It’s Even Better in Metter! Written by Jenny Starling Foss Photography by Frank Fortune

from Statesboro Magazine - September/October 2020

Garden Photo Contest Winner Delia Mobley

it’s even better in metter

WRITTEN BY JENNY STARLING FOSS PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRANK FORTUNE

SSince 2017, Metter has been leveraging her assets of agriculture and tourism into an economic plan of growth for Candler County. With other leading industries such as retail trade, accommodations & food services and construction, Metter has become very appealing to first time business owners and entrepreneurs looking to open a business in the quaint downtown.

“We’ve recently had our 12th business open in downtown,” said City Manager Carter Crawford. “We have a business incentive plan that is very attractive and great things are happening in Metter.”

One of those great things is Metter being named a 2017 National Winner in the NTA Rural Broadband Association’s Smart Rural Community Program through Pineland Telephone. Metter became designated as a Smart Rural Community by joining a nationwide network working to build a brighter future for small town America by promoting rural broadband. The communities in the program collaborate on broadband enabled projects that improve economic development, provide technology for advancing education and enhance state-of-the-art healthcare through telemedicine. These initiatives, among others, help connect rural communities and keep them advancing towards a future with sustainable infrastructure.

This initiative, in addition to Metter’s big buy-in on the Georgia Grown and Metter Made programs, has caused a synergy in the community that has stimulated economic development in small business, tourism and in the agricultural community.

In a partnership with Georgia Southern University, this fall Metter will be cutting the ribbon on the second Business Innovation Group incubator. Located in a renovated warehouse owned by the City, the “i2” will be the new starting point for agriculture-related start-up enterprises.

“So far we have eight of the offices already rented,” stated Heidi Jeffers, director of tourism & business development for Metter. “They’re ready to get started as soon as we get the occupancy clearance on the building, which should be happening at any time now.”

One business already operating in the incubator is Better Fresh Farms, LLC, a producer of sustainably grown non-GMO, herbicide and pesticide free produce. Better Fresh has three shipping containers inside the warehouse portion of the BIG incubator with hydroponic growing systems for everything from radishes to arugula. Better Fresh is owned by Grant Anderson, who started the business is Guyton.

“At Better Fresh, we look for ways to marry farming and technology,” said Anderson. “Having a base in Metter means that we can reach a broader market from Savannah to Dublin. Our end goal is providing fresh, delicious, high quality, naturally grown and sustainable produce to customers year round.”

Something they’re already doing for area restaurants and through the Forsyth Farmers Market and the Statesboro Main Street Farmers Market, where demand for Better Fresh Farms products has recently skyrocketed.

Better Fresh’s success serves as an example to other Ag related start-up businesses looking to get growing in Candler County.

In partnering with the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Department of Tourism, though the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Metter is being branded as a Georgia Grown community and foodie destination.

“Through initiatives like Georgia Grown and Metter Made, we are able to showcase products grown and made in Candler County, throughout the state,” said Jeffers. “Our welcome center is part of a pilot program promoting products grown and made in Georgia and here in Metter to tourists and visitors. Our location just off of I-16 means that we are in a great position to capture visitor traffic and interest them in local and state products as a way to sample all of the great things grown and produced in the area and throughout the state.”

This multi-faceted approach to marketing Metter to new businesses, tourists and shoppers has resulted in more retail businesses like Burlap & Lace Market & Coffee Bar, opening in the downtown area. Burlap & Lace carries home décor, women’s and men’s clothing and accessories, tableware and gifts, and Georgia Grown products.

“We were drawn to open a location in Metter by the great incentives for small businesses looking to locate in the downtown area,” said Jessica Hanson, owner and principal of Burlap & Lace. “We love the location and we’ve had good interest and traffic since we opened.”

Another new business in downtown Metter is Scoops Ice Cream which opened this spring with 30-plus ice cream flavors, coffees, pastries, chocolates, assorted candies and toys! Already a popular spot for local children and their families, Scoops is an attraction as well as an ice cream parlor. Franchise owners Greg and Tammie Strickland plan to offer space for birthday parties and similar functions when the opportunity becomes available after Covid-19 restrictions for functions larger than 10 people are lifted.

These new businesses complement the already established businesses that have served Metter for years, like Trapnell Tomlinson Ace Hardware, where in addition to the expected tools and paint, you can also purchase anything from oyster knives to tricycles. Plus, there’s a well-worn bench by the front door in case you want to sit for a spell and visit.

“We’ve always tried to provide the community with everything needed for the family, farm and home,” said Parnell Franklin, owner. “We have very loyal

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customers, so we try to keep on hand anything they may want for do-it-yourself projects and for taking care of their home.”

By connecting clusters of small family owned businesses like these, and having each business buy into the idea of Metter becoming a Georgia Grown community and foodie destination, City leaders like Crawford and Jeffers have leveraged resources already available within the community to recruit and retain small businesses and put Metter on a track of growth and success in spite of the pandemic. S