Page 10 - Port Wentworth NCG 2011

• Economic development
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Port Wentworth is a

community that can be
defined by “four C’s:”
commerce, convenience,
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comfort, and cotton.

Economic Development

h djacent to one of the busiest • Industries than 286,476 jobs throughout the
h A seaports on the East Coast, With 63% of its land available for state annually and contribute $14.9

Port Wentworth, like its big
revenue, and $2.8 billion in state and
sister Savannah, was founded on com- development, Port Wentworth is a billion in income, $55.8 billion in
potential gold mine for manufacturing
merce. Conveniently located at Exit facilities or other major development. local taxes to Georgia’s economy.
109 off I-95, the city is also just min- The Mitsubishi turbine plant coming
utes from I-16, the border of South to the Pooler megasite (announced • Imperial Sugar® Company
Carolina, and the Savannah/Hilton in late 2009) and the reconstruction Imperial Sugar® Company is the
Head International Airport, as well as of the Imperial Sugar Refinery have producer of products under the labels
the exciting port of Savannah. led other national and international of Imperial Pure Cane Sugar®, Dixie
With four railroads also criss-crossing companies to take notice of Port Crystal®, and Holly®. It is the largest
the area, it’s convenient to transport- Wentworth. The list of companies that processor and refiner of sugar in the
ing people and goods to and from Port currently make Port Wentworth or the United States.
Wentworth and the surrounding area. surrounding area their home reads like Following an industrial accident in
Its climate, conducive to growing a “Who’s Who” of the corporate world. February 2008, reconstruction began
cotton (the area’s original industry) Following is a partial list: on Imperial Sugar’s Port Wentworth
and other crops, remains comfortable • California Cartage Company refinery using state-of-the-art tech-
all year round, thanks to the nearby • Georgia Ports Authority nology. Early in 2010, the extensive
Atlantic Ocean breezes. • Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation rebuild project at this refinery was
• IKEA Distribution Center completed successfully. The facility,
• More Growth is Coming! • Imperial Sugar featuring three new 156-foot-tall sugar
Based on residential building per- • International Paper silos, is once again fully operational.
mits, Port Wentworth is deemed to be • Noritake, Inc.
the fastest-growing city in Chatham • Target Distribution Center • Labor Force
County. Since 2000, its population • Weyerhauser It’s no wonder that so many big
has grown 3.11% to an estimated companies are located here in Port
4,167 people in 2009. Port Wentworth Georgia Ports Authority – Port of Wentworth and Chatham County, with
also boasts having the most available Savannah the brainpower coming out of Savan-
land to develop in Chatham County The Georgia Ports Authority is a lead- nah’s 21 colleges and universities. Of
at a whopping 63%. er in the operation of modern termi- the 126,830 employed persons in Cha-
In the past few years, Exit 109 has nals that deliver goods to national and tham County, more than 14% of them
grown considerably and now has 12 global markets. The Port of Savannah have a college degree, and nearly 30%
hotels/motels with 805 guest rooms. specializes in handling container, re- have some college education.
Additionally, the increase in casual frigerated, breakbulk and RoRo cargoes
dining options at this exit, and the (tractors, buses and trucks, or oversized • Inventory (Freeport)
opening of the Effingham Family cargo loaded on special trailers). Chatham County exempts 100% on
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Medicine facility, have increased the at- Georgia’s deepwater ports and all classes of certain business inven-
traction of our neighborly municipality. inland barge terminals support more tory from property taxation.

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Port Wentworth Community Guide 2011-2012 • www.visitportwentworth.com • 912-965-1999