Savannah Chamber

50 is nearing completion and will provide four-lane access from I-16 to Statesboro to enhance access between the Savannah MSA and Bulloch County. Effingham County's manufacturers added 14% to their workforce through the first half of 2019 and now employ about 1,700 persons. Georgia Pacific, the county's largest manufacturing employer, has a workforce of 1,000. Georgia Transformers' workforce grew by over 40% to 267 workers from mid-2018 to mid-2019. The opening of the Georgia International Rail Park contributed an additional 1,100 acres to the county's total of 7,000 acres of industrial property ready for development less than 20 minutes from the Port of Savannah. Liberty County's manufacturers added 6% to their workforce through the first half of 2019 and now employ about 2,360 persons. The county's largest employer, SNF Corporation, employs 1,500 persons, a 3.4% increase in its workforce from the previous year. Balta Home USA out of Belgium occupied and renovated a 308,000 distribution center in Midway Industrial Park to house its manufacturing operations. The Liberty County Development Authority invested in new infrastructure in Tradeport East by completing several road projects to support existing tenants and access new acreage for future projects. The Authority also approved a contract for the design of a new 500,000 gallon elevated water tower to serve the growing needs of the industrial park. Georgia Ports Authority For fiscal year 2019, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) had another record breaking year by moving 4.5 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent container) and 37.5 million tons at America's third busiest port. GPA is moving nearly 20,000 containers per day to vessel, truck, and rail from countries in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. The additional 305,000 TEUs handled in 2019 represent 7.3% growth as compared to 2018. During the past ten years, container volume has increased at a rate of 6.4% per year, more than double the U.S. average, making GPA's Savannah facilities America's fastest growing major port. As a result of long-term strategic planning, business development, and investment in port facilities, Savannah's ports continue to showcase a substantial competitive advantage. In the next ten years, the GPA plans to double the capacity of the port from its current level of 5.5 million TEUs to 11 million TEUs. The plan represents a $2.5 billion investment in Georgia's future economic growth and includes development of a 200-acre container handling facility on Hutchinson Island with capacity of 2.5 million TEUs. The state's political and business leadership view the GPA facilities as a state-level asset, one which generated $5 billion of investment and 12,000 new jobs in Georgia in the past year. Substantial investment in transportation infrastructure will improve port efficiency and ease regional highway congestion. The $218 million Mason Mega Rail Terminal will double the port's rail capacity to 1 million container rail lifts by 2020. Already 50% complete, Phase 1 of the project will open in spring 2020, and the project will be fully completed by 2021. By bringing all rail switching onto the terminal, it will avoid the use of almost two dozen rail crossings for substantially improved vehicle traffic flow around port facilities while also removing 150,000 trucks per year from local roads. Upon completion, the project will cut transit times to Midwestern markets by 24 hours and it will be the largest on-terminal intermodal facility in North America. Georgia's logistics ecosystem provides the environment for the GPA's success on a global scale. By facilitating global trade, the GPA enables international business to thrive here in Georgia. Over $1.4 billion in capital investment on equipment and project improvements will be invested by the GPA to enrich the longevity and success of Georgia's ports. Among these projects include the development of Georgia's second inland port terminal in Hall County, Georgia which will provide a direct connection to the port in Savannah. The $90 million, 104-acre Hall County facility is expected to be completed in 2021 and have the capacity to handle 150,000 TEUs per year. The Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) continues on schedule and remains on track for completion in 2021. Georgia has already fully contributed its $287 million share to the nearly $1 billion project. The project will have federal funding in the amount of $130 million in 2020. SHEP will soon enter the last phase of the project dredging 20 miles from Tybee Island to the Garden City terminal. Over the life of the project, it will generate savings for the nation amounting to $282 million per year. Tourism The leisure and hospitality sector, which includes accommodations, food services, arts, entertainment, and recreation, is among the fastest growing (about 3.5% annually) sectors since the post-recession employment low in 2010. The sector provides employment for 27,200 workers, making it the largest employment sector in the regional economy.

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