Wallenius Wilhelmsen Opens New 300-Acre U.S. Hub in Brunswick

Wallenius Wilhelmsen celebrated the official opening of its new global facility in Brunswick on January 21, 2025, marking a major milestone in the company’s Southeast U.S. operations. The opening event was attended by customers, business partners, government officials, and employees, with executives emphasizing the strategic importance of the new 300-acre facility.

Lasse Kristoffersen, President and CEO of Wallenius Wilhelmsen, led the ribbon-cutting ceremony, praising the facility as a “world-class” asset that will enhance the company’s operations. “We have managed to achieve something remarkable with our partner, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA),” Kristoffersen said.

This new facility consolidates Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s Southeast U.S. port calls, moving operations from an 85-acre Equipment Processing Center in Pooler, Georgia, and the Ocean Terminal in Savannah to the state-of-the-art Brunswick facility. The expansion in Brunswick is expected to serve as a major economic driver for Glynn County, the state of Georgia, and the Southeast region.

“We wanted to build a facility designed for Wallenius Wilhelmsen to suit their long-term growth needs,” said Griff Lynch, executive director of the GPA. He also drew a parallel to a football play, symbolizing the transfer of responsibility to Wallenius Wilhelmsen, wishing them continued success.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s Chief Operating Officer for Logistics Services, John Felitto, highlighted the cooperative partnership with Georgia Ports, emphasizing the custom design features such as a 53-foot wide road for handling oversized RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off) equipment.

The facility will act as a strategic hub for the export and import of automobiles, providing a scalable and agile solution for Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s logistics needs. It will also feature an on-site Equipment Processing Center (EPC) for handling heavy equipment imports and exports.

Flavio Batista, Chief Commercial Officer at Georgia Ports, stressed the significance of having finish-to-order (FTO) activities close to the port to improve efficiency and reduce costs. The Brunswick location allows for last-mile manufacturing inside the port with specialized buildings designed to support customization work.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s vision for the new Brunswick hub focuses on consolidating its South Atlantic operations and providing integrated end-to-end logistics services, including ocean transportation, terminal handling, and inland transportation.

Sustainability is a core component of the new facility’s design. The Brunswick terminal is equipped to accommodate Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s entire fleet, including the Shaper class vessels and the Tirranna wind-propulsion vessel. The facility also incorporates sustainable cargo handling equipment, such as electric vehicles (EVs) for yard operations. Currently, there are 29 EV chargers on-site, with plans to upgrade several to Level 3 chargers. Additionally, the company has placed an order for 42 EV forklifts to replace older diesel models.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen currently employs 518 people in Georgia and 3,713 nationwide, further solidifying its role as a key player in the global logistics sector.