Yet another automaker has chosen Georgia as its gateway into the southeastern U.S.
Subaru will soon start importing five of its models through the Port of Brunswick.
“It’s significant that Brunswick is Subaru’s first port of entry in the Southeastern U.S.,” said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Curtis Foltz.
“The efficiency of service from the GPA and our partners in auto processing, as well as Brunswick’s speed to important markets, makes Georgia the smart choice for roll-on/roll-off cargo.”
The deepwater port at Brunswick will serve two zones in Subaru’s national distribution network, said Larry Strug, the company’s national transportation manager. The zones cover an area from North Carolina to Florida. Other import terminals include Vancouver, Wash., Richmond, Calif., and Baltimore, Md.
Subaru announced at a national dealer meeting that it will move 15,000 vehicles through Georgia annually. Models include the Forester, Crosstrek, Impreza, WRX STI and BRZ. Shipments are set to begin in mid-July, carried by shipping line NYK.
The popular Subaru Legacy, Outback and Tribeca models sold in the U.S. are produced in an assembly plant in Lafayette, Ind.
Strug said the company looked at other ports before it settled on Brunswick.
“We liked what we saw. We liked what we heard from other manufacturers,” he said. “We’re very much about quality. We’re very much about ensuring that our customers have a little different vehicle.”
That focus on satisfying individual tastes is what led Subaru to choose the GPA facility.
“We accessorize our vehicles and put certain options on them at ports,” Strug said. “We think it gives us an advantage in the marketplace for customers to be able to somewhat customize their vehicles.”
Volvo is already doing something similar at Brunswick, and Strug saw an opportunity to take advantage of existing systems. He said Subaru’s business model of customizing cars at ports means more local jobs will be added.
WWL Vehicle Services Americas won the auto-processing contract.
“We’re pleased to be selected by Subaru as the vehicle processing provider of choice at the Port of Brunswick,” said John Felitto, president and CEO of WWL Vehicle Services Americas. “Brunswick plays an important role in entry to the southeastern U.S. auto market. WWL Vehicle Services Americas operates its state of the art auto processing facility at the Port of Brunswick to support manufacturer needs such as this.”
Several factors make the Brunswick facility attractive to carmakers, said GPA Board Chairman Robert Jepson.
“The three Colonel’s Island Ro/Ro berths and five on-terminal auto processors mean Brunswick has the capacity to quickly move roll-on/roll-off cargo,” Jepson said. “Additionally, immediate access to I-95 puts 44 percent of the U.S. population within a one- to two-day drive.”
The terminal also offers expedited delivery by rail to the major population centers of Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, Memphis and Orlando.
“Finally, our customer service is world class,” Jepson said. “The GPA’s Client Relations Center is unparalleled in the industry, allowing port users to resolve issues with a single phone call.”
Senior business reporter Mary Carr Mayle covers the ports for the Savannah Morning News. She can be reached at 912-652-0324 or at mary.mayle@savannahnow.com.
SHIPPING SCHEDULE
These are the ships expected to call on Georgia Ports Authority’s Garden City and Ocean Terminals in the next week. Sailing schedules are provided by Georgia Ports Authority and are subject to change.
Terminal Ship name Arrival
GCT YM MANDATE Today
GCT ITAL LIBERA Today
GCT PRESIDENT POLK Today
GCT MSC CAROLE Today
GCT YANTIAN EXPRESS Today
GCT NYK RUMINA Today
GCT HANJIN LOS ANGELES Today
OT SAFMARINE SAHEL Today
OT E.R. BASEL Today
OT TAMESIS Today
GCT CSAV LEBU Saturday
GCT IBRAHIM DEDE Saturday
GCT NEW DELHI EXPRESS Saturday
GCT VENICE BRIDGE Saturday
GCT CLEMENTINE MAERSK Saturday
GCT HYUNDAI VOYAGER Saturday
GCT BOSTON EXPRESS Saturday
GCT CHARLESTON EXPRESS Saturday
OT STAR HERDLA Saturday
GCT MSC ILONA Sunday
GCT FAIRCHEM EAGLE Sunday
GCT NYK DENEB Monday
GCT SEOUL EXPRESS Monday
GCT HANJIN CHITTAGONG Monday
OT ANET Monday
GCT ZIM TEXAS Tuesday
GCT MOL EXPEDITOR Tuesday
GCT LESOTHO Tuesday
GCT MSC MARINA Tuesday
OT ROYAL HARMONY Tuesday
OT PARSIFAL Tuesday
GCT MAERSK MONTANA Wednesday
GCT HANJIN NORFOLK Wednesday
GCT CONRAD S Wednesday
GCT MOL PARTNER Wednesday
GCT NYK ROMULUS Wednesday
GCT HANJIN MALTA Wednesday
CT MAERSK ROUBAIX Thursday
GCT UASC SHUAIBA Thursday
GCT CSAV LINGUE Thursday
GCT MAERSK DAVENPORT Thursday
OT CIELO DI VANCOUVER Thursday