Issue link: http://savannah.uberflip.com/i/1202658
20 3 legal fees. The outlook for consultants is positive due to continuing economic expansion and higher revenue collections by local governments. The Boston Consulting Group's 2017 decision to create a new regional support center in Atlanta reflects the ease of using the area as a geographic hub from which to serve clients throughout the Southeast. Similarly, Accenture – one of the largest consulting firms – announced a major expansion in 2017 of its operations in Atlanta. Assuming that the trade war does not trigger a trade-shock recession, the prospects for Georgia's transportation and logistics industry are good. The main short-term driver will be the abundance of logistics and distribution projects already in Georgia's economic development pipeline. This highly cyclical industry also will benefit from more spending by consumers, more homebuilding, above-average population growth, improvements in Georgia's transportation infrastructure, and the state's expanding role as a regional and national logistics and distribution center. The gradual build-out of economic development projects involving the relocation and expansion of manufacturers bodes well for the future of Georgia's transportation and logistics industry. Cargo volumes will outpace state- and U.S.-GDP growth in 2020. That is quite an accomplishment for an industry that typically moves in lockstep with the overall economy. The 2018 opening of the Appalachian Regional Port is helping the Port of Savannah tap into new markets and will help economic developers bring more projects to Georgia. When open for business in early 2020, the Mason Mega-Rail Terminal will provide more frequent and faster rail services to cities like Memphis, St. Louis, Chicago, and cities in the Ohio Valley. The Mason-Mega Rail Terminal will double the Port of Savannah's rail life capacity and will be the largest on-dock rail terminal at any port in North America. Many of the major distribution and logistics project announcements in 2019 will be building out in 2020. For example, Amazon will open a new fulfillment center in Gwinnett and DeKalb counties, creating 1,000 jobs. Stitch Fix will build its Southeast distribution center in Douglas County, creating 900 jobs over the next few years. PVH Corp will create 575 jobs at a new distribution center in Fulton County. Kroger and Ocado Solutions will build a distribution center designed to serve customers throughout the Southeast in Clayton County, creating 410 jobs. Chick-fil-A will build its first company-owned distribution center that will serve up to 300 restaurants in Cartersville, creating 300 jobs. POP Displays USA will locate a new manufacturing and distribution facility in Fulton County that will create 280 permanent full-time jobs and 165 temporary jobs. Dematic, a leading supply chain technology and innovation company, will create over 230 jobs at a new corporate headquarters in Midtown Atlanta at Tech Square. GE Appliances will build a Southern Logistics Center that will create 100 jobs in Murray County as well as a new smart warehouse that will create 100 jobs in Jackson County. U.S. Elogistics Service Corp will open an e-commerce fulfillment center in Austell, creating 150 new jobs. Anatolia Tile + Stone will locate their new distribution facility within five miles of the Port of Savannah, creating 124 new jobs. Baker & Taylor will expand operations and create 115 jobs at its distribution center in Jackson County. EarthFresh will locate an advanced technology packing plant and distribution center in Fulton County, creating 100 jobs. Distribution and logistics projects announced in 2018 also bode well for the industry. For example, in 2018, Norfolk Southern announced the move its headquarters to Atlanta, creating 850 jobs. Similarly, Wayfair Inc. announced that it would create 1,000 jobs over the next five years at a new warehouse/distribution facility in Savannah. HAPAG-Lloyd American will create over 360 jobs in an expansion of its quality service center in Gwinnett County. Saddle Creek Logistics, which provides supply chain solutions to businesses, is expected to create 300 new jobs at a newly leased facility in the Coweta Industrial Park. Loloi Inc will create almost 200 jobs at a distribution facility in Cartersville. Plastics Express will expand its manufacturing and logistics operations near the Port of Savannah, creating 166 jobs. FiveBelow will create over 130 jobs at a new distribution center in Monroe County. Elk Group International will support about 100 jobs at a new distribution facility in Rabun Gap. KL Outdoor will create 100 manufacturing and distribution jobs in Stockbridge. Van Riet Material Handling Systems, a specialist in transport and sorting solutions, will create over 70 jobs in Fulton County. GE Appliances will create 100 jobs at a new distribution enter in Commerce. Generous incentives and the attainment of critical mass have boosted the contribution that Georgia's film industry makes to Georgia's economy. The main risk to Georgia's film industry is Georgia House Bill 481, also known as the "fetal heartbeat" bill. The bill bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Boycotts and other measures stemming from the "fetal heartbeat" bill threaten to knock Georgia off the list of the most desirable locations for filmmakers. The state has a lot at risk. In 2017, Georgia's film industry ranked second only to Canada in the production of the top grossing feature films, followed by the United Kingdom, California, New York, and Louisiana. In addition to feature films , the number of TV productions in Georgia, which has been very impressive, may decline due to the "fetal heartbeat" bill.