Subaru has chosen Georgia as its gateway into the Southeastern U.S., and will soon start importing five of its models through the Port of Brunswick.
“It is 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.”
Subaru National Transportation Manager Larry Strug said the deepwater port at Brunswick will serve two zones in Subaru’s national distribution network. The zones cover an area from North Carolina to Florida. Other import terminals include Vancouver, Wash., Richmond, Calif., and Baltimore, Md.
The Japanese-based carmaker 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.
An assembly plant in Lafayette, Ind., produces the Legacy, Outback and Tribeca models sold in the U.S.
Strug said the company looked at other ports, but 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.”
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