Volkswagen Group of America opened a $114 million port facility at Port Freeport in Texas to improve operations for its auto imports and processing, according to an Oct. 2 press release.
Port Freeport is expected to import and process up to 140,000 vehicles annually on behalf of Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini and Porsche. The Texas port has a wide channel that accommodates larger liquefied natural gas vessels and will support approximately 300 dealers in the central and western United States, according to the release.
“Opening this new port facility in Freeport helps create a more resilient and more sustainable supply chain for many years to come,” Anu Goel, EVP of Group After Sales & Services at Volkswagen, said in the release. “Additionally, Freeport’s easier access to rail and trucking will make our logistics operations more streamlined and efficient.”
Job functions at a port facility include loading and discharging of vehicles to/from vessels and rail cars, vehicle customization, and vehicle processing for delivery, Executive Director and CEO Phyllis Saathoff told Supply Chain Dive in an email.
The new facility comes from the consolidation of Volkswagen’s two smaller facilities that were located in Houston and Midlothian, Texas. The automaker now operates seven ports in the United States, including Baltimore; Benicia, California; Davisville, Rhode Island; Jacksonville, Florida; San Diego; and the Volkswagen Assembly Plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
To enhance the local workforce, Volkswagen also partnered with Brazosport College in Lake Jackson, Texas, for a logistics program that emphasizes vehicle logistics operations.
