News

Hyundai Supplier Opens in Liberty County GA

September 30, 2024 - Seohan Auto Georgia, a supplier to the Hyundai Metaplant in Bryan County, is open for business in Liberty County. The Liberty County Development Authority hosted a ribbon cutting for the plant in September. Seohan Auto’s presence in Georgia will represent a more than $72 million investment. It’s expected to create at least 180 new jobs, according to the development authority. Seohan Auto Georgia is a tier-one manufacturer for Hyundai, meaning they will make parts needed first in production, like axles and brake systems. Read More

WTCSav Receives Catherine Durda Award

September 30, 2024 - World Trade Center Savannah (WTCSav) was recently announced the winner of the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones (NAFTZ) Catherine Durda Award (FTZ video) at the 2024 NAFTZ Annual Conference. Each year, grantee members are asked to submit their best marketing resources to be considered for the award. World Trade Center Savannah's Foreign Trade Zone 104 informational video ran against a terrific pool of applicants and ultimately won first for the award. The award is given in memory of Catherine Durda, the first female chair of the NAFTZ Board of Directors. The video can be seen here: Read More

WTCSav leads trade mission to Ireland

August 30, 2024 - Representatives from World Trade Center Savannah led a trade mission to Ireland in partnership with the Georgia Commissioner for Economic Development Pat Wilson and the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), as well as, Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC), Georgia Power and other partners. The visit was highlighted by the Georgia Tech versus Florida State University game held in Dublin, Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday August 24th, where Georgia Tech pulled off a thrilling victory in the late second half of the game. World Trade Center Savannah also worked closely with partners at World Trade Center Dublin, who hosted B2B meetings and networking opportunities for the delegation. The visit continued to Wexford, Ireland where the group was hosted at the Georgia Southern University Learning Center for a full day of programming, exploring the strong economic environments that exist in both Ireland and Georgia. The delegation joined a networking event with companies involved in the TradeBridge program for their testimonials on how impactful and important the program has been in building their international business relationships. After departing Wexford, everyone traveled to Limerick, Ireland to meet the newly elected Mayor of Limerick, John Moran, to continue to build on Georgia's close friendship with this county. The group met with several companies interested in exploring opportunities to enter the market through Southeast Georgia. World Trade Center Savannah is delighted to have made such strong connections during the trade mission and looks forward to the continued conversations to come. Read More

Cander Co., Georgia receives recognition

August 30, 2024 - In the most recent edition of Site Selection Magazine, Candler County was ranked No. 6 in the U.S. for Best Economic Performance per Capita. Site Selection's recognition of America's Best Counties for economic development performance on one level is a measure of the capital investment they attracted in 2023 and through the first quarter of the year. On another level, it's an opportunity to credit counties and their personnel who work tirelessly to attract projects and to help grow investment already in place. "This is a very proud moment in my career as an Economic Developer," said Candler County Industrial Authority Executive Director Hannah Mullins. "Designations such as this require efficient teamwork from the federal level to the local level. You can't just do this anywhere. I am thankful for those teammates who have had a big hand in making this happen. Existing and new businesses cannot thrive without basic growth." Read More

King and Queen of the Netherlands Visit Savannah

July 19, 2024 - King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands visited the State of Georgia in June with programming scheduled in Atlanta and Savannah. The Royal Couple began their tour of Savannah with a stop by City Hall to meet with Mayor Van Johnson and city leaders to explore opportunities for increased partnership. A Dutch business delegation met at Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) for a roundtable discussion focused on sustainable port development and inland connectivity. The king and queen received a port tour by GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch. Savannah State University was also the host of a few symposiums on marine science, cultural heritage and artificial intelligence. The Dutch Royal couple took a tour of SSU's Marine Science Center and other areas of the university campus. The trip culminated with a reception at the Telfair Academy with business leaders from all industries in Savannah. Their visit contributes to the strong economic relations between Georgia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands and furthered civic, educational and cultural initiatives. World Trade Center Savannah was honored to support the visit with planning and logistical support with the advance teams and our local partners. Read More

Wexford Savannah's Irish Pub to open in Savannah

July 19, 2024 - Savannah, Georgia has a new establishment in town called Wexford Savannah's Irish Pub which promises to delight locals and visitors alike with an authentic Irish experience offered nowhere else in the Lowcountry. Schedule to open to the public next week, the three-story building is in the heart of Savannah's historic district and will offer Irish cuisine and live music indoors or alfresco. The pub was inspired by and named after County Wexford, Ireland, to which Savannah has a special connection since more than half of Georgia's Irish emigrants traveled here from Wexford in the mid-1800s during the potato famine. In fact, most of the interior of the new establishment was crafted and shipped over from the emerald isle itself and assembled in Savannah. In addition to the brick-and-mortar authenticity of the pub, the soul of the new venue will be in its culinary offerings and beverage menu. Read More

WTCSav names International Business of the Year

June 3, 2024 - World Trade Center Savannah (WTCSav) hosted its fifth annual Prosperity Through Trade Luncheon Thursday, May 2, in conjunction with World Trade Month. During the luncheon, WTCSav presented the World Trade Center Savannah International Business of the Year Award to Georgia-Pacific’s Brunswick Cellulose pulp and paper mill. The facility, which makes fluff pulp for a variety of consumer uses, has been a staple in Glynn County since 1937 when Brunswick Pulp & Paper first opened as the Southeast’s first pulp mill. Throughout its history, Brunswick Cellulose has remained consistent as one of the largest manufacturing sector employers in the area, employing 650 individuals locally. It is also Glynn County’s biggest taxpayer with more than $3.7 million paid in the current tax year. Georgia-Pacific is among the world’s largest recyclers of paper, metal and plastics. The company, headquartered in Atlanta, operates more than 150 facilities and employs approximately 30,000 people directly and creates more than 80,000 jobs indirectly. “The vision of Georgia-Pacific here is to continue to invest in this facility to make it a world class bio-refinery,” said Brunswick Cellulose Vice President and General Manager Jack Perrett. “That’s where we plan to take the plant – to get to the point where we’re incredibly energy-efficient, basically using no fossil fuels and producing high-quality products with our local resources.” Read More

Oxford Invests over $130 Million in Toombs County

June 3, 2024 - Toombs County Development Authority Chairman Tim Truxel has announced that Oxford Industries is planning to invest over $130 million in a new facility within Toombs County. This new facility is the first phase in the company’s plan to expand their business, as they will construct a new state-ofthe- art, large-scale distribution facility on an almost-50 acre site at the new Toombs County Corporate Center on U.S. Hwy 1 in Lyons. Current employees in the Toombs continued from page County facility will relocate to the new site, and an additional 60 jobs are expected to be created through this expansion. The new facility is planned to support significant distribution and fulfillment capabilities for all of Oxford’s brands while accommodating additional capacity for future expansion opportunities. “We are thrilled Oxford Industries, Inc., chose Toombs County for this milestone business venture,” remarked Truxel. “The Company has been an outstanding corporate citizen in Toombs County since the 1940’s, supporting our local schools, families, and tax base. When they succeed, the entire community succeeds.” Read More

WTCSav welcomes Irish delegations in March

April 30, 2024 - World Trade Center Savannah (WTCSav) hosted three groups in March consisting of 30 individuals from Ireland to celebrate Savannah's 200th St. Patrick's Day Parade. Apart from the Irish festivities, the three groups, consisting of delegations from Wexford County, Limerick County and a diplomatic delegation from Dublin including Irish Minister Peter Burke and Consul General of Ireland in Atlanta Caoimhe Ní Chonchúir, were able to participate in a number of networking and business obligations during their time in Savannah. Georgia Ports Authority, the soon-to-be-open Wexford Irish Pub, Kehoe Iron Works, affordable housing in Savannah, the Enmarket Arena and Georgia Southern University were at the top of the touring list. Each group also had an opportunity to meet with Savannah Mayor Van R. Johnson II and everyone was also able to attend mass at Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade and participate in the Jasper Green Ceremony. The World Trade Center Savannah team is proud to manage the agendas for the group. Visits like these are critical in strengthening WTCSav's partnership with Ireland, exploring opportunities for future collaboration and building upon the foundation between the two regions and their shared cultural history. Read More

Georgia Ports Authority preparing for growth

April 30, 2024 - The Georgia Ports Authority hosted their 55th annual 2024 Georgia International Trade Conference. The event brings customers, business partners and industry leaders together to discuss the latest maritime and logistics industry developments and trends. India was one of the key topics discussed on conference panels. The India government is investing billions in port and transportation infrastructure to attract more foreign direct investment, improve supply chains and get the country ready for the future. With the largest population in the world now, overtaking China in 2023 – many companies are expanding their India activities. Major brands like Apple, Walmart, Samsung, Tesla and others are actively pursuing growth strategies to target India as they look to diversify sourcing locations in Southeast Asia. Four services a week connect India with Savannah and eight services a week connect the Indian Subcontinent. Even with vessel diversions around Africa, Georgia Ports is 3-5 days faster than U.S. West Coast ports. With more than $4.5B in infrastructure projects planned in port and intermodal infrastructure over the next decade, Georgia Ports is investing in projects to enhance what Georgia Ports President and CEO Griff Lynch described as the four key components to a successful port operation: Berth space, yard capacity, trucking gate fluidity and intermodal connectivity. Read More

City of Savannah signs MOU with Accra, Ghana

February 29, 2024 - The City of Savannah and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly from Ghana signed a partner city agreement on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at City Hall. The virtual signing ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Accra, Elizabeth K.T. Sackey, the Mayor of Savannah, Van R. Johnson II, as well as other dignitaries representing both cities. Accra and Savannah, which have a long-standing shared vision for a sustainable, inclusive, and diverse future, will establish a formal partnership through the agreement which will encourage the exchange of information and cooperation in various sectors including history, culture, urban planning, education, environmental justice and protection, healthcare, tourism, communications, and trade and investment. “This incredible agreement is years in the making, and we are excited to finally partner with our friends in Accra, Ghana.” Mayor Van R. Johnson II said. “As an international city, our international partnerships strengthen cooperation between our cities and citizens, acknowledging the history and culture we share while building towards a better future together.” The agreement outlines a number of priorities which the two cities’ leadership pledge to collaborate on including the establishment of friendly relations and improved knowledge between citizens of the two regions. World Trade Center Savannah, a proactive international business and trade development organization that helps businesses in southeast Georgia grow internationally, identified Ghana as a strategic target market for trade and foreign direct investment opportunities in Africa. These initiatives combined with a business trade mission to Accra, Ghana, in April 2023 for the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) General Assembly helped spur the creation of the Greater Savannah Ghana Alliance with Mayor Van R. Johnson II’s leadership. The goal of the Greater Savannah Ghana Alliance is to foster effective communication, meaningful relationships and a community approach to partner-city exchange between Savannah and Ghana. “As we celebrate the MOU between Savannah and Accra, we acknowledge the pivotal role played by the 2023 WTCA General Assembly (GA) hosted by WTC Accra. This gathering served as the culmination of years of effort to establish a genuine partnership between these two cities, further advancing the great work that has been ongoing. The discussions and meetings during last year’s GA, now named the Global Business Forum (GBF), were instrumental in cementing their mutual goals,” said John E. Drew, Chair, WTCA Board of Directors. “We are greatly encouraged by the establishment of such connections at our events, as they align perfectly with WTCA’s mission of connecting businesses globally. We hope to see more of these relationships blossom, yielding mutual benefits for all involved parties.” This milestone marks the efforts of two decades of exploration and support in part facilitated by community stakeholders and WTCSav. World Trade Center Savannah is a member of WTCA, a global network of more than 300 World Trade Centers in nearly 100 countries, which has been instrumental in promoting trade and investment opportunities between Ghana and North America. Read More

Savannah Music Festival to host global artists

February 29, 2024 - The annual Savannah Music Festival, known for its unique programming of jazz, classical and American and global roots music programs presented in venues across Savannah's unique National Historic Landmark District, is preparing to launch its 2024 season on Thursday, March 28. During the 17-day festival, top artists from around the world will converge in Savannah. The star-studded international lineup features Afro-Cuban jazz pioneer Chucho Valdez, Portuguese Fado guitarist Marta Pereira da Costa, esteemed Irish group Dervish, a collaboration by Malian kora virtuoso Ballake Sissoko and South African guitarist Derek Gripper, GRAMMY Award-winning Malian Wassoulou singer Oumou Sangare, Indian tabla virtuoso Ustad Zakir Hussain's TISRA project, Flamenco dancer Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca's Searching for Goya and two dance parties with Cuban powerhouse ensemble Orquesta Akokan, among others. For more information, to purchase tickets and to view the entire 2024 season lineup, visit http://www.savannahmusicfestival.org/upcoming. Read More