With a strategic review and incentives guidelines expected to be completed shortly, the Liberty County Development Authority touted several accomplishments over the recent year.
Marcus Sack, a member of the LCDA, called 2024 a “landmark year” for the development authority, beginning with the hiring of new chief executive officer Brynn Grant. Grant, a Liberty County native, had been president of the United Way of the Coastal Empire and spent more than 20 years with the Savannah Economic Development Authority.
“Brynn is a visionary leader with decades of experience,” Sack said.
The LCDA’s year was capped with the start of work at Seohan in Tradeport East. The tier 1 supplier to the Hyundai metaplant began with 44 employees and has plans to employ more than 180 people as it expands.
“Make no mistake, the Liberty County Development Authority’s mission is to create quality jobs in Liberty County,” Sack said, “and we’re successful at it. Liberty County is poised for even greater growth. We’re working on a strategic plan and critical infrastructure improvements across our county to continue that success.”
In speaking to the Liberty County Chamber of Commerce’s Progress Through People luncheon, Grant said the LCDA has been busy “fulfilling the promises of all those announcements and expansions.”
While Tradeport East gets much of the attention, the LCDA has been working on its Hinesville Technology Park and its Midway Industrial Park, Grant noted. The LCDA has signed leases for two tenants at one of its buildings in the Hinesville Technology Park, the former home of C-Tech.
The LCDA also has been working on bringing the old FloraPharm facility back to marketability.
“We also have spent a lot of time renovating and updating the facilities that are in Hinesville Technology Park,” Grant said. “Our focus hasn’t just been on Tradeport East or the advancement of Tradeport West. I believe you will be excited to see some activity and movement in those two areas real soon.”
The LCDA also received one of the first Governor’s Rural Site Development Initiative Grant, a $2 million award for site readiness improvements, including construction of an access road, at Tradeport West.
“That is going to be very, very important to our future,” Grant said.
The LCDA, with assistance from Boyette Strategic Advisors, is planning on releasing its community survey results later this month. The survey, with more than 400 respondents, started in August.
“You are all seeing the growth of this region and its impact on this county too,” Grant said. “Our question going forward is how are we going to respond. We had over 400 people share their thoughts on where we are and where we want to be. Using that information and combining it with the expertise of Boyette Strategic Advisors, we have been working on our plan for the next three to five years.”
Sack said he went to the 100th anniversary celebration for SEDA and talked with Jesse Coles, the man behind the Savannah Bananas baseball team. He recalled a talk he had three years ago with Coles, as the Bananas began and before they embarked on their World Bananas Tour and Banana ball, which is selling out stadiums across the country.
“What stood out in our conversation wasn’t just his charisma or creativity,” Sack said. “It was his relentless commitment to pushing through obstacles and perseverance and a refusal to give up when things get tough.
“It echoes something I had seen time and time again and that’s success rarely comes easy,” Sack continued. “It’s forged in moments of doubt; grit and persistence and a belief in something larger than yourself. Persistence isn’t just about surviving the tough times. It’s about thriving as a result of it.”
Sack also offered simple advice from Coles — “swing hard in case you hit it,” he said.
“That captures the spirit of what we do at M.E. Sack Engineering and also what the Liberty County Development Authority does,” he said.