Georgia Ports Authority leaders this week opened its $134 million Gainesville Inland PortGeorgia Ports Authority leaders this week opened its $134 million Gainesville Inland Port, saying the new terminal will allow customers to choose rail for greater affordability and heavier loads, or choose truck-only for faster transit.
The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) expects to shift 26,000 containers to rail in the terminal’s first year of operation, improving emissions and reducing trucks on Atlanta and Georgia highways. Serving North Georgia and the Carolinas, the Gainesville Inland Port is presently handling a mix of home and retail goods as well as manufacturing components for imports. Exports consist of farm and forest products, as well as manufacturing.
Specifically, the Gainesville Inland Port links customers to the Port of Savannah’s 40 weekly vessel calls with Norfolk Southern rail service. The inland port has an annual capacity of 200,000 containers and offers convenient access for trucks to interstates 85 and 985. On-terminal storage and truck gate access from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday gives inland port customers greater inventory flexibility. And grounded storage means customers can also reduce chassis fees compared to wheeled storage at their facilities.
According to GPA, Northeast Georgia is home to a growing manufacturing and logistics corridor, with a consumer market of 2 million and more than 300 manufacturers. Since 2020, 78 new and expanding firms have added more than 4,800 jobs and $2 billion in capital investment to Gainesville-Hall County. The area’s largest employment segment, at 33% of overall workforce, is concentrated in manufacturing, processing and logistics.
“We view this as a high growth market where we can improve supply chain performance and make customers more competitive long-term. We’re bringing the Port of Savannah closer to Gainesville,” said Georgia Ports CEO Griff Lynch.
