SEDA Chairman of the Board of Directors (2015-2017) Steve Green, SEDA COO Brynn Grant and SEDA President and CEO Trip Tollison at the 2017 SEDA Annual Meeting.

SEDA Annual Meeting

On Jan. 5, 2017, SEDA held its Annual Meeting to a sold-out crowd of 700 people, including 50 area high school students. The meeting featured keynote speaker, Greg Bell, author of Water the Bamboo: Unleashing the Potential of Teams and Individuals. Bell has worked with companies like Nike, Disney, Comcast as well as athletic teams like the Portland Trailblazers, the Oregon Ducks football team and the Gonzaga Bulldogs basketball program.

Also, during the meeting, SEDA presented its 2016 highlights.

World Trade Center Savannah’s Chairman Scott Center and Diana Morrison at SEDA’s Annual Meeting.

2017 SEDA Annual Meeting speaker Greg Bell addresses the audience.

SEDA COO Brynn Grant accepts the award for "multi-year economic development programs" from the International Economic Development Council.

SEDA recognized for entertainment production strategy

At the International Economic Development Council annual meeting in Toronto, Canada, SEDA was honored to accept the silver award for "multi-year economic development programs" on behalf of everyone involved in the effort to grow Savannah's film and television industry.

The award recognized SEDA's strategy and the effort of so many that has resulted in the dramatic increase in entertainment production in the area over the past three years. It noted the valuable partnership of the City of Savannah, Chatham County and SEDA in the creation of a Savannah Area Film Office.

Savannah manufacturers recognized by the SEDA staff and board of directors.

Manufacturers recognized for commitment to Savannah

At the December SEDA Board of Directors meeting, four manufacturers were recognized for their success and years in Savannah, including Derst Baking Company (150 years), Oglethorpe Marble and Granite (110 years), Imperial Sugar Plant (100 years) and Guerry Lumber (90 years).

Georgia Port Authority’s Senior Director of Economic Development & Governmental Affairs Bart Gobeil and SEDA President and CEO Trip Tollison address the media during the Foreign Press Center briefing.

NYC Media Trip

For the fifth straight year, SEDA has taken the Savannah story to New York City. This year’s the focus was on the Port of Savannah and the impact and growth on our community. The team held desk-side visits with the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Bloomberg News and others. In addition, SEDA and port representatives presented at the Foreign Press Center that included media from Korea, China, Finland and more.

Savannah’s The Salt Table was featured in the 2017 SEDA St. Patrick’s Day mailer.

St. Patrick’s Day 2017

In observance of the varied opportunities prospects can find in Savannah, along with the city’s world-renowned Saint Patrick’s Day festivities, SEDA spiced it up in 2017 for the annual St. Patrick’s Day mailer. The mailer included two enclosed signature blends from Savannah’s The Salt Table – Savannah Shamrock Blend and All Round Good Grinder. The mailer brings top-of-mind into full focus by featuring a locally made Savannah product, St. Patrick’s Day, one of the biggest celebrations of the year for Savannah, and the advantages of doing business in our region.

The Savannah Manufacturing Center was featured in the 2017 Thanksgiving mailer.

Thanksgiving 2017

The annual SEDA Thanksgiving mailer looked a little different in 2017. The mailer, along with thanking our partners and those that work with us every day, also featured SEDA’s Savannah Manufacturing Center. The mailer was a perfect opportunity to let our key target audience and partners know about the new industrial park that is coming on line in Savannah.

Savannah based Byrd Cookie Company.

Byrd Cookie (Project Chocolate Chip)

In 1924, Ben T. Byrd, Sr. began baking small batches of cookies from his bakery in Savannah, packing them in wooden crates, and personally delivering them to neighborhood markets in his Model T Ford. The cookies were soon christened, “Byrd’s Famous Cookies,” and steadily gained popularity not only locally, but also among visitors who discovered the delicious confections while visiting Savannah.

Today, run by granddaughter, Stephanie Lindley, the company employs nearly 100 people, has five locations and is available at Delta Sky Clubs, Universal Studios and Neiman Marcus Department Stores.

So when contemplating an expansion, the state of Missouri approached Byrd with a sweet deal to lure the company to their state. SEDA knew they had to step in to help keep the company here in Chatham County.

Working on a tight deadline, SEDA partnered with the Georgia Department of Economic Development to meet the needs of the company, who wanted to increase production by 500 percent within four years.

Looking at the most pressing needs of Byrd, which included property tax savings, an equipment grant, a CAT route expansion for second shift employees and possible job-tax credits, SEDA and the state were able to make connections and offer a package to keep Byrd in Savannah.

“SEDA is a terrific silent warrior for the Savannah area. They rolled up their sleeves…in order to keep Byrd and our expansion here... I’m deeply grateful for their support and encouragement.”

Stephanie Lindley, Byrd Famous Cookie Company

9 Line Apparel’s ribbon cutting included Georgia Governor Nathan Deal.

Nine Line Apparel (Project Nine)

In 2015, Nine Line Apparel approached SEDA about looking for a permanent home. Before that time, they had gone from a garage to a house to a 20,000 square foot facility. They were currently at 56 employees and expected to grow to more than 100 in the next year. Since 2014, Nine Line Apparel has grown at an astounding rate of 4,401.8 percent, placing the company at number 85 on the Inc. 500’s list of the fastest growing companies in America.

Over the next year and half, a site was identified where Nine Line could purchase the land and build a 50,000 square foot building. Working with SEDA, Thomas and Hutton and Chatham County, plans were completed, which included SEDA submitting a OneGeorgia Equity grant on behalf of the company for $125,000. The equity grant, which was awarded on Dec. 12, 2016, went toward the cost of a water and sewer extension that is vital to the company’s operation. The funds were needed to bridge the gap between the approved loan amount and the cost of the project.

On Oct. 12, Nine Line hosted their ribbon cutting ceremony at 450 Fort Argyle Road. More than 200 guests were in attendance, with a formal color presentation by the Benedictine Color Guard and an immense show of support from the community, including Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. The event included a memorial dedication of seven parking spaces, honoring the memories of six fallen soldiers and one firefighter from the Savannah area. In addition, Nine Line presented a check for $36,000 to the 9/11 Tribute Museum from the sales of Nine Line’s 9/11 Tribute design. The check was accepted on behalf of the museum by former members of the New York Fire Department and former NYPD Commissioner Bernie Kerik.

Products made by Sumoto.

Sumoto (Project Sub)

Connections make the difference. In 2017, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, one of SEDA’s key partners, reached out to our business development team. While attending the Select USA conference in Vincenza, Italy, the GDEcD was approached by the Italian manufacturer, Sumoto, which is owned by the Japanese Ebara Corporation. They were looking to expand in the United States and were interested in Georgia, in particular, Savannah.

SEDA picked up the ball and ran with it. Sumoto was looking for a facility for distribution and light assembly and needed help navigating a location in the United States. During two site visits, SEDA was able to help them with property tours and connecting them with banking, legal, accounting, hiring and supplier contacts. Additionally, we were able get our partners, the Georgia Ports Authority and Georgia Power, involved.

Sumoto left after the second meeting in June 2017 with a site in mind. Since August is a summer holiday in Italy, we all crossed our fingers that the site would remain available. Luck was on our side and the lease was signed in September.

Rendering of Savannah Yacht Center.

Colonial Group Inc. – Savannah Yacht Center (Project Sailfish)

Colonial Group’s President Rob Demere believed Georgia could capture a major portion of the yacht repair and refit business. So much so that he invested $50 million just to convert the former Intermarine shipbuilding yard on Lathrop Avenue into a world-class yacht repair and refit facility. The graving dock could accommodate mega-yachts as large as 450-feet long. The project would be unique to the East coast - pending legislation.

Working with SEDA and the Georgia General Assembly, they endeavored to pass legislation giving yacht owners the same tax incentives that were available in Florida, which was passed on the last day of the 2017 session.

SEDA also was able to provide a 12-year tax abatement on the facility as well as work with City, County and State agencies to improve public access roads and enhance customer and vendor access. An economic impact study conducted for Colonial by Armstrong State University economist Michael Toma found that, when fully operational, the Savannah Yacht Center will support nearly 800 direct and indirect jobs across the state, as well as annual wages of $50 million, tax revenue of $5.5 million and $171 million in economic activity.

The lion’s share of those impacts will be in Chathm County, Toma said.

"Chatham County will account for 85 percent of the jobs, 82 percent of wages and benefits, 84 percent of economic activity and 60 percent of the tax revenue," Toma said in the executive summary of his report, adding that economic impact results arise from construction expenses, facility operations, paint shop work, major refit operations and crew spending while vessels are in the yard.

"These are good jobs, most of which pay upwards of $60,000 and there is tremendous potential beyond that, with up to 800 direct and indirect jobs in play," SEDA President and CEO Trip Tollison said, adding that the project has the added benefit of Colonial Group’s reputation for doing things right.

Demere expects the Savannah Yacht Center to be the East Coast destination of choice for owners of larger yachts and commercial vessels.

When finished, the facility’s graving dock will be able to handle yachts up to 450 feet in length, while a new 3,240-ton ship-lift and rail transfer system will be capable of accommodating more than six very large yachts —approximately 260 feet in length — out of the water simultaneously.

"This facility will be able to handle everything from minor repairs to structural changes and major refitting," Demere said, adding that the shipyard is designed around a holistic concept.

SCAD+ companies presented at a SEDA Board of Directors meeting. Pictured with the companies is SEDA Board of Directors member Kevin Jackson and SEDA Creative Technologies project manager Patrick Bentley.

Creative Tech

In 2017, SEDA continued to advance a proactive marketing and business development plan for the creative technologies industry.

The effort included sponsoring coding boot camps hosted by Georgia Tech Savannah and Codebase. These boot camps offer immersive training programs to help participants advance or secure employment in the computer programming field.

SEDA also partnered with Code for America to host the first area-wide Hackathon and sponsored Global Game Jam, an event that now boasts more than 150 attendees.

Late in the year, SEDA’s Patrick Bentley joined a group of Savannah advocates to press a Georgia Senate study committee to name Savannah as a technology corridor. Bentley presented to the committee and helped make the case for Savannah. The designation, which was made official in January 2018, could be a great asset in helping attract creative technology companies and investment in Savannah.

SCAD+ Creative Director Scott Brown at the SEDA and SCAD announcement.

SCAD+

On November 21, the Savannah Economic Development Authority and the Savannah College of Art and Design announced a groundbreaking partnership created to help SCAD alumni develop commercially viable digital products and advance Savannah’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Called SCAD+, the groundbreaking program supports talented SCAD alumni, many having been recognized nationally and internationally with professional association awards, to bring their commercial concepts to reality in Savannah. The projects will focus on gaming, virtual reality, augmented reality and mobile experiences.

SCAD and SEDA will jointly fund the program and will receive a small stake in each successful program project. SEDA’s share of any future revenues will be used to create and grow a sustained funding source to support creative technology start-ups in Savannah.

At the announcement, SEDA Board of Directors Chairman Steve Green said, "It has long been a goal of the SEDA staff and board of directors to develop strategies for incubating and growing companies directly related to this unique pipeline of talent at SCAD. This program marks one of the most meaningful and necessary investments ever made toward those goals."

At the time of the announcement, SCAD Savannah’s Vice President and SCAD+ advisory board member John Paul Rowan said, "The SCAD+ program is a prime example of how SCAD fosters innovation, particularly in emerging fields such as virtual and augmented reality. We are proud to cultivate an environment where SCAD alumni can develop projects with a lasting global impact. Savannah has never been more poised to support creative companies than it is today."

SCAD+ is the first year-long entrepreneurial program that directly addresses the demand for creative content and sophisticated technology. SCAD is the preeminent leader in preparing its students for careers in creative fields. They were the first university to use VR technology in acceptance letters and AR technology in a college course catalog, advancing the college admission process on an international scale.

Nine alumni have been selected from hundreds of applications by the SCAD+ Advisory Board to participate in the program. Working in teams of four, the alumni are provided with a living space, work studio, and an incremental stipend over the course of 12 months. The inaugural SCAD+ program will culminate on Demo Day, when each group will present their concepts to potential investors.

Green added, "SCAD is the key asset that differentiates Savannah from our competitors. SEDA would like to thank John Paul Rowan for his vision and leadership in bringing this initiative into reality. We are grateful to him and SEDA for their creativity, talent and collaboration that will take this “coding cradle” out into the international marketplace."

Entertainment Production

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The Royal Palm Motel on Tybee Island, becomes the Emerald Shores Motel for the feature film Galveston.

Another banner year for Entertainment Production

The Savannah Area Film Office, a partnership with the Savannah Economic Development Authority, the City of Savannah and Chatham County reported another banner year in 2017 with a direct spend of more than $65,000,000, which multiplies to a $137,926,690.56 economic impact on the Savannah area.

Feature films such as Galveston, Peanut Butter Falcon, Killerman and Hallmark’s Love at the Shore chose Savannah in 2017. In addition, the United Kingdom TV series, Living the Dream, filmed in Savannah. The end of 2017 capped off an incredible year with Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp filming its opening sequence in our city.

The Savannah Entertainment Production and Crew incentives continued to help build a sustainable industry. The production incentive, typically coupled with the state of Georgia tax credits, was impactful in driving larger productions to the area while 14 new crew incentives were awarded.

“It was just extraordinary, working in Savannah. When we made a phone call, the locals...made things happen. That’s from the police department to the school district and everyone in the community.”

Deborah Moore, Producer of Daisy Winters

Local crew members set up a mounted camera rig on the feature film Galveston.

MovieMaker magazine makes it two years in a row

In 2017, for the second year in a row, MovieMaker magazine named Savannah number one in their annual ranking “Best Small Places and Towns to Live and Work as a Moviemaker.”

In reference to Savannah, MovieMaker magazine states, “...For one, an impressive armada of features took to the cobblestone streets (lined by giant oak trees covered with Spanish moss). On the major side, there was Paramount’s Baywatch, the TV sensation-turned-blockbuster; on the indie side the list goes on: Lizzie, with Chloe Sevigny as Lizzie Borden; horror film Mara with Olga Kurylenko; John Cusack thriller Misfortune; the William H. Macy-directed Krystal; comedies The Divorce Party and Coup D’etat… Elsewhere, in the TV realm, Underground shot its second season, and Tyler Perry’s Savannah-set soap opera The Haves and the Have Nots shot its fifth season, among other scripted and reality shows. All told, that’s $62 million in estimated expenditure.”

In the article, local moviemaker Samone Norsworthy (producer and director of My Brother’s Keeper) says you can make a living here once you tap into the intimate film circle. “I’m proof positive of that statement—I returned to my hometown of Savannah from L.A. four years ago and have been working here consistently ever since. It’s a tight community; we look out for one another.”

The article goes on to note the Georgia Film Academy, the Savannah College of Art and Design and its Savannah Film Festival as well as the growing production services such as Savannah Film Factory and River Oaks Film Studios as additional reasons for Savannah being named number one.