American Honda Motor Company nearly tripled its business through the Port of Brunswick in Fiscal Year 2017, adding 34,700 vehicles over the previous year.

"We'd like to thank Honda and International Auto Processors for their part in helping GPA move more than 600,000 vehicles through the Port of Brunswick last fiscal year," said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch. "To ensure Brunswick continues to provide world-class service, GPA is expanding auto processing infrastructure to stay ahead of demand."

Honda's increased volumes were the result of numerous factors, including Colonel's Island's prime location, additional capacity and teamwork.

"Honda's partnership with the Port of Brunswick is one of many bright spots in our finished vehicle supply chain," said Charles Kendig, assistant vice president for Automobile Operations at American Honda. "The port's proximity to open ocean, its expansive and expandable capacity, the connections to our inland supply chain, award-winning auto processors and -- perhaps most importantly -- the complete alignment between state and local government on finding business-friendly solutions for shippers makes the Port of Brunswick an easy choice."

On Monday, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal announced that economic development trade magazine Site Selection had ranked Georgia the top state in which to do business for the fifth year in a row. "In Georgia, we're focused on providing the kind of environment that enables companies to reach their greatest potential," said GPA Board Chairman Jimmy Allgood. "Honda's success at the Port of Brunswick is one more example of how a service-oriented mindset helps the Peach State win new business."

During the annual State of the Port hosted by the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce last month, Lynch announced that the GPA had increased capacity at the Colonel's Island facility, already the nation's single largest auto processing terminal, by 50 percent in FY17. GPA grew the Brunswick auto port from 60,000 auto processing spaces to 90,000 spaces. Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, Mercedes and IAP have absorbed the new space. The three companies increased operations by a total of 200 acres, bringing auto processing space on Colonel's Island to 600 acres.

In FY17, the GPA handled 607,000 units of Roll-on/Roll-off cargo in Brunswick. Honda's total trade grew by 267 percent to reach 47,700 vehicles moved via Brunswick.

"Brunswick has an unmatched ability to scale up its operation so that we can grow along with our customers' needs," Lynch said.

Current annual capacity at Georgia's main auto port is more than 800,000 vehicles. Full build-out will provide 150,000 spaces for automobile processing, for an annual capacity of 1.4 million cars, trucks and tractors.