Business Images Coastal Georgia 2009-10

BUSINESS

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What’ss Onlinee See video of a Coastal Georgia company’s instrumental success.

COASTAL GEORGIA

Making a Big Splash It’s full speed ahead for business expansion

Down-Home Successes Communities earn kudos for vibrant town centers

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BUSINESS 速

Workstyle Beacon of Opportunity

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Ports weather the economy, invest in new technology, add capacity

Built To Last

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Transportation infrastructure, workforce give Coastal Georgia solid manufacturing base

Insight

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Overview

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Business Almanac

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Making a Big Splash

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Transportation

15

Economic Profile

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Livability

8

Education

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Down-Home Successes

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Health

16

ON THE COVER The Tybee Island Light Station

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PHOTO BY BRIAN McCORD

All or part of this magazine is printed with soy ink on recycled paper containing 10% post-consumer waste.

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE

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BUSINESS ®

L I F E S T Y L E | W O R K S T Y L E | D I G G I N G D E E P E R | V I D EO | L I N K T O U S | A D V E R T I S E | C O N TA C T U S | S I T E M A P

BUSINESS ®

CO AS TAL G EO RG IA

ONLINE

2009-10 EDITION , VOLUME 2 MANAGING EDITOR BILL McMEEKIN COPY EDITOR JOYCE CARUTHERS

C O A S TA L G E O R G I A

CONNECTIONS

ASSOCIATE EDITORS LISA BATTLES, SUSAN CHAPPELL, JESSY YANCEY

An online resource at IMAGESCOASTALGEORGIA.com

STAFF WRITERS CAROL COWAN, KEVIN LITWIN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS PAMELA COYLE, MICHAELA JACKSON DATA MANAGER CHANDRA BRADSHAW REGIONAL SALES MANAGER CHARLES FITZGIBBON

DIGITAL MAGAZINE >> BUSINESS

INTEGRATED MEDIA MANAGER CHRIS KROESE SALES SUPPORT MANAGER CINDY HALL SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER BRIAN McCORD

imagescoastalgeorgia.com

What’s W O Online Seee Georgia G orgia company’s instrumental success.

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS JEFF ADKINS, TODD BENNETT, ANTONY BOSHIER, IAN CURCIO, J. KYLE KEENER PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT MANAGER ANNE WHITLOW

COASTAL GEORGIA

Making a Big Splash It’s full speed ahead for business expansion

Down-Home Successes Communities earn kudos for vibrant town centers

CREATIVE DIRECTOR KEITH HARRIS ASSOCIATE PRODUCTION DIRECTOR CHRISTINA CARDEN PRODUCTION PROJECT MANAGERS MELISSA BRACEWELL, KATIE MIDDENDORF, JILL WYATT SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS LAURA GALLAGHER, KRIS SEXTON, CANDICE SWEET, VIKKI WILLIAMS LEAD DESIGNER JANINE MARYLAND

Lifestyle A showcase for what drives Coastal Georgia’s high quality of life

Beacon of Opportunity Ports weather the economy, add capacity SPONSORED BY THE COASTAL REGIONAL COMMISSION | 2009-10

GRAPHIC DESIGN ERICA HINES, ALISON HUNTER, JESSICA MANNER, AMY NELSON, MARCUS SNYDER WEB IMPLEMENTATION DIRECTOR ANDY HARTLEY WEB DESIGN DIRECTOR FRANCO SCARAMUZZA WEB PROJECT MANAGER YAMEL RUIZ

Read Business Images Coastal Georgia on your computer, zoom in on the articles and link to advertiser Web sites

WEB DESIGN CARL SCHULZ WEB PRODUCTION JENNIFER GRAVES COLOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN TWILA ALLEN AD TRAFFIC MARCIA MILLAR, PATRICIA MOISAN, RAVEN PETTY CHAIRMAN GREG THURMAN PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BOB SCHWARTZMAN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT RAY LANGEN

NEWS AND NOTES >>

SR. V.P./CLIENT DEVELOPMENT JEFF HEEFNER

Get the Inside Scoop on

SR. V.P./OPERATIONS CASEY E. HESTER

the latest developments

SR. V.P./SALES CARLA H. THURMAN V.P./SALES HERB HARPER V.P./SALES TODD POTTER

in Coastal Georgia from our

V.P./VISUAL CONTENT MARK FORESTER

editors and business insiders

V.P./CUSTOM PUBLISHING KIM NEWSOM

V.P./EDITORIAL DIRECTOR TEREE CARUTHERS MANAGING EDITOR/COMMUNITY KIM MADLOM PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NATASHA LORENS

Workstyle A spotlight on innovative companies that call Coastal Georgia home

SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS >> Meet the people setting the pace for Coastal Georgia business

PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEFFREY S. OTTO CONTROLLER CHRIS DUDLEY ACCOUNTING MORIAH DOMBY, DIANA GUZMAN, MARIA MCFARLAND, LISA OWENS RECRUITING/TRAINING DIRECTOR SUZY SIMPSON DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR GARY SMITH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR YANCEY TURTURICE IT SERVICE TECHNICIAN RYAN SWEENEY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER PEGGY BLAKE

DIG DEEPER >>

SALES SUPPORT RACHAEL GOLDSBERRY SALES/MARKETING COORDINATOR RACHEL MATHEIS

Log into the community with

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY/SALES SUPPORT KRISTY DUNCAN

links to local Web sites and

RECEPTIONIST LINDA BISHOP

OFFICE MANAGER SHELLY GRISSOM

resources to give you the big picture of Coastal Georgia DATA CENTRAL >> A by-the-numbers look at doing business and living in Coastal Georgia

See the Video Our award-winning photographers give you a virtual peek inside Coastal Georgia

GUIDE TO SERVICES >> Links to a cross section of goods and services in Coastal Georgia

GO ONLINE

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COASTAL GEORGIA

CU S TO M M AG A Z INE M ED I A

Business Images Coastal Georgia is published annually

by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through the Coastal Regional Commission.

For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by e-mail at info@jnlcom.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Coastal Regional Commission 127 F St. • Brunswick, GA 31520 Phone: (912) 262-2800 • Fax: (912) 262-2313 www.crc.ga.gov

VISIT BUSINESS IMAGES COASTAL GEORGIA ONLINE AT IMAGESCOASTALGEORGIA.COM ©Copyright 2009 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.

Member Member

Magazine Publishers of America Custom Publishing Council

Overview

Coastal Georgia Gives You 10 Good Reasons To Live, Play, Stay 1. Location Southeast Coastal Georgia is midway

10. Population Growth The region has become a

between New York and Miami, with more than 100 miles of coastline.

choice locale. A Georgia Institute of Technology study in 2006 projected the coastal region of Georgia’s population will increase by 32 percent, from 558,350 in 2000 to 737,328 by 2015.

2. Transportation Coastal Georgia is in close proximity to infrastructure, including ports in Brunswick and Savannah, I-95 and I-16, rail lines, Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport, Midcoast Regional Airport and Brunswick Golden Isles Airport.

What’s Onlinee Take a virtual tour of all that Coastal Georgia offers at imagescoastalgeorgia.com.

3. Skilled Work Force Coastal Georgia has a population of more than 620,000 and a regional labor pool of approximately 329,000. A free, nationally recognized, state-funded, locally offered training program called Quick Start is available to assist new and expanding companies.

S CRE V E N 21

Sylvania

4. Education Coastal Georgia is home to Georgia

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Southern University, Ogeechee Technical College, Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Savannah State University, Savannah Technical College and the College of Coastal Georgia.

301

Newington Statesboro 67 16

21

Springfield Rincon

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B U L L O CH

5. Quality of Life Coastal Georgia boasts beaches,

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Pembroke Pooler

history, arts, culture, recreation including a variety of water sports, hunting and fishing, boating, bicycle trails, coastal living and mild winters.

B RYAN 119

L I B E RTY

6. Cost Plentiful and affordable housing is available in all price ranges and land costs are low.

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Garden City

Savannah CH ATH AM

Tybee Island

Hinesville

LONG

Midway Riceboro

Ludowici

7. Incentives Coastal Georgia can offer state job-tax

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credits, port tax credits, port tax-credit eligibility, taxabatement programs, Foreign Trade Zones, industrial revenue bonds, Quick Start training programs and other programs to assist business.

MCI N TO S H Sapelo Island Darien

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G LYN N 32

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St. Simons Island Little St. Simons Island

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Satilla R.

8. Military/Law Enforcement Coastal Georgia is home to the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Fort Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield and the world’s largest Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.

Coastal Georgia

E F F I N G H AM

Brunswick Sea Island Jekyll Island

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CAMD E N

9. Health Care Coastal Georgia offers numerous highquality health providers and medical facilities that have invested in the latest technologies and treatments.

St M a

rys

Kingsland R.

St. Marys

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Almanac THREE DECADES OF ARTS SMARTS The Savannah College of Art & Design started classes in fall 1979 with seven faculty members and 71 students.

Today, the 9,000-student and 500-faculty SCAD is recognized as one of the nation’s top art-and-design universities.

Programs of study range from interior design to television and film to advertising design.

SCAD has rehabilitated more than 60 Savannah buildings crossing four historic districts. Among them is Arnold Hall, a former Chatham County high school that was refurbished into 80,000 square feet of space that includes a gallery and a technologically advanced, 607-seat auditorium for lectures and presentations. Go to www.scad.edu for more on the college.

ART POPS AT THIS GALLERY The Soda Shop Gallery was established in August 2005 in downtown Sylvania.

The gallery showcases the talents of Screven County artists, who display and sell their works, which include paintings, stained glass, sculptures, photographs and turned wood.

The gallery is located in a renovated historic building on the downtown square in Sylvania and is staffed entirely by volunteers.

FULL SPEED AHEAD The St. Marys Submarine Museum is in historic downtown St. Marys, where it fulfills mission to educate visitors about the “Silent Service.”

A wide variety of submarine artifacts, memorabilia and information are available for viewing, many of them from the decommissioned submarine USS James K. Polk.

The museum features a submarine helm station and a working periscope that juts out of the museum’s roof.

For more, go to www.stmaryssubmuseum.com.

P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F U . S . N AV Y. P H O T O B Y C H I E F J O U R N A L I S T D AV E F L I E S E N

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COASTAL GEORGIA

The gallery can be reached at (912) 564-7200.

IT’S A GAS A Coastal Georgia project will bring more natural gas to markets throughout the Southeast. The Elba Express is a 190-mile natural gas pipeline that will begin at a liquefied natural gas facility on Elba Island, five miles from downtown Savannah, and connect to other pipelines for transmission to East Coast markets.

In addition, a division of Houstonbased El Paso Corp. is expanding its liquefied natural gas terminal on Elba Island, adding 8.4 billion cubic feet of storage capacity and 900 million cubic feet per day of send-out capacity, doubling the facility’s capabilities.

The first phases of both projects are slated to be done by mid-2010.

HITTING A HIGH NOTE The Savannah Music Festival was launched in 2003 and generates an annual economic impact of nearly $12 million.

For nearly three weeks each spring, the festival presents a celebration that promotes arts and music education and brings together a crosssection of artists and audiences.

The festival produces more than 100 programs for adults and children in theaters, schools and historic and intimate venues throughout the Savannah area.

More than 400 classical, jazz, blues, bluegrass and international artists, as well as dance, film and narrative programs make the festival a destination event. The 2010 festival is set for March 18-April 3. For more, go to www.savannahmusicfestival.org.

DIG THIS GARDEN LeConte-Woodmanston Plantation and Botanical Gardens in Liberty County is a former inland swamp, rice plantation and once the home of Dr. Louis LeConte, a renowned scientist and botanist.

The 18th-century botanical gardens are being restored to their former glory and will include a combination of landscaped, structured and free-flowing gardens with native, exotic and historic plants discovered and cultivated

by LeConte.

Current structures and features include a home site, a pavilion, a period tool shed, a gazebo, an office, nature trail and the Jean Clyatt Avenue of Oaks.

The expansion will feature a multipurpose chapel as well as a memorial brick pathway meandering through the gardens. For more on the gardens, go to www.leconte-woodmanston.org.

IMAGESCOASTALGEORGIA.COM

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COASTAL GEORGIA

Business Climate

Workforce

A Big Splash It’s full speed ahead for Coastal Georgia’s economic efforts

Story by Michaela Jackson

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flagging national economy is not taking the wind out of Coastal Georgia’s sails.

“You can’t let up,” says Allen Burns, executive director of the Coastal Regional Commission. “Good enough never is, and that’s why you’ve got to keep moving forward.”

Moving forward is the name of the game for Atlantabased developer IDI, which recruited the Canadian company Do It Right This Time, or DIRTT, to locate its first U.S. manufacturing facility at Crossroads Business Center in Savannah.

The company, which manufactures movable wall partitions for office buildings, expects to create 150 jobs over the next two years. Coastal Georgia’s accessibility to the rest of the country was a major factor in the decision, says Sean Fitzsimmons, vice president of national business development for IDI. “Within a 500-mile radius, a one-day drive out of the Port of Savannah, you can hit all the way down to Miami, all the way north in Virginia, and well out into the central Midwest,” he says.

In addition to its work at the Crossroads Business Center, IDI is also developing a 300-acre industrial park on I-95 in Liberty County to attract manufacturers and distributors, most of which are looking for 250,000 to 800,000 square feet of space.

“Savannah still is getting a lot of interest from both large distribution users and, somewhat surprisingly and pleasantly, midsize manufacturing users,” Fitzsimmons says.

Coastal Georgia is a major tourism destination, and its hospitality segment is also investing in the future.

Jekyll Island has embarked on a major redevelopment plan that includes five new hotel projects.

Jekyll Island Beach Village, encompassing some $350 million in private investment, will include integrated shopping and dining, residential cottages, a 400-room hotel and a renovated and expanded convention center.

Military investment in the region is also proving to be a boon. Fort Stewart is a 280,000-acre Army installation that sprawls into parts of five counties. About 45 minutes away is Hunter Army Airfield, a 5,300-acre base that has the longest runway on the East Coast. Combined, the two bases generate annual direct federal expenditures of $1.2 billion and employ 4,300 civilian workers and 25,000 military personnel. Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Camden County is home to more than 5,200 active duty personnel, 2,100 civilian employees and 1,700 contractors.

The base has annual payroll of more than $500 million.

Savannah-based JCB Inc. began work at its Pooler facility in January 2008 to fulfill a $230 million U.S. Army contract for 800 combat-ready backhoe loaders, creating roughly 120 jobs.

“From a JCB perspective, the same factors apply today as they did 10 years ago when we chose to come here: We sit on the edge of a port that is essential to our business, both for imports and exports,” says John Patterson, chairman and CEO of JCB. “Georgia is blessed with a number of first-class technical colleges that are extremely helpful from an engineering perspective in the recruiting of young engineers,” he says. “It has a quality of life that doesn’t exist in other areas inland.”

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Beacon of Opportunity Ports weather the economy, invest in new technology, add capacity

Coastal Georgia boasted the fastestgrowing U.S. port in 2008.

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COASTAL GEORGIA

Story by Pamela Coyle Photography by Todd Bennett

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he Georgia Ports Authority is adding capacity, buying massive $8 million cranes and boasting what few if any of its peers can say about 2008 – a small gain in cargo volume over the previous year.

An even split between imports and exports helped the Port of Savannah sidestep the early months of the downturn as oversea markets continued to buy, says Robert Morris, the ports authority’s director of external affairs.

“You end up not having all your eggs in one basket,” Morris says. “We dodged many months of the recession due to strong exports.”

The Port of Savannah, with a 0.5 percent increase in volume, was the fastest-growing U.S. port in 2008. It now ranks second on the East Coast and fourth in the country in terms of volume, and is poised to grow even more.

The ports authority is pushing ahead with plans to expand its container capacity from 3.6 million to 7.5 million units by growing up rather than out.

The 1,200-acre footprint will remain; instead, the facility is adding racks and

equipment so it can stack containers higher and deeper.

“It is a good thing to use every inch of terminal space,” Morris says.

A BIG DIG All eyes are on 2014, the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal opening, when work to widen and deepen the canal will give larger container ships direct access to East Coast ports. To prepare, dredging will drop depth in Savannah Harbor from 42 to 48 feet, and the port will be ready.

“That will open up movement of cargo to the East Coast in an incredible way,” Morris says. “It will add lots of savings to delivery of cargo to the most populated region of the United States.”

Clay, paper and poultry products are the biggest exports, and a strong import-export balance has distinguished Georgia for years, says Page Siplon, executive director of the Logistics Innovation Center at the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Savannah campus.

“This isn’t just a recent trend,” he says. “This is our history because of

focus and leadership at the state to create an environment that is different than other port communities.”

Georgia ports, including one in Brunswick and two inland facilities, are always looking at innovative ways to handle logistics, Siplon says.

In Savannah, four new super postpanamax cranes, named for the vessels that will use the widened Panama Canal, went on line earlier this summer, an investment of $32 million.

The authority opened an $11 million intermodal transfer rail facility at its Garden City operations in January.

Investments also include switching cranes and other equipment from diesel fuel to electric power, an annual savings of 1.1 million gallons of fuel.

Like its peers, Savannah saw doubledigit drops in volume in early 2009, but Georgia’s ports are poised for better times. The capital investment, Morris says, “is a good sign we are in this for the long haul. We are focusing on the increases we have made in market share and bringing on additional services,” he says. “We see a light at the end of the tunnel.”

STATS Port of Savannah Container Trade 2004-2008

30

chart is in millions of twenty-foot equivalent units

Total Tonnage Port of Savannah, Port of Brunswick chart is in millions

25 2004

20 2005

15 2006

10 2007

5 2008 0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

0 2004

Source: Georgia Ports Authority

2005

2006

2007

2008

MORE AT IMAGESCOASTALGEORGIA.COM

IMAGESCOASTALGEORGIA.COM

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Built To Last Region’s assets craft a solid manufacturing sector

Story by Pamela Coyle Photography by Brian McCord

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Portuguese maker of power transformers will bring nearly 700 jobs to Effingham County and boost a regional manufacturing base already distinguished for its diversity.

EFACEC’s plant will open in October 2009 with 283 employees, eventually growing to 672, says John Henry, CEO of the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority.

The company is finishing up the first phase of a 470,000-square-foot facility on 55 acres in Effingham County Industrial Park, a $180 million capital investment and EFACEC’s only U.S. operation. The average job will pay $50,000 a year.

“It is tremendous for this entire region,” Henry says.

“These are high-tech, high-skill jobs.”

EFACEC joins makers of paper, chemicals, and agricultural and food products, as well as aerospace, metal fabrication and plastics companies in a 10-county region.

Briggs & Stratton makes engines in Bulloch County.

Oracal makes vinyl film for graphic design and printing in Bryan County; King & Prince and Rich-SeaPak serve up frozen seafood in Glynn County; and Bayer Crop Science formulates pesticide in Camden County.

Liberty County is home to three major regional players: SNF Chemtall, a French company that makes flocculants for wastewater treatment; Interstate Paper, a Lebanese company that produces small line board for cardboard boxes; and International Greetings, a British firm that manufactures gift wrap and other stationery products.

DEEP POOL OF LABOR Bayer Crop Science took over a Woodbine plant in 2002 and makes Temik, a pesticide for cotton, peanuts, soybeans, citrus and some potatoes. The plant has 86 full-time employees, including a dozen hired in recent months.

“It’s a good labor pool, a good caliber workforce,” says plant manager John Drew. “We’ve made major organizational

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COASTAL GEORGIA

“Everybody who lives here loves living and working here. Once they get here, they don’t want to leave.” changes to remain cost competitive on a global level. The workforce has adapted very well.”

At least 40 percent of the pesticide is shipped overseas, to South America, South Africa, Asia and Australia. Good interstate access and the Port of Savannah, where Bayer has its own warehouse, are “very, very useful to us,” he says.

Coastal Georgia is close to the company’s U.S. customer base, and Drew says the region is attractive for personal reasons, too. “I think everybody who lives here loves living and working here,” he says. “Once they get here, they don’t want to leave.”

Ron Tolley, executive director of the Liberty County Development Authority, says the region’s diverse assets contribute to the mix.

Proximity to Fort Stewart and a steady stream of highly trained military retirees helped draw Elan Technology from New Jersey after the company looked at 30 spots in five states, Tolley says. Interstate Paper wanted access to timber, and the local business community helped locate willing landowners.

Access to distribution, logistics and a good labor force attracted SNF Chemtall; International Greetings relocated from Massachusetts because it wanted a building and space to grow. The company started with a 50,000-square-foot shell and now has more than 500,000 square feet in several buildings.

“They’ve been a wonderful company,” Tolley says.

What’s Onlinee Read more about all of Coastal Georgia’s manufacturing advantages at imagescoastalgeorgia.com.

IMAGESCOASTALGEORGIA.COM

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It’s Not Just a Day at the Beach.

It’s your education. With four bachelor’s and 49 associate degrees, the College of Coastal Georgia has the perfect program for you.

Small class sizes provide an intimate setting for

Contact us at 912.279.5813 or 800.675.7235 Visit us at www.ccga.edu

learning. In-state tuition and fees are among the lowest in the Southeast. After a few hours riding the crest of knowledge, soak in the sun while you study to the soothing sounds of the ocean. Experience how enjoyable learning is at the College of Coastal Georgia.

ÀÕ ÃÜ V ÊUÊ }Ã > `

Education

Building Bench Strength Colleges keep the labor pool well stocked and well skilled Story by Michaela Jackson • Photography by Brian McCord

B

usinesses considering a relocation to or expansion in Coastal Georgia don’t have to wonder whether they’ll have enough skilled workers to get the job done.

An extensive education network includes multiple four-year schools, community colleges, tech schools and even high school career programs.

“The driver for this country in the future is the knowledge economy, and that needs a workforce that has skill sets, thinking, creativity, entrepreneurship and problem solving,” says Valerie Hepburn, College of Coastal Georgia president.

The college’s Brunswick campus is making the transition from a two-year to a four-year school, further enhancing the region’s workforce training with degrees in business, education and health sciences.

Administrators hope the school, which currently has an enrollment of 2,900, will grow to 6,000 students by 2020 and ultimately to 10,000. The college also has a campus in Camden.

One of the reasons the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia backed the conversion was to give students additional access to a four-year state college. “To compete, you must be able to field a workforce that not only offers bachelor’s degrees, but the opportunity to earn master’s degrees,” Hepburn says.

Georgia Southern University in Statesboro offers more than 117 degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels in eight colleges.

The university, which had record

student enrollment in fall 2008 of 17,748, is also a major economic force, generating an impact of nearly $750 million in 2007-2008.

Savannah State University’s enrollment is at nearly 3,500 students, the highest in the university’s 116-year history. The university offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in its College of Business Administration, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and College of Sciences and Technology.

Savannah Technical College, a leader in industry-driven continuing education, expects to move into a new 55,000-square-foot classroom building in January 2010 to accommodate steadily increasing enrollment.

Savannah Tech works closely with local business and industry leaders, tailoring programs specifically to meet

the needs of area employers.

“Many things push that student into the classroom, but it’s only the business community that’s going to pull them out of the classroom,” says Ken Boyd, vice president of economic development for Savannah Tech.

The college’s Hire Education program links students with the job market by guaranteeing that if they complete a set program of work, they will have an interview with a local company in their field.

The college also reaches into high schools, offering students the chance to take college courses before graduation.

“We’re constantly working on not only the current workforce but the future workforce, as well,” Boyd says.

“I think that has a strong appeal for businesses coming into our area.”

Georgia Southern University in Statesboro

IMAGESCOASTALGEORGIA.COM

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Livability

What’s Onlinee See video of a walking tour of historic Savannah at imagescoastalgeorgia.com.

St. Marys Waterfront Park in the Camden County community’s historic downtown

Down-Home Successes Coastal communities earn kudos for creating vibrant town centers Story by Kevin Litwin Photography by Brian McCord

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he community of Darien – population 1,800 – has a lot going for it, including the distinction of having four individual rivers flowing through it.

It is the second-oldest city in Georgia after Savannah, and a successful shrimping and commercial fishing destination.

Numerous boats annually come up the Darien River to dock and unload there, taking advantage of the city’s location just eight miles from the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.

Darien also boasts an active downtown district – so much so that it has earned a 2009 Better Hometown designation by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Downtown Development, one of several Coastal Georgia communities to earn praise for creating vibrant town centers.

The Better Hometown designation recognizes historic preservation efforts and downtown revitalization plans that include streetscapes and building façade renovations, says Frank Feild, community development director for the city of Darien.

Feild points out that Darien is home to the Altamaha Scenic Byway, one of only 12 scenic byways in all of Georgia.

“This beautiful byway and our four rivers are allowing us to develop an ecotourism industry, which I believe will become one of the hottest tourism sectors in the near future,” he says. “And having a Better Hometown designation certainly doesn’t hurt.”

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COASTAL GEORGIA

Darien shares the Better Hometown designation with communities including Pembroke in Bryan County, Sylvania in Screven County and Woodbine in Camden County.

A number of other cities in Coastal Georgia have been awarded a Main Street designation.

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs oversees both the Better Hometown and Main Street programs.

To apply for a Better Hometown designation, a city must have a population under 5,000 according to the 2000 U.S. census, while a Main Street city must have a population between 5,000 and 50,000.

Brunswick in Glynn County, Statesboro in Bulloch County and St. Marys in Camden County are among Coastal Georgia communities that have received Main Street recognition.

Brunswick has earned Main Street accreditation every year since it first applied in 1986, says Mathew Hill, executive director of the Brunswick Downtown Development Authority.

“We must requalify every year, and we have successfully been reaccredited every year,” he says. “We are proud of our record – and our downtown.”

Brunswick generated public and private investment of $8.3 million in its 167-block district in 2008 alone.

“Being a Main Street program is prestigious, but a community has to work hard to become one,” Hill says.

“Here in downtown Brunswick, we indeed work hard.”

Transportation

Distribution Solution Port, highways, facilities make region a hub for moving goods Story by Pamela Coyle Photography by Todd Bennett

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oastal Georgia’s bustling ports, solid rail and interstate access, and network of industrial parks are attracting national companies that need distribution hubs for markets in the South, East and Midwest.

“Coming into Savannah gives you a broader market reach,” says Paul Michael, vice president of Atlanta-based TPA Realty Services. “That’s a key factor.”

TPA has partnered with the Development Authority of Bryan County, placing Kawasaki, silverware maker Oneida Ltd. and pressuresensitive film manufacturer Oracal as major tenants in the authority’s Interstate Centre.

TPA itself owns 500 acres across the street and is putting up its first spec building in the Interstate Centre II development.

Effingham County’s Industrial Development Authority and Nevada-based DP Partners are partnering on a $250 million, 1,700-acre park 15 miles west of the Port of Savannah. Called the LogistiCenter at Savannah, the development will accommodate up to 5 million square feet of industrial space. DP Partners will put up “specto-suit” buildings in phases. LogistiCenter is expected to create 2,500 to 5,000 jobs over the next 10 to 15 years in transportation, storage warehousing and other industrial categories.

Liberty County has five parks, including Tradeport East and Tradeport West, which together comprise about 5,500 acres. Retailer Target opened a 1.5 million-square-foot distribution center in Tradeport East in 2007, and Tire Rack has taken 240,000 square feet – with room to grow. Tradeport West is particularly attractive to customers needing rail access; a CSX line runs right through it.

“We have had some companies referred to us,

and we have referred some to another counties,” says Ron Tolley, Liberty County Development Authority CEO. “If we cannot get it ourselves, we’d rather have it in an adjacent county to us so our workforce can at least get a shot at it.”

The projects help boost the tax base with limited impact but for trucks on the roads and increased rail traffic.

The region also boasts a strong cadre of airports, including Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, which includes Foreign Trade Zone 104. The FTZ has more than 50,000 square feet of warehouse space, and a number of companies and entities operate as subzones of it, allowing them to take advantage of tax and duty deferments that FTZs offer.

MidCoast Regional Airport at Wright Army Airfield in Liberty County includes twin 5,000foot runways. Brunswick Golden Isles Airport offers daily passenger service to Atlanta.

Savannah is a major port center. Container traffic has surged there in recent years and the Georgia Ports Authority is adding capacity.

More Insight A nearly $600 million reconstruction project is under way that will widen a 30-mile stretch of Interstate 95 that runs through Coastal Georgia near Brunswick.

Nearly $200 million of that work will include widening nearly six miles of the major north-south interstate to six lanes and rebuilding four twin bridges to eight lanes to allow for future expansion.

The work, which is being completed in stages throughout 2009 and 2010, is part of the state’s $15.5 billion highway congestion relief program.

Ralph Maggioni, Foreign Trade Zone 104 director

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COASTAL GEORGIA

Health

A Strong Pulse Coastal Georgia offers a healthy roster of care providers

Story by Michaela Jackson Photography by Todd Bennett

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oastal Georgia is canvassed by a comprehensive health-care system that includes state-of-the-art research hospitals, award-winning care options and dedicated community involvement.

The two-hospital St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System, totaling 636 beds, draws on a long tradition of excellence.

Candler Hospital, which opened as Georgia’s first hospital in 1804, is the second-longest continuously operating hospital in the nation.

St. Joseph’s was established when the Sisters of Mercy created St. Joseph’s Infirmary in 1875 to care for ill sailors. The two Savannah hospitals began operating jointly in 1997.

“Our faith-based philosophy and exceptional doctors have kept people coming to St. Joseph’s/ Candler for more than 200 years,” says Paul P. Hinchey, president and CEO of SJ/C. “But we have also aggressively invested in the newest technology so residents don’t have to travel to other cities to get medical care.”

The system’s Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer and Research Pavilion is one of 10 organizations nationwide selected to participate in the National Community Cancer Centers Program pilot project of the National Cancer Institute.

A women’s hospital, a heart hospital and an institute for advanced bone and joint surgery are a few of the system’s other signature services. St. Joseph’s/Candler also features a newly renovated neuro-ICU – a program for remotely diagnosing and treating stroke patients – a da Vinci Surgical System and a groundbreaking treatment for chronic acid reflux disease.

Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah is a two-state health-care organization that serves a 35-county area in Coastal Georgia

and southern South Carolina.

The system includes its flagship hospital, a 530-bed academic medical center, as well as a primary and specialty physician networks, a major medical education program, and business and industry services.

Memorial houses the Curtis and Elizabeth Anderson Cancer Institute, and is noted for its children’s and women’s services, education programs and NurseOne, a 24-hour call center.

The Southeast Georgia Health System includes a 316-bed hospital in Brunswick and a newly renovated care center in Camden County with 40 beds.

Its Cancer Care Center is accredited by the M.D. Anderson Physician’s Network.

“We have what we consider, and what everyone else considers, a world-class cancer program,” says Jackie Weder, vice president of marketing and public relations for the Southeast Georgia Health Center.

New technology being utilized by the health system includes digital mammography and robotic surgery for partial knee replacements.

Camden County’s 90,000-square-foot expansion, which opened in March 2009, also includes a new ICU with five beds and 12 integrative labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum rooms for mothers and newborns.

The hospital is also opening a breast-care center, a joint-replacement center and a 20,000-square-foot medical building on St. Simons Island in fall 2009.

In April 2009, the hospital broke ground on a 6,550-square-foot expansion of the Miriam & Hugh Nunnally Maternity Care Center on the Brunswick campus. When complete, the center will feature 24 redesigned labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum rooms.

More Insight • Memorial University Medical Center www.memorialhealth.com Operates a 530-bed tertiary-care hospital in Savannah.

Employs more than 4,600 people • St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System www.sjchs.org Operates the 305-bed St. Joseph’s Hospital and the 331-bed Candler Hospital, both in Savannah Employs approximately 3,300 people • Southeast Georgia Health System www.sghs.org Operates 316-bed hospital in Brunswick and 40-bed hospital in St. Marys Workforce of nearly 2,000 employees and 380 physicians

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In Good Hands HOSPITALS IN REGION’S SMALLER COMMUNITIES OFFER TOP-SHELF TREATMENT

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Liberty Regional Medical Center in Hinesville is a 133-bed hospital that provides a full range of inpatient and outpatient services.

The hospital sees 25,000 patients come through its ER each year and is considering a sizeable expansion.

It opened its current 70,000-squarefoot facility in 1998.

Hospital leaders take pride in offering a quality of service that

hen it comes to availability of quality health care, Coastal Georgia’s smaller communities don’t take a back seat to more populous locales.

Residents of Statesboro and the surrounding areas turn to East Georgia Regional Medical Center, a state-of-the-art, 150-room hospital that includes specialty services in imaging and diagnostics, surgical, and women’s and children’s care.

Willingway Hospital in Statesboro is a facility founded by a local couple in the 1960s that specializes in alcohol and drug addiction treatments. Willingway, the first Georgia hospital to specialize in dependency treatment, has cared for more than 20,000 patients.

Effingham Hospital and Care Center was named a Hospital of Choice Award winner in winter 2009 by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers. The Springfield hospital was selected from among 400 customerfriendly, U.S. hospitals.

The 25-bed Screven County Hospital serves the Sylvania community’s primary-care needs.

many rural hospitals can’t claim. “We do the very best we can so that we can say, ‘Yes, you can travel, but you won’t get any better service than what we offer here,’� says Scott Kroell, CEO of LRMC. “That has been our goal with any service we have, or anytime we add a service, to make sure that it’s as good or better than any in the area.� – Michaela Jackson

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ECONOMIC PROFILE BUSINESS CLIMATE Coastal Georgia encompasses 10 counties – the coastal counties of Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Glynn, Liberty and McIntosh and the inland counties of Bulloch, Effingham, Long and Screven. A diversity of economic opportunities, two major ports and two sprawling military installations call Coastal Georgia home. The region has a diverse economy that includes strong manufacturing, trade and transportation, hospitality, military, education and health care.

POPULATION TRENDS (2008)

Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, 2,100 (civilian personnel)

Bryan, 31,173

Georgia Southern University, 1,825

Bulloch, 67,761 Camden, 47,641

MAJOR MANUFACTURERS

Chatham, 251,120 Effingham, 52,060 Glynn, 75,884

Gulfstream Aerospace, 6,024

Liberty, 58,491

Georgia-Pacific, 1,400

Long, 11,452

SNF, 1,065

McIntosh, 11,455

Briggs & Stratton, 950

Screven, 15,133

International Paper, 738

Region, 622,170

King & Prince Seafood, 600

Georgia, 9,685,744

Koch Cellulose, 600

MAJOR EMPLOYERS

Rich-SeaPak, 600

Memorial Health University Medical Center, 4,643

MAJOR EMPLOYMENT SECTORS

Fort Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield, 4,285 (civilian personnel)

Education and Health Care, 21.8%

St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System, 3,304 Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, 3,047 City of Savannah, 2,500

Retail Trade, 18.1%

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COASTAL GEORGIA

Bryan, 4,575 Bulloch, 17,359 Camden, 8,980 Chatham, 121,161 Effingham, 7,090 Glynn, 32,736 Liberty, 10,266 Long, 449 McIntosh, 1,639 Screven, 2,892

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME Bryan, $60,879 Bulloch, $34,861 Camden, $46,583 Chatham, $45,124 Effingham, $54,132 Glynn, $46,260 Liberty, $40,993 Long, $37,334 McIntosh, $36,026 Screven, $32,630 Region, $43,483

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LABOR FORCE

For more in-depth demographic, statistical and community information on Coastal Georgia, go to imagescoastalgeorgia.com and click on Economic Profile.

Sea Island Co., 2,100

CONFERENCE CENTER

Manufacturing, 14.9% Government, 13.4% Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities, 10.2% Wholesale Trade, 6.5%

visit our

advertisers Coastal Georgia Regional Development Center www.coastalgeorgiardc.org College of Coastal Georgia www.ccga.edu Courtyard Marriott www.marriott.com/bqkcy Four Points

by Sheraton www.fourpointssavannahair.com

Glynn County Development Authority www.georgiasgoldenopportunity.com Long County www.longcountyga.gov Quality Inn Conference Center www.choicehotels.com Southeast Georgia Health System www.sghs.org W.H. Gross Construction Company www.whgross.com

Ad Index C 3 COA S TA L G EO RG I A R EG I O N A L D E V E LO P M E N T C E N T E R 1 2 CO L L EG E O F COA S TA L G EO RG I A 6 CO U RT YA R D M A R R I OT T C 2 FO U R P O I N TS BY S H E R ATO N 6 G LY N N CO U N T Y D E V E LO P M E N T AU T H O R IT Y C 4 LO N G CO U N T Y 2 0 Q UA LIT Y I N N CO N FE R E N C E C E N T E R 1 8 S O U T H E A S T G EO RG I A H E A LT H SYS T E M 1 9 W. H . G ROS S CO N S T R U C TI O N CO M PA N Y

Serving the 10 Counties and 35 Cities of the Coastal Region for 45 Years Coastal Area Planning and Development Commission 1964-1989 Coastal Georgia Regional Development Center 1989-2009 Now known as Coastal Regional Commission

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Coastal Regional Commission 127 F Street Brunswick, GA 31520 912.262.2800 www.crc.ga.gov

Discover Coastal Georgia’s Best Kept Secret

LONG COUNTY

... where big opportunities meet small-town hospitality

Experience Community

Long County Long County Development Authority Long County Chamber of Commerce

Coastal Georgia is well known for its Southern hospitality and strong sense of community. Long County epitomizes that Old South ambiance, while still welcoming and cultivating current and future economic development and growth. Our access to Georgia’s infamous barrier islands, coastal waterways, the Altamaha River, hunting opportunities, and many other outdoor recreational activities make Long County the ideal place to live and do business.

Experience Possibilities Located in one of the fastest growing regions of the country, Coastal Georgia’s Long County is situated in close proximity to many of Georgia’s commercial transportation corridors. The ports of Brunswick and Savannah, Interstates 95 and 16, railway access and the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport are all minutes away from this expanding community.

Experience Long County www.longcountyga.gov Ludowici, Georgia