Flooring poured for the new building in Tradeport East Business Center is starting to show the scope of the 1.4 million square foot project. Home Meridian International, part of Hooker Furniture, will occupy most of the building. The 1.5 million SF Target distribution center is in the background. (R.B. Baker Construction photo by AerialPhotosElite.com)
The footprint of a new, 1.4 million square-foot building in Tradeport East Business Center is taking shape, Carmen Cole, Director of Finance and Project Development with the Liberty County Development Authority, said at last month’s Progress Through People Luncheon.
And, she added, Hooker Furniture hopes to have its Home Meridian International distribution center in 800,000 SF of the building by early 2022. The building’s developer, Safavieh Development Group, will continue to market the remainder of the building.
“It’s going to bring at least 50 jobs into the county,” Cole said of the HMI’s $23.5 million investment.
LCDA and Marcus E Sack Engineering sponsored the Jan. 28 Liberty County Chamber of Commerce luncheon, which also featured a State of the Port address by Georgia Port Authority’s Director of Economic and Industrial Development Stacy Watson.
Cole’s part of the program highlighted the LCDA’s 2020 accomplishments:
* Increased employment, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, at several local industries including the Target distribution center that jumped from about 800 to more than 1,200, and the opening of three industries, Balta US, Western Power Sports and Marine Container South, which aim to add about 200 jobs.
* Facility improvements, including a $2.3 million contract to erect a 500,000-gallon water tower in Tradeport East, and the addition of 12 hangars at MidCoast Regional Airport in conjunction with the city of Hinesville and Liberty County.
* Passage of a referendum that will extend the state’s Freeport Tax Exemption to inventories at e-commerce fulfillment centers. Cole noted that the Chamber and County Board of Commissioners helped LCDA get the issue on the ballot and the populace informed of its importance. She thanked residents for passing the measure that makes the county more attractive to industry.
* A positive audit that noted a 20-to-1 return on investment when comparing payroll generated by the new companies to tax abatements provided by the LCDA. The $4.3 million of abatements on real and personal property proffered by the LCDA were substantially dwarfed by the $86.1 million in new payrolls generated by companies receiving the abatements.
During his part of the program, Watson said that despite the pandemic, activity at GPA’s main operation in Savannah had increased during the year.
“We’ve managed to bounce back,” he said, noting a 2% increase during the year.
He also praised the LCDA and county for its work in attracting industry, noting that counties across the area had vied to attract the recently announced HMI distribution center in Tradeport East.