seda annual report 2022
Over the past 10 years, World Trade Center Savannah (WTCSav) has evolved to meet the needs of our partners and Coastal Georgia but our mission still stands true:
World Trade Center Savannah (WTCSav) enjoyed a year of busier-than-normal schedules, flights to catch and visitors to greet and a full calendar of programs and events.
With a hastier new reality, WTCSav was presented with an abundance of opportunities to forward its mission of creating jobs and attracting investment by helping to facilitate foreign direct investment opportunities for the Southeast Georgia region.
With mandates officially lifted and a spike in travel across the globe, WTCSav kicked off the first quarter with a three-pronged visit from its Irish counterparts in March. The team welcomed nearly 30 delegates from Limerick City and County Council, Wexford County Council, Wexford Enterprise Association, the Consulate General of Ireland in Atlanta and the government of Ireland represented by Irish Minister for Justice Helen McEntee. All groups joined the Jasper Green Parade and ceremony, walked in the Savannah St. Patrick’s Day parade and met with various business and community leaders in the greater Savannah region.
In true WTCSav fashion, the year ended much like it began – with a focus on WTCSav’s partnership with Ireland and the TradeBridge initiative, which aims to create new trade opportunities between Southeast Ireland and Southeast Georgia and shepherd partnerships with and around businesses in Southeast Ireland. In November, the WTCSav team packed up and spent a week in Southeast Ireland working and planning for the future of TradeBridge. Just a month later, TradeBridge CEO Claire McInerney Brown paid her first visit to Savannah along with a prospective Irish company to continue the momentum.
The in-between months were full of guests from all around the globe including visitors from the UK, Canada, Austria, Israel, Japan, South Korea and Germany.
A special highlight of 2022 was welcoming new Director of Research and Trade Development Chris Ahearn to the WTCSav team in August. Ahearn jumped right into the fun with an influx of trade service requests to attend to. Trade service projects were up 54% in 2022 resulting in a total of 83 completed. Trade service hours increased as well from 485 in 2021 to 501 hours completed for partners in 2022. Like years past, the requests remained diverse – the team connected fruit suppliers with companies interested in importing fruit juices, assisted international organizations on the hunt for yellow pine, connected local companies with identifying commercial truck drivers and researched solar panel manufacturing to name a few. The requests are no surprise, however, when considering WTCSav’s diverse array of 58 partners in 16 counties across Southeast Georgia.
Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 104, which WTCSav is the grantee of, supported 21 companies operating within FTZ 104 in 2022. The FTZ program expedites and encourages foreign commerce by lowering the costs of U.S.-based operations engaged in international trade thus providing a secure, efficient and profitable way to compete effectively in domestic and global markets.
A major accomplishment of 2022 was receiving Premier Accreditation from World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) – a global network of more than 300 highly-connected, mutually supportive businesses and organizations across nearly 100 countries. World Trade Center Savannah was only the second world trade center in North America to achieve this accreditation.
“When World Trade Center Savannah originally received its license 10 years, ago the team was very quick to earn their certification through WTCA because it signified that the Savannah office was a legitimate and premier organization,” said WTCSav Board Chairwoman Laura Moore. “When WTCA announced the new accreditation process, World Trade Center Savannah took the necessary steps to become accredited immediately. The strength of WTCA lies in the efforts of each individual World Trade Center, and this process ensures that every organization is operating at an exceptional standard and also allows world trade centers to tell their partners across the globe what services they offer.”
World Trade Center Savannah hosted 18 Global Education Programs and events with a total of 465 participants, a jump from 15 programs with 251 participants in 2021. One of those programs was the newly launched WTCSav Global Leadership Program which focused on strategic management in a global environment and understanding international regulations and requirements. Seven executive leaders received certificates. Additionally, WTCSav hosted a two-part series titled “2022 Planning for the Global Supply Chain” which focused on helping companies boost efficiency in the global supply chain, manage the freight market, determine the best transportation method and implement short- and long-term solutions to ensure resilience and continuity. Lastly, WTCSav partnered with both the U.S. Trade and Development Agency and the U.S. Commercial Service to offer “Business Opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa” as Africa is home to one of the fastest-growing economies and the largest free trade area in the world.
“Anatolia Tile + Stone made a commitment to come to Savannah not just to remain at their original size, but to grow. And I’m hearing that they have bigger plans for the Savannah area as a whole. We have a great partnership with Anatolia and they’re a great company to do business with.”
– Stacy Watson, Georgia Ports Authority Director of Economic and Industrial Development
In May, World Trade Center Savannah (WTCSav) announced that Anatolia Tile + Stone was the recipient of the 2022 World Trade Center Savannah International Business of the Year award.
The award was given during the third annual Prosperity Through Trade Luncheon that featured internationally respected demographer Ken Gronbach as the keynote speaker.
Anatolia Tile + Stone is a 100% Canadian-based and family-run leading importer and distributor of ceramic and stone and is a major supplier to some of the largest distributors throughout the United States and Canada. Anatolia Tile + Stone opened two distribution centers in Savannah including a 400,000 square-foot facility that opened in April 2019 and a 1,000,000 square-foot facility that opened in November 2020. The award was presented by Georgia Southern University’s President Dr. Kyle Marrero.
“Anatolia Tile + Stone made a commitment to come to Savannah not just to remain at their original size, but to grow,” said Georgia Ports Authority Director of Economic and Industrial Development Stacy Watson. “And I’m hearing that they have bigger plans for the Savannah area as a whole. We have a great partnership with Anatolia and they’re a great company to do business with.”
Given annually, the World Trade Center Savannah International Business of the Year award recognizes companies that excel in international trade and acknowledges the importance of trade to the region’s economy. This year’s award was sponsored by Georgia Southern University.
This award is presented to encourage and recognize exemplary corporate leadership for international business or trade that advances relations between the U.S. and other nations as well as creates quality jobs in the region.
In 2022, MAP International was also recognized at the luncheon for their outstanding work in the Southeast Georgia region. MAP International makes a difference by providing life-changing supplies and medicine to millions around the globe right from their warehouse in Brunswick.
“I had polio when I was a kid and I know what it’s like to live in a developing country with a disability,” said MAP International President and CEO Steve Stirling. “We are so blessed in this country because we have access to healthcare, and I can recall the people I’ve met in the field that we’ve helped – a mother with a little girl who would not have made it without MAP providing something as simple as antibiotics.”
While non-profit organizations aren’t eligible to receive the award, MAP International makes too big of a difference in our region to go unnoticed.