SAVANNAH, GA, USA – On June 2-3, World Trade Center Savannah (WTC Savannah), in collaboration with Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), hosted more than a dozen members of Cargo Montreal (CargoM), the logistics and transportation metropolitan cluster of Montreal, Canada. The event provided an opportunity for the Canadian delegation to learn more about the logistics model of Savannah, Georgia and the opportunities which exist due in large part to the strong and evolving infrastructure.

The event began with a presentation on the Savannah economy, highlighting Savannah’s key industries, assets and services provided by the Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA) and WTC Savannah. The delegation then toured the Port of Savannah where they learned more about the fastest growing and fourth largest port in the nation. The afternoon wrapped up with briefings and tours of the various industrial parks in Savannah followed by an evening networking reception at the Chart House Restaurant.

The following morning included two roundtable discussions. During the first discussion, members of established businesses shared their experience in setting up new operations in Savannah. The business representatives shared the importance of the existing infrastructure to support long-term growth as well as the benefits of being part of a community that works together. The second discussion included representatives of programs in workforce development. CargoM learned about the steps which have been taken to give young adults real business experiences through programs like the Maritime Logistics Education Task Force (MLET). MLET offers paid internships and job-shadowing programs to seniors in high-school. Through MLET, local logistics businesses have seen greater interest from students wanting to pursue logistics as a profession. Other discussions were held about the programs which are currently in place to support and develop the workforce in Savannah.

For additional information on this article, please contact Kathleen Henry, Research Specialist/Trade Services Assistant at WTC Savannah, at khenry@wtcsavannah.org.

(PHOTO: John Petrino, Director of Business Development at Georgia Ports Authority, presenting to CargoM)