a 360,000-square-foot warehousing space at Brunswick that will serve auto processing. There will also be three additional buildings and 85 acres of auto storage space.

In Brunswick, International Auto Processing (IAP) brings automobiles in and moves them on to their final destinations. While IAP is not the only auto processor at the Port of Brunswick, it is the largest. In 2022, IAP received more than 400,000 units, which represents about two-thirds of the vehicles processed through the port.

In addition to Georgia’s ports, SEGA Alliance members have access to a third port in Jacksonville, Florida (JAXPORT). JAXPORT is Florida’s largest container ports and one of the nation’s largest vehicle-handling ports.

SEGA points to the strategic location, business-friendly environment, and skilled workforce as reasons industry should call southeast coastal Georgia home. The global connectivity, supported by GPA and JAXPORT, means that the members of SEGA are only a step away from the whole world.