WesPro JCB Breaks Ground On Second Branch in Georgia
WesPro JCB held a groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 15, 2024, to commemorate the construction start of its new facility in Norcross, Ga.
A large turnout of representatives from T.D. Farrell Construction Inc., the general contractor for the building, and dignitaries from JCB North America joined the ownership and key staff of WesPro JCB for the event.
Wesley Scott, owner of WesPro JCB, established his company in early 2022 with a location in northwest Atlanta, just off I-285 and Veterans Memorial Parkway. The company has seen tremendous growth and is now working toward building its second facility. The location is on Goshen Springs Road and fronts an extremely busy I-85 corridor just north of Jimmy Carter Boulevard.
JCB is building the facility and has chosen T.D. Farrell Construction, based in Alpharetta, Ga., to construct it.
“This will become our main office,” said Scott. “The first location will become a satellite office and all staffing will remain there and a new staff will be generated at the new location. After complete establishment, approximately 25 to 30 new jobs will be created at the Norcross location.
“This is part of a planned growth strategy from day one,” he added. “It’s only 30 miles from our original facility, but with the challenges of metro Atlanta traffic, it may as well be a full state away. Gwinnett County is the largest for equip-
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The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) plans to build and upgrade a number of large projects at shipping gateways in Savannah and Brunswick over the next 10 years, all of which are designed to lay the foundation for future success.
The $4.5 billion funding that GPA plans to spend on the effort is part of a master plan that was approved by the state agency to expand cargo handling capabilities and support future supply chain requirements, Daily
Commercial News reported Oct. 10.
The investment is over and above the $3.27 billion that has already been spent on new port and inland infrastructure at Georgia’s only two Atlantic shipping facilities since 2012.
Various locations at each site will see improvements as a result of GPA’s investment and will enable the ports to double berth capacity and increase yard and rail volume. In the end, the ports will move from
their current 7 million 20-ft. equivalent units, or TEUs, to a total capacity of 12 million TEUs.
Griff Lynch, president of GPA, recently told the Georgia International Trade Conference that the investments are going into projects that enhance the four key components of a successful port operation: berth space, yard capacity, trucking gate fluidity and intermodal connectivity.
“We are always focused on growth,” he
said. “We want to go above and beyond to build a port that handles both future growth and supply chain disruption. We are creating a safe, trusted harbor for your cargo. Leadership is being able to see what’s coming and staying ahead of it.
“At the Georgia Ports, we are building a resilient link in the global logistics chain, one that is ready to withstand any future challenges,” Lynch added.
JCB photo
Showing the rendering of the new facility (L-R) are owners Misty and Wesley Scott; PSSR Jacob Scott; Sales Manager Craig Jacobs; and his wife, Meghan.
GPA’s Aggressive Plan Allows Ports to Increase Capacity
He conceded that the GPA’s plan is aggressive, but will enable the agency to boost rail capacity, upgrade docks and cranes, add new space for auto processing, and enhance the operations of its main terminals.
Brunswick Port: Auto, Machinery Handling
At the Port of Brunswick, which currently operates three deepwater terminals, a fourth berth and another 50 acres of paved vehicle storage are being added at the Colonel’s Island Terminal.
The enhancements will complement 120 acres of paved storage and warehousing that were built recently at a cost of $262 million. The roll-on/roll-off port is one of the fastest growing auto and heavy machinery ports in North America and is presently used by 12 major auto companies.
Currently, the new ship berth in Brunswick is in the engineering phase, but when completed next summer, it will more efficiently accommodate modern vessels and be capable of handling 7,000-plus vehicles, GPA said.
That will make Brunswick the nation’s
largest auto port and allow GPA to accommodate increased trade crossing the docks more efficiently.
In the last fiscal year, which ended in June, the terminal handled more than 870,000 units. When fully complete, GPA noted, Brunswick’s annual capacity will reach 1.4 million units, representing a 40 percent increase.
The port’s growth has been driven by a population surge, and “comes in response to requests from auto manufacturers seeking to expand their cargo volumes through Georgia,” explained Lynch.
Georgia itself is also growing three times faster than the U.S. population. More distribution centers and auto manufacturing companies like Hyundai are targeting the state as an attractive place to expand their enterprises, according to Daily Commercial News.
Improvements to the Brunswick terminal will also be accompanied by dredging and other upgrades to be done at the harbor by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, slated to begin before the end of 2024.
Nearly $38 million in federal funding is earmarked for the project, with $26.6 million going toward returning the federal waterway
to its full authorized depth.
Another $11.35 million in federal funds and $6 million in state funds will be used to increase the safety and efficiency of vessel transit through the Turtle River channel. The plan includes an expanded area for vessels to pass each other, a bend widener and an expanded turning basin for ships.
Savannah Port to Remain Busy With Shipping, Upgrades
Several projects and upgrades have been proposed for the Savannah shipping port, one of the East Coast’s busiest:
• GPA plans to fund a key renovation project at Savannah’s Ocean Terminal that is expected to start in 2027 and be completed by 2028. The work will transform the existing three small-berth facility into two large shipping berths.
• A new, $29 million exit ramp for truckers will provide direct access to U.S. Highway 17, rather than having them wind their way through the historic city’s local neighborhoods.
• The Talmadge Memorial Bridge over the Savannah River will be heightened by 2028 to allow larger container ships to pass under
it and into the port.
• A future container terminal on Hutchinson Island is also due to be constructed to create another three big ship berths.
• Construction has already gotten under way on a new and larger $44.5 million U.S. Customs inspection facility at the Port of Savannah that will transform the existing 130,000-sq.-ft. structure into a 300,000-sq.ft. building. When completed, it will also accommodate other federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• New dock upgrades are scheduled to improve safety and capacity and ensure Savannah can efficiently handle the largest container ships serving the Atlantic Coast. The current dock infrastructure in the city is more than 50 years old. GPA hopes to begin construction at the site in late 2025.
Daily Commercial News said that a previously completed rail project at Savannah’s Garden City Terminal has doubled rail lift capacity to 2 million TEUs per year. The massive rail expansion enabled the port to capture additional market territory through direct service to population centers across the Midwest states.
GPA from page 1
Georgia Ports photo
The Port of Brunswick will add 50 more acres of paved vehicle storage at Colonel’s Island Terminal.
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WesPro’s New Facility in Norcross Due to Open April 2025
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ment sales in the state of Georgia, and Cobb County is second. Each of these locations will position WesPro to easily service all of Atlanta with the strategic location of these two locations.
“We’re a private dealer and we couldn’t have done this endeavor without the strong support of JCB and their financing. They ultimately want us to be well equipped and well stocked to provide the best products and support for the metro Atlanta customers. Our parts availability will greatly increase with this new larger facility.”
With WesPro’s proximity to the JCB North American headquarters, its two facilities are expected to reap the benefits of both parts and service. JCB rates all its dealerships on a Dealer Service Excellence scale (DSE) and WesPro JCB was honored as the top DSE dealership for North America in 2023 due to the hard work of its team. Criteria includes offthe-shelf parts availability, technician ability and dealership tooling.
“The overall job is on a 3-acre site that requires demolition of an existing 20,000 square foot structure, pulling up all concrete and asphalt and bring the site down to dirt for a ground-up build,” said Mick Mickelson, senior superintendent of T.D. Farrell Construction. “A lean seven-month turnaround with a slated completion of April 2025 is expected.”
The facility will be more than 14,000 sq. ft. with 10 drivethrough bays serviced by an integrated overhead crane system. More than 11,000 sq. ft. is dedicated to the shop area, 2,000 sq. ft. of parts stocking area and 1,500 sq. ft. of office space. The build includes 35-ft.-high tilt walls, which requires concrete pouring on site — on the ground and then standing the walls with cranes. All unique lines and details of the walls are designed into the panels before they are stood up.
President and CEO of JCB Richard Fox-Marrs traveled to the event to be a part of the ceremony.
“JCB has world class products and my involvement in this project is to assist in creating better distribution of our products throughout the U.S.,” he said. “WesPro is part of our sponsor dealer program where JCB supplies a localized dealer entrepreneur who knows how to run a business, a state-ofthe-art facility and the dealer becomes the tenant. Once a brand-new facility is up and running, what JCB has provided is a world class dealer in a world class facility. The position-
After the groundbreaking, Mick Mickelson (L), superintendent of the general contractor for the new facility, T.D. Farrell Construction, Alpharetta, Ga., discusses the first phases of the plans with WesPro owner Wesley Scott.
ing of this facility next to a very busy interstate in Metro Atlanta shows the customer that JCB is serious about this marketplace. There are now seven sponsor dealerships with more in the works.
“JCB’s commitment to Georgia is massive,” he added. “It’s our home state. We employ over 1,200 people at the manufacturing facility in Savannah and Atlanta is clearly the major market. We must do a great job of representing our products extremely well in this market. Our team is very intent on that.” CEG
(All photographs in this article are Copyright 2024 Construction Equipment Guide, except where noted. All Rights Reserved.)
(L-R): The first shovel of dirt was turned by
Graeme Macdonald; Wesley and Misty Scott, Wespro
and Richard Fox-Marrs, JCB.
A strong turnout highlighted the Oct. 15 ceremony, which included the general contractor of the project, JCB and WesPro JCB.
JCB photo
(L-R): JCB dignitaries and WesPro JCB owners come together for a ceremonial photo including Shane Coates and Graeme Macdonald both of JCB; Wesley and Misty Scott, WesPro JCB; Richard Fox-Marrs and Ben Colemen, both of JCB.
JCB photo
JCB’s
JCB;
WESPRO
