Brunswick RoRo Volume Up 277% in a Decade as GPA Bets $5 Billion

The Port of Brunswick has grown its roll-on/roll-off business 277% over the past decade, and the Georgia Ports Authority is now committing nearly $5 billion over the next ten years to keep pace with the state's automotive manufacturing boom.

GPA officials laid out the numbers at the annual State of the Port of Brunswick event on Tuesday. The port's three RoRo berths at Colonel's Island handled 50 vessels in October alone. A fourth berth, already 60% complete, is scheduled to open in December 2027.

The new berth matters for carriers as much as for shippers. It will accommodate the newest generations of vehicle carriers, ships capable of moving more than 10,800 car equivalent units (CEUs) in a single sailing. Officials expect faster vessel turnaround times plus headroom for future growth in both vehicle imports and exports.

Why is Brunswick expanding now?

The short answer: manufacturing is landing in Georgia at a pace the port has never seen.

Hyundai Motor Group's 3,000-acre Metaplant near Savannah should create 8,500 jobs by 2031 and has already pulled in 22 nearby suppliers. Rivian is building a $5 billion manufacturing facility at Stanton Springs North, expected to deliver 7,500 long-term jobs by 2030. Kia has run its West Point plant since 2009.

And the pipeline keeps filling. Audi announced plans for its first U.S. manufacturing plant near Macon — a $4 billion investment creating roughly 4,500 jobs. Construction begins in 2027, with production expected in the early 2030s.

BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo already route finished-vehicle shipments and processing through Brunswick, which the authority identifies as a U.S. leader in automotive imports and exports.

"Georgia Ports are creating opportunities for businesses to grow, enhancing long-term supply chain competitiveness on a state, regional, national and global level, generating new job growth in the port region and throughout the state," said GPA CEO Griff Lynch.

What does it mean for shippers and carriers?

For finished-vehicle shippers, more berth capacity means less queuing and more schedule options on a lane that keeps tightening. For RoRo carriers, the 10,800-CEU-class vessel compatibility signals that Brunswick intends to stay on the routing maps of the largest operators as their fleets turn over.

The spillover extends beyond cars. GPA President Kevin Price said the manufacturing buildout is lifting adjacent cargo segments too.

"The automotive manufacturing ecosystem continues to grow here. We're also seeing strong growth in the heavy machinery market such as construction equipment and farm equipment," Price said.

Savannah, meanwhile, carries the containerized side of the equation — automotive parts and components moving through a gateway that handles roughly 40 vessel calls per week. Add 15,000 daily truck gate transactions and 42 double-stack trains weekly through the Mason Mega Rail facility, which connects the port to inland markets via Norfolk Southern and CSX.

Where does the money go?

The nearly $5 billion program covers five additional container ship berths in Savannah plus the fourth RoRo berth in Brunswick. Over the past decade, the authority's board has already approved $4.13 billion in infrastructure improvements.

The bet is straightforward: manufacturers expanding U.S. operations will need both finished-vehicle capacity and containerized parts flows, and Georgia wants both corridors locked in before the demand arrives.

With the fourth berth due in December 2027 and Audi's Macon plant starting construction the same year, Brunswick's RoRo capacity and Georgia's vehicle output look set to keep climbing on the same curve.