Letters

There is no doubt that the past two years will be remembered as years of hard work, accomplishments and progress in the Savannah region.

The 2022 Hyundai Motor Group announcement continued to be the talk of the town and dominate headlines. Anyone who has headed toward Atlanta on  Interstate 16 has been wowed by the speed of construction and the sheer size of Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA). And even before one car has been produced, they grew, announcing on Aug. 31, 2023, that Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution would be investing an additional $2 billion in capital investment and creating an additional 400 new jobs which brings the total capital investment to $7.59 billion and 8,500 new jobs.

To date, 17 Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant suppliers have been announced in the State of Georgia. Three of those suppliers announced in 2023 that they would be locating in the Savannah Chatham Manufacturing Center. Seoyon E-HWA, PHA and Daechang Seat Savannah Corp. will bring more than $215 million in capital investment and 1,642 new jobs.

But it is not just HMGMA that is driving economic development in our region. Focused on our international efforts, World Trade Center Savannah led the second largest trade delegation to one of our target countries, Accra, Ghana, for the World Trade Centers Association General Assembly. We also continued to advance our efforts in Ireland through the TradeBridge program, leading a delegation focused on economic development, education, tourism and civic engagement in May 2023.

And MovieMaker magazine named Savannah 3^rd in their annual ranking of “Best 10 Small Cities and Towns to Live and Work as a Moviemaker” marking the ninth year in a row that Savannah has been ranked in the top three.

At the SEDA Annual Meeting in January as the gavel was passed to Kay Ford, I could not help but reflect on my time as chair. The past two years have been a privilege and I thank the board of directors, staff and the community for your support.

Paul P. Hinchey
Chairperson, Savannah Economic Development Authority
St. Joseph’s/Candler

If you would have bet me that Hyundai and LG Energy Solution would announce an expansion before their battery plant even opened, I would have bet the house against that prediction. Good thing I didn’t make that bet since a $2 billion expansion was announced last August for the battery facility.

In fact, 2023 was another great year of development announcements totaling $2.6 billion and 3,731 additional job opportunities. 

I, like many, continue to be overwhelmed with the economic growth throughout the region.  It is a lot, and it is happening fast.  To prepare for this activity, SEDA will be spending time and resources to get the Regional Industrial Support Enterprise (“RISE”) up and running. The RISE initiative started in 2023 with the completion of the workforce study and was officially announced in early 2024.

RISE will be available for all industrial customers who need help with future workforce, housing and other needs that we will all face over the next decade. It is crucial that we all get behind this effort, so that we can ensure our expanding industrial base is prosperous which, in turn, provides so many benefits for the entire community. 

At SEDA, we will continue to do all that we can to serve our customers and share all of the good news that is occurring throughout our region to the world. There is no better team to serve with in this effort, and I will always be grateful for their many talents and incredible work ethic.

Here is to a great 2023 and an even better 2024!

Hugh “Trip” Tollison
President and CEO, Savannah Economic Development Authority

The year started off with a lot of excitement considering the news of Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America’s (HMGMA) announcement in 2022 and the addition of the many suppliers that will come to support HMGMA.

World Trade Center Savannah (WTCSav), in partnership with the chambers and economic development organizations from Bryan, Bulloch, Effingham and Chatham Counties, hosted seven sessions in each of the four counties on “Planning for New South Korean Neighbors.” These programs covered all aspects of community life from real estate and education to medical, and the 800+ people in attendance were just as diverse.

World Trade Centers Association hosted in Accra, Ghana, its first in-person General Assembly since 2019 due to the global pandemic, and it was a huge success. Since Ghana is one of WTCSav’s target countries and of great interest to the past and current City of Savannah leadership, it was no surprise that WTCSav led the second largest delegation to this 53^rd General Assembly. I had the pleasure of joining this delegation and experiencing first-hand the vast expanse of this powerful global network. The General Assembly brought together 300 leaders from 40+ countries for business meetings, general networking, industry tours as well as keynote speakers from African business and government including Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana and head of Ghana’s Economic Management Team, and Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). African culture, hospitality and beauty were on full display – it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

The TradeBridge program and efforts throughout Ireland continued to spur activity all year. WTCSav hosted eight civic and business delegations from Dublin, Carlow, Limerick, New Ross, Waterford and Wexford including Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason and Darragh O’Brien, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. WTCSav also led a delegation to Ireland in May which included time in Dublin and the Southeast, meeting with business, tourism, higher education and civic leadership. 

As my time as Chairperson ends, I reflect on the organization after a decade of involvement. WTCSav has continued to strive toward its mission of supporting companies as they explore and expand their business interests outside of the U.S. They have welcomed over 1000 civic and business leaders from around the world to the Savannah region leaving lasting impressions about our city, opportunities and people. Their internship program continues to bring young and impressive talent into the organization sharing real-world experiences, exposure to delegates from all around the globe, participation in staff and board meetings, industry and networking opportunities, research which can be part of a portfolio to catapult them into their next professional opportunity and so much more.  

It has been a true pleasure serving on the WTCSav Board of Directors as Chairperson and working so closely with the staff. I appreciate the Savannah Economic Development Authority Board of Directors and my fellow board members from throughout the region for their continued support and allowing me this privilege. While my new title is past chair I will still be involved and supportive of WTCSav’s goals and mission continuing to drive economic prosperity and opportunity to this region and I look forward to what is ahead and what is to come.

Laura Moore
Chairperson, World Trade Center Savannah
Bank South