GEORGIA GROWING WITH NEW BUSINESS by BILL STANKIEWICZ, SUPPLY CHAIN EXECUTIVE

Here is a general over view of some large companies coming to Georgia below. There are another 15-20 new Savannah companies that will be starting up operations too but because of NDA's I cannot mention right now. But if you need a warehouse for distribution that needs to be Food Grade or Non Food Grade call me. I have a list of contacts with space & folks that have purchased land that are looking to build to suit. Savannah still has warehouses available from 250,000-650,000 sq ft ready for new tenants. By July & August another 1 million + square feet will be ready too.

Georgia is already feeling the effects of previously announced new jobs that are now coming on line. While the national economy will have its ups and downs and Georgia does feel those ebbs and flows, the general direction of job creation is definitely positive in Georgia. Georgia’s natural advantages including the Atlanta Airport and the Port of Savannah, the growing redevelopment of the floor covering industry in North Georgia and the continued expansion of the automobile industry in West Georgia, it is hard not to be optimistic about the future of the state economically. Here are some of the developments that validate Georgia as a Destination for Business.

TravelSky Technology

Earlier this week, Gov. Deal announced that an IT solutions provider, TravelSky Technology will open a research and development center in Duluth by the end of 2013. In addition to expertise in aviation information technologies, the new business will bring approximately $10 million in new investment and create 50 new jobs.

Shaw Industries Group, Inc.

As the economy slowly picks back up, some of the hardest hit industries are beginning to make a comeback. It was recently announced that Shaw Industries Group, the state’s leading carpet manufacturer, will build a new facility in Bartow County and begin construction in 2014 of a 700,000 square foot facility and create some 500 new jobs.

Caterpillar

Last year, Gov. Deal announced the move of Caterpillar, a major construction equipment manufacturer, to Northeast Georgia, near Athens. This $200 million facility will employ 300 by the end of 2013 and 1,400 within three years. It is estimated that another 3,800 jobs will be created as well as numerous suppliers and other manufacturers move to the area.

Baxter International

Also in 2012, Baxter International, a major bioscience manufacturer, broke ground in Staton Springs for a one million square foot facility expected to bring one billion dollars in investment and 1,500 jobs. Quickstart opened the Georgia BioScience Training Center adjacent to the Baxter facility to provide onsite training for a wide range of job functions. This project signifies Georgia’s emergence as one of the top states for bio-related occupational employment.

Tractor Supply Company Expansion

One of the largest farm and ranch retail stores, Tractor Supply recently announced a 650,000 expansion in Macon of its regional distribution center that will bring 200 new jobs to the area.

JCB North America

This heavy equipment manufacturer headquartered in Savannah recently launched a new line of products that will require 300 new employees and new training by Quick Start.

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

This world-renowned aircraft manufacturer has continued to grow and expand while being headquartered in Savannah. This company has a world- wide reputation for the highest quality aircraft, world-class service and research second to none. The announcement by the company in 2006 created the largest general aviation aircraft maintenance facility in the world in Savannah. Gulfstream set out to hire another 1,100 employees to operate the state of the art manufacturing and new research and development facilities, investing some $500 million in the process. Now in the third year of expansion, the project is expected to outpace initial projections of job creation and investment.

Kia Motors Corporation

The seven year old partnership with this Korean company has exceeded projections. Spread over 650 acres in West Point, Kia’s first American plant involved $1.2 billion in investment and brought all together some 7,000 new jobs to the area.

Inalfa Roof Systems

Announced in June, this company will build a facility in Cherokee County that will supply sunroofs and sunroof opening systems to manufacturers such as Kia and Volvo. Construction has already begun and hiring is expected late this year and into next year.

Hubei Xingfa Chemicals Group

Right in the backyard of the Fourth Senatorial District, this project was announced during Gov. Deals visit to China last week. Hubei Xingfa will place its USA Headquarters in Effingham County as well as a manufacturing plant. Some 50 new jobs will be created by this company in manufacturing phosphates.

Savannah Entrepreneurs Discuss Innovation at Georgia Tech-Savannah’s February Learners & Leaders Series

Friday, February 24th, 2017

Nearly 30 business leaders convened at Georgia Tech-Savannah today to learn about the history and process of innovation, especially as it applies to entrepreneurs. Jennifer Bonnet, general manager of Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center; Blake Ellis, CEO and founding partner of CommerceV3; and Yvonne Jouffrault, founder and chief product nerd at Tour Buddy Apps and entrepreneur-in-residence for ATDC all spoke to the group as part of Georgia Tech-Savannah’s “Learners and Leaders” series. “Innovation is a process. It takes a lot of trying and failing, trying and failing,” Jouffrault said. “Innovation involves an ideation stage, where entrepreneurs identify a problem, why it exists and how to solve it, and the implementation of the idea.”

Participants at the series learned about the importance of innovation, how it has evolved in Savannah and the Southeast, what the process of innovation entails, what its common barriers are, and how to create an environment of innovative thinking. “Innovation isn’t necessarily where you expect it to be,” said Ellis. “Unexpected connections -- like those just happen spur of the moment in a coffee shop -- are what matter most.”

Georgia Tech-Savannah’s Learners and Leaders series is an effort launched in 2014 to help companies in the coastal region stay current. To date, members of the coastal community have heard speakers on topics of relevance to the business community, including mobile apps, coaching and mentoring, leadership and logistics

GPA UPDATES 2017

Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 369,000 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $20.4 billion in income, $84.1 billion in sales and $1.3 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy.

The Port of Savannah is the largest single container terminal in the United States. In FY2015, it handled 3.7 million TEUs (Twenty Foot Equivalent Units) in throughput. FY2015 had the highest volume in the Port of Savannah’s history. The Port of Savannah moved 8.2% of total U.S. containerized loaded cargo volume and more than 18% of the East Coast container trade. The port handled 10% of all U.S. containerized exports in FY2014, a total of 1.3 million loaded TEUs. The port serves approximately 21,000 companies in all 50 states, more than 75% of which are headquartered outside of Georgia.The Port of Savannah offers its customers many advantages:

The most global services among U.S. Southeast & Gulf ports

Asian transit times as low as 22 days and 11-day express service to and from Europe

GPA is owner & operator of the largest single-terminal container facility (Garden City) in the U.S. which also features the longest contiguous dock in the U.S. – 9,693 feet

Largest Southeast refrigerated container export terminal • One-of-a-kind infrastructure featuring two intermodal container transfer facilities located on a single terminal served by CSX Transportation & Norfolk Southern Railroad

Inspection offices for U.S. Customs & Border Protection and Dept. of Agriculture are on-terminal

Immediate access to two major interstate highways – I-95 (North/South) and I-16 (East/West) • Largest concentration of retail import distribution centers (DCs) along the East Coast

Client Relations Center – one-stop customer solutions group for all port users

The Georgia Ports Authority operates two deep-water terminals in Savannah – Garden City and Ocean Terminal:

Garden City Terminal:

A 500-foot channel width and a secured, dedicated 1,200-acre single-terminal container facility

1.4 million square feet of covered storage, including 722,000 square feet of cold storage off terminal

Ocean Terminal:

A 200.4 -acre general cargo terminal features 9 berths totaling 5,768 linear feet

Handles RoRo, breakbulk, containers, heavy-lift and project cargo

Over 1.4 million square feet of covered storage

The Georgia Ports Authority experienced a year of record growth across the board in FY2015: the Port of Savannah moved more than 32 million tons (8.2% of all U.S. containerized cargo), 3.7 million twenty-foot equivalent cargo units (TEUs), and 714,000 vehicular units. TEU growth was about 17% on an annual basis (fiscal year). Although growth declined in the third quarter of 2015, this is attributed to the easing of labor strife at west coast ports, a stronger dollar, and moderating economic growth overseas. Nonetheless, third quarter data remain on-trend and therefore, more likely to be sustainable in 2016 and into the longer-term. In data through September, over-the-year growth is 7.4%.

By deepening the Savannah River channel to 47 feet, the port be able to more efficiently serve the larger vessels expected to call in greater numbers after the expansion of the Panama Canal is completed. Deeper water will allow the larger Post-Panamax vessels to operate more efficiently and experience fewer delays, thereby reducing transportation costs by 20% or more. The nation’s economy is expected to recoup construction cost in four years, according to the Army Corps’ economic impact assessment. According to the Georgia Ports Authority, the 21,000 businesses that rely on the Port of Savannah are projected to save $174 million a year through increases transportation efficiency.

It is finally almost done, give us 1-2 years! Dredging of the harbor’s outer channel, located 17 miles from Ft. Pulaski, began in September of 2015 and is expected to be completed by July 2018. Currently, there are 40 workers living on the dredge and operating the equipment 24 hours a day. Additionally, several harbor deepening mitigation projects commenced in 2015. Recovery operations for the confederate ironclad, CSS Georgia, are yielding exceptional artifacts, including a 9,000 pound Dahlgren rifled cannon, leg-irons, and unexploded munitions, among other things. The effort is expected to cost from nine to fourteen million dollars. Additionally, a $100 million contract was awarded to install oxygen bubblers in the Savannah River to maintain ecosystem-healthy oxygen levels during the summer months. Lastly, a $40 million contract was awarded to construct a 17 acre reservoir on Abercorn Creek in Effingham County to supplement the City of Savannah’s water supply. Construction will begin in 2016.

Thank in advance for your time,

Bill Stankiewicz

Office: 1.404.750.3200

bstankiewicz@portfreshlogistics.com

Savannah Supply Chain Guy

www.beBee.com

www.savannahsupplychain.com