Regional

A significant investment in the Golden Isles was announced recently with the ground-breaking of a more than 500,000-square-foot warehouse at the Tradewinds Technology Park. A new tenant, ProDirect, will occupy half the space after construction. One or more businesses are planned for the remainder of the building.

The Port of Brunswick is on pace to become the leading automotive port in the country and expects to set a new record for vehicles handled when its fiscal year winds up later this month.

The Georgia Ports Authority’s $262 million infrastructure project is nearing completion at the Port of Brunswick’s Colonel’s Island terminal and already it is attracting new business, some of it at the dock, and some in nearby McIntosh County.

Brunswick Cellulose, a division of Georgia-Pacific, was recently honored as the 2024 World Trade Center Savannah International Business of the Year, a testament to its commitment to excellence, both in business and in corporate citizenship.

A workforce initiative, Regional Industry Support Enterprise (RISE), has been created to help counties near the Hyundai plant in Bryan County prepare for the growth that will happen once the plant opens. Regional development authority members learned how RISE is helping counties near the plant prepare for a myriad of issues and challenges.

The McIntosh County Industrial Development Authority has secured a significant boost for its infrastructure development endeavors with a $500,000 grant from the OneGeorgia Equity Fund.

Pigmental Studios announced in March that it will be building a $200 million movie studio at St. Marys Commerce Park in Camden County, Georgia.

The Port of Brunswick will likely be busier than normal in the wake of the cargo ship that slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge Tuesday, causing it to collapse in the Patapsco River and blocking the Port of Baltimore. A Georgia Ports Authority official said they have already been approached by customers looking for a port capable of handling roll-on/roll-off cargo.

The Georgia General Assembly has allocated just over $6 million for special harbor improvements at the Port of Brunswick as part of the state’s midyear budget adjustment. Governor Brian Kemp signed the funding bill into law on February 29.

Carmaker INEOS has chosen the Port of Brunswick, Georgia, to deliver its new Grenadier off-road SUV to markets across the U.S. Southeast.

Brunswick City Commissioners recently heard an update on the remediation of the former Hercules industrial site and the demolition of the Pinova plant. Mark Johnson, an attorney representing Pinova and Hercules, said both companies supported the city’s intentions to get the former industrial site — which is over 300 acres — redeveloped into residential, commercial and, potentially, offices for skilled industries that offer high wages.

McIntosh County Industrial Development Authority President and CEO Tom Draffin announced that JB Harris Transport and Logistics’ holding company has executed a lease and option agreement to begin operations on a 20+ acre operations site for the delivery, storage, servicing, accounting, and distribution of heavy industrial equipment. Construction has already begun on the site in the Tidewaters Industrial Complex.

The Golden Isles Development Authority purchased a 1,430-acre tract off U.S. 82 about five miles west of Interstate 95 a year ago in anticipation the site would attract interested occupants. The main selling points to the site, called Georgia Breakbulk Logistics Park, are close access to the Port of Brunswick, I-95 and rail access on the property. There is now a suitor for 700 acres at the Breakbulk site, and Glynn County Commissioner Walter Rafolski said if the agreement is reached for the property, the new tenant will manufacture batteries for the new Hyundai plant under construction in Bryan County.

Plug Power Inc., a global leader in comprehensive hydrogen solutions for the green hydrogen economy, has completed the first fill of a Plug tanker with liquid green hydrogen produced at its Woodbine, Georgia production plant, heading straight off to customer sites. The achievement comes one week following the official commencement of operations at the plant.

The Golden Isles Development Authority (GIDA) Board of Governors announced a significant advancement in regional economic development with the approval of a sale and lease agreement between GIDA and Hillpointe, LLC. Under the agreement, Hillpointe, LLC plans to develop a 55-acre site in Tradewinds Technology Park, located off Exit 42 and adjacent to Interstate 95, into a state-of-the-art warehouse facility and office space, totaling approximately 502,500 square feet.

The College of Coastal Georgia Foundation acquired the building at 1407 Union Street, formerly The Village Oven, to be used as a teaching kitchen/lab for the College’s culinary arts program. The facility will help sustain the College’s contribution to the region’s hospitality, tourism and culinary arts industry, and economic development efforts.

A planned development called Camden Woods could become a destination for shoppers similar to a smaller version St. Johns Town Center in Florida, if everything goes as planned. Kingsland City Manager Lee Spell said the development will include 800 residential units and more than one million square feet of commercial property with big box stores, restaurants and smaller businesses.

SG Blocks, Inc. (NASDAQ: SGBX) (“SG Blocks” or the “Company”), a leading developer, designer, and fabricator of modular structures, announced today that the Camden County Joint Development Authority (JDA) has approved SG Blocks’ real estate transaction for roughly 33 acres with plans to build a 114,000 square foot manufacturing facility to support the Cumberland Inlet development project. SG Blocks plans to employ roughly 125 people in the first three years.

T-Mobile announced its latest round of Hometown Grant recipients, hitting a whopping 250 communities across 43 states and more than $11 million in funding since the wireless carrier kicked off its five-year commitment to small towns in April 2021. Among the latest 25 Hometown Grant recipients are Darien, Ga. and Woodbine, Ga.

The Port of Brunswick handled a record 775,565 units of autos and machinery in calendar year 2023, an increase of 15.6 percent over the previous year. “Thanks to our auto and heavy machinery customers, processors and ILA Partners – GPA is firing on all cylinders,” said Kent Fountain, Chairman of the GPA Board.