JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. — With Audi now planning its first American factory in Georgia, the state’s port leaders used their annual Port of Brunswick update on Tuesday to make the case that Georgia has become one of the country’s main hubs for building and shipping cars.
Georgia Ports Authority CEO Griff Lynch and President Kevin Price told the gathering that Brunswick, the authority’s roll-on, roll-off vehicle port, has grown 277% over the last decade. In October alone, 50 ships tied up at the three Colonel’s Island vehicle docks.
A fourth berth is about 60% built and is set to open in December 2027. It will let the port handle a newer class of car carriers able to hold more than 10,800 vehicle units and should shorten the time ships spend at the dock.
The factories behind the demand are spread across the state. Hyundai Motor Group’s Metaplant in Ellabell, roughly 30 miles inland from the Port of Savannah, sits on 3,000 acres, is expected to employ 8,500 people by 2031 and has drawn 22 suppliers nearby. Kia has built vehicles on a 2,200-acre site in West Point since 2009. Rivian is putting $5 billion into a plant at Stanton Springs North that is projected to bring 7,500 long-term jobs by 2030.
Audi, part of the Volkswagen Group, plans a $4 billion plant near Macon with roughly 4,500 jobs. Construction is scheduled to start in 2027, with vehicles rolling off the line in the early 2030s. BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo already move finished vehicles through Brunswick.
Price said the growth is spilling into heavy equipment too, with rising shipments of construction and farm machinery. On the parts side, the Port of Savannah sees about 40 ship calls a week, 15,000 truck gate moves a day and 42 double-stack trains weekly from its Mason Mega Rail yard, linked inland by Norfolk Southern and CSX.
The authority plans close to $5 billion in work over the next 10 years, including five more container berths in Savannah and the new Brunswick berth. Board Chairman Alec Poitevint said in the authority’s remarks that the spending is meant to keep both ports ready for future demand. The event was Lynch’s last State of the Port address before he retires.
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