The Port of Brunswick’s newest vehicle processing center for Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) opened its doors with the arrival of more than 1,600 Mercedes-Benz autos. This shipment marks the first delivery of import Mercedes-Benz autos to Brunswick’s Colonel’s Island Terminal. Ports America, Inc. will be the stevedore for the MOL vessel, M/V Paradise Ace. “We would like to thank Mercedes-Benz USA for its confidence in our terminal and operations to handle not only its export but also import traffic through the Port of Brunswick,” said Georgia Ports Authority’s (GPA) Executive Director Curtis J. Foltz. “We are pleased to welcome MBUSA’s additional business to Colonel’s Island Terminal and the new jobs and economic opportunities it represents.” Volume from MBUSA’s import autos will increase the overall total units at Colonel’s Island Terminal by more than 16 percent in 2010. The Port of Brunswick is one of the nation’s top seven auto ports. “This is a tremendous milestone for our company, and we look forward to working with the Georgia Ports Authority,” said MBUSA’s National Import and Domestic Logistics Department Manager Peter Bresnee. “Bringing imports into Brunswick is a great match for us with our exports that have been there since 1997.” MBUSA’s 70,000-square-foot facility is the second vehicle processing center to locate on the south side of Colonel’s Island Terminal. The new center consolidates MBUSA’s Southeastern shipping operations and makes the Port of Brunswick MBUSA’s South Atlantic hub. The facility will bring more than 40,000 Mercedes-Benz vehicles into the port annually. The U.S. Maritime Administration’s Port Impact economic model estimates the additional automobiles through Brunswick will create 122 new jobs (78 direct and 44 indirect), generate $1.5 million in state and local taxes and add $5.5 million to Georgia’s gross state product. The center will process vehicles headed for Mercedes-Benz dealers throughout the Southeast, as well as Texas and Oklahoma. It will be equipped with advanced computerized control systems and inspection facilities designed to ensure the high quality of each new vehicle. The center will also be capable of accessory installation, full body shop operations, vehicle detailing and distribution operations.