Economic Development

NEWS - Economic Development

ThincSavannah Launches ‘ThincLocal’ Monthly Showcase Featuring Local Entrepreneurs, Products, Artists and More

April 23, 2013 – ThincSavannah, a creative and collaborative work space located in historic downtown Savannah, recently added “ThincLocal” to its ongoing collaborative efforts to promote local entrepreneurs, businesses and economic development in Savannah.

“Each month ThincLocal will feature a new entrepreneur, product, artist and a range of unique locally owned and operated businesses at ThincSavannah,” said Summer Teal Simpson, creative and social director at ThincSavannah. “We are passionate about building awareness for businesses within the community and will continue to enhance our efforts to support the buy-local philosophy.”

For the month of April, ThincLocal will feature Lovelane Designs, a local boutique of handmade creations that includes tea towels, totes, reusable bags, as well as a full line of eco-friendly luxury home goods. Lovelane Design products will be on display and for sale at ThincSavannah.

Lane Huerta, founder of Lovelane Designs, ventured into screen-printing while working with a graphic designer and poster artist in San Francisco. Her combined love of sewing and appliqué design was enhanced with the screen-printing technique and the foundation for her trade was born. Lovelane is committed to sustainability and “upcycling” by creating products made with eco-friendly, water-based inks and dyes on organic and regional materials. Lovelane also prints on vintage fabrics finds from flea markets around the world.

“I loved watching how the layers of colors create an image,” said Huerta, founder of Lovelane Designs. “I quickly ran out and bought a small start-up kit and eventually taught myself. I’m still learning every day.”

After moving to Savannah in 2006 with her husband, Patrick, she has been able to spend more time honing her skills and reconnecting with her Southern roots. A little country, a little rock n’ roll, her work blends refined style with purpose. Lane finds inspiration in the quirkiness of everyday life in Savannah.

“It’s wonderful to find an old grain sack or vintage piece of cloth while traveling and to use it in one of my printed pieces,” she said.  “It creates a one-of-a-kind piece with a history.

For more information about Lovelane Designs, please visit www.lovelanedesigns.com or call 415-378-4474.

ABOUT THINCSAVANNAH:
ThincSavannah, located in the heart of Savannah’s downtown historic district at 35 Barnard Street – Suite 300, is Savannah’s first coworking facility, a creative and collaborative work environment offering prime office space to entrepreneurs, freelancers and small business owners in search of a flexible leasing package customized to their business needs. With 8,100 square feet of office space with panoramic views of the city, ThincSavannah offers a wide range of venue options including a traditional conference room, private office space, a contemporary meeting space and an event space perfect for focus groups, book signings, seminars, training or celebrations. Membership levels include one day passes, month to month memberships and  annual contracts. Rates start as low as $100 a month. For more information, please visit www.ThincSavannah.com or contact Summer Teal Simpson at 912.544.1200 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

NEWS - Economic Development

April 16, 2013 - Savannah’s newest free-standing Chick-fil-A® restaurant will open April 25 bringing 70 new jobs, according to the company, owned by Ann Collins, franchise operator.

The grand opening will feature the chance for 100 adults to win free Chick-fil-A meals for a year and also a cross-promotion to benefit the America's Second Harvest Food Drive. On Wednesday, April 24, with the donation of 5 food items, contributors can earn a coupon for a free chicken sandwich and chicken biscuit. The collection will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

People are also encouraged to camp out at the store location as part of the grand opening celebration, and the first 100 campers will also be engaged in a contest on that drive to further increase the donations. Chick-fil-A’s “First 100” event, which began as a way to celebrate the first free-standing Chick-fil-A in Arizona in 2003, immediately became the cornerstone of every Chick-fil-A grand opening when the first person arrived more than 18 hours the day before, wondering where to get in line. Others soon followed and by the time the restaurant opened for business the next day, more than 100 were waiting.

Humbled and surprised by the dedication of its fans, Chick-fil-A quickly implemented the “First 100” at every grand opening and in the past 10 years has given away more than $18 million in free food at almost 700 grand openings. An additional $2.5 million is slated to be given away at 102 grand openings this year.

The new Savannah restaurant, located at the intersection of E. Victory and Skidaway at 2111 E. Victory Dr., will be the scene of the latest Chick-fil-A grand opening celebration. The first 100 adults, ages 18 and older with identification, in line when the doors open about 6 a.m. on Thursday, April 25, each will win a one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A® Meals (52 coupons with each consisting of a Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, medium Waffle Potato Fries™ and a medium drink) – a total of nearly $30,000 in free food. The line officially opens at 6 a.m., Wednesday, April 24, with the free meal cards being awarded Thursday, April 25, about 6 a.m. The restaurant will open for business immediately thereafter. If there are more than 100 people by 6 a.m. on Wednesday, April 24, all 100 spots will be determined by a raffle held that morning with those selected needing to camp out to secure their spot. Complete rules are available at Chick-fil-A First 100 Promotion on the company’s website.

“Our focus on freshly prepared food, personal customer service and community involvement is as central to our new restaurant as it was the day Truett opened his first Chick-fil-A location,” said Collins. “That commitment continues for me and my team members at our new Savannah restaurant where we can’t wait to welcome and serve our guests and are excited to use our grand opening to bring the community together to help Second Harvest meet the needs of others.”

Collins has moved her family from Memphis, Tenn. to run the new Chick-fil-A location. She studied business and political science at Coastal Carolina University and her background includes working as a manager in a dental office.

Savannah’s newest Chick-fil-A restaurant features the chain’s latest interior and kitchen design along with dual drive-thru ordering lanes to expand its award-winning drive-thru service. Two drive-thru lanes with separate menu boards will welcome motorists who will place their orders at the separate screens and then merge into a single lane to pay for and pick up their food. With a majority of customers at Chick-fil-A free-standing restaurants choosing drive-thru, the ability for two drivers to simultaneously order should mean quicker service.

The new restaurant has indoor seating for 106 with an additional 20 seats outside.

The chain opened the area’s first Chick-fil-A location in April 1969 in Oglethorpe Mall, only two years after the very first Chick-fil-A restaurant opened. The last free-standing opening in the market occurred 10 years ago in Pooler and the newest opening will bring the number of locations to six within a 20 mile radius of Savannah.

This year Chick-fil-A plans to open 102 new restaurants, and to take the chain across the country in 2013, creating more than 6,200 new jobs.

NEWS - Economic Development

April 15, 2013 – World Trade Center Savannah, in collaboration with UPS, will host the Savannah Export Symposium: Breaking Down Barriers to Exporting, May 23, from 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m., at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center, 1 International Dr., Savannah.

During this half-day symposium, attendees will have the opportunity to gain timely, relevant and insightful information on what it takes to conquer international markets.

The seminar will include:

• Panel Discussion: Local companies share their experience entering global markets, led by Todd Gerken, Director, U.S. Commercial Service

• Breakout Sessions

• Logistics of Exporting, presented by Mike McDonald, International Manager, UPS

• Trade Finance, presented by Xianqin (Lisa) Wallace, Marketing Director, UPS Capital

• Finding Profits in Exporting with a Focus on Canada, Europe, and Germany, presented by Kathy Oxford, Senior International Trade Manager, Georgia Department of Economic Development

• Screening and Selecting Effective Foreign Representatives, presented by Dimitris Kloussiadis, Consultant International Trade Center, The University of Georgia, Small Business Development Center

• Website Design for the Global Marketplace: A Non-Technical Overview, presented by Jorge Arce, U.S. Commercial Service, in Jacksonville Fla., U.S. Department of Commerce

Cost of attendance is $35 per person and includes a lunch and networking reception. To register, please visit http://savannahexportsymposium.eventbrite.com/. For additional information, please contact Tory Grubbs, manager of trade services and programs, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 912-447-9704.

NEWS - Economic Development

SBJ Special Report

April 11, 2013 - ePals Corporation (TSX VENTURE: SLN), an education media company and the world's leading Global Learning Network, announced recently that it has commenced operations of its platform and media businesses in China through its NeuPals joint venture, and in collaboration with Neusoft Publishing. The president of ePals International division is David Merideth of Savannah, GA.

The launch of both platform and media businesses comes after fourth quarter approval of business licenses by Chinese authorities, followed by successful completion of initial technology transfer, product adaptation and localization, and establishment of facilities in Dalian, Shanghai and Shenyang.

NeuPals technical operations have been successfully established within China in collaboration with NeuEdu Co., Ltd. NeuPals has been capitalized by its partners, ePals and NeuEdu, and a seasoned management team is on board, led by CEO Tao Wang, who brings 15 years of experience working with international and language learning companies, as well as a Masters in Computer Science from University of Massachusetts and a Bachelors from Wuhan University.

On March 17, 2013, NeuPals launched an initial pilot of its localized, Mandarin-language version of ePals' safe and secure Global Community for use in Chinese classrooms and seamless connection to classrooms throughout the Global Community (www.neupals.com).

The new service provides safe collaborative learning experiences tailored for Chinese schools and classrooms, as well as direct pairing between classrooms in China, and ePals classrooms in 200 countries and territories around the world. The focus of the NeuPals community is initially on English language learning. Through ongoing exchanges and interactions with native English language students around a wide variety of subjects and activities, NeuPals will provide students in school and at home with a unique opportunity for authentic language learning and reinforcement within the context of first-person cultural exchange. NeuPals intends to begin selling paid subscription language learning services in China later this year.

This initial offering has been carefully designed to align with the Chinese Ministry of Education's (MOE) Medium and Long-term National Educational Reform and Development Plan (2010-2020), a strategy to strengthen the internationalization of the Chinese education system, and promote global awareness to the younger generation, according to the companies.

This 10-year initiative will impact more than 200 million Chinese students from primary through secondary levels representing a market that Deloitte estimates at approximately RMB 960 billion (approx. USD 160 billion). The plan also encourages private organizations to play a greater role in the education system. According to The Blue Book of Education: Report on the development of China's education market 2012 published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the e-learning market is growing by 150% in China annually.

"This launch reflects nearly a year of research with users, and Chinese teachers in our pilot are excited to participate in the sister classroom program. Their students will develop international skills through collaborative exchanges and will have access to award-winning global educational content from leaders such as The Smithsonian Institute," says Tao Wang, CEO of NeuPals in recent press release.

"NeuPals anticipates expansion of our value added service to ultimately include participation from teachers and students in both city and rural areas across all Chinese provinces and metropolitan areas which can be supported by the highly-scalable ePals platform."

The pilot matches "sister" classrooms in China with classrooms in the United States interested in participating in collaborative project-based learning experiences, cultural exchanges and language practice over the course of the semester. The pilot service includes over 20 customizable projects for teachers to choose from, as well as online activities and forums that feature leading international education content such as the ePals' Smithsonian Institution Learning Center. Teachers outside of China can find out more about the pilot program and express interest to join at http://bit.ly/ChinaPals.

"The Mandarin localization of ePals' collaborative pedagogy, high-quality content and social learning network provides an important first step in building a robust nationwide Chinese learning community that functions as a contributing member of the global ePals network of learning communities," says David Meredith, President of ePals International. "We are enthusiastic about the response from both Chinese classes and their partner classrooms from around the world, and for the opportunity to responsibly grow an important, large-scale media business around this unique service."

In addition to the recent launch of the NeuPals service through its joint venture, ePals has also launched production of Mandarin-language versions of its award-winning children's books and magazine content in partnership with Neusoft Publishing. Neusoft Publishing is creating authentic, Chinese-language versions of ePals Media publications such as Babybug, Ladybug, Spider, Click, Appleseeds, and Ask. The first of these products debuted at the Beijing Book Fair this year and Neusoft Publishing anticipates beginning distribution of these products in China in April. ePals Media plans to commence distribution of physical and digital versions of these Chinese language products throughout the rest of the world later in 2013.

These products satisfy a significant and growing market both inside China and around the world for "hybrid" physical and digital versions of culturally appropriate, Mandarin language versions of high quality children literature. In addition, it is expected that NeuPals will be using portions of the localized publishing content threaded through the projects for the sister classroom pilot in support of structured language learning practice activities for teachers and students.

About ePals Corporation

ePals Corporation (TSX VENTURE: SLN) is an education media company and the leading Global Learning Network. Focused on the K-12 market, ePals offers elementary and secondary school administrators, teachers, students and parents worldwide a safe and secure platform for building educational communities, providing quality digital content and facilitating collaboration for effective 21st century learning. More on the company is available at www.epals.com.

NEWS - Economic Development

By Clark Byron, SBJ Staff

April 9, 2013 – World Trade Center Savannah a division of the Savannah Economic & Development Authority, approved a new board member at its monthly meeting today.  He is Daren Pietsch, Director of Business Development for Par Marine, a Brunswick-based division of the Minnesota-based Par Systems. Par Marine provides various marine systems for the military, commercial marine and off-short platforms applications.

“We’re starting to have some discussions with some of the logistics companies that are involved in port operations, so the timing for me has been excellent for me,” said Pietsch. “It gives me an opportunity to be in Savannah more, and also meet with some of our other future partners.” The Glynn County Economic Development Authority recommended Pietsch to WTCSavannah.

World Trade Center Savannah was created in 2011 to help develop an international business platform specific to the greater Savannah region. The international arm of SEDA, World Trade Center Savannah offers the region a professional, proactive international strategy to develop and optimize international networks and opportunities for measurable business results that can drive economic growth in the region, and operates with a separate board of directors and operating budget from SEDA.

Other actions and announcements from the meeting included a report by WTCSavannah president Trip Tollison on the March 23 Consular Corps in Atlanta where WTCSavannah hosted an international delegation of government and educational representatives. “We were responsible to bring the leaders of the house and the senate,” said Tollison. “It was a great event.”

And, Tollison announced that he and board vice chairman Scott Center will travel to Mumbia on April 19 for the World Trade Center Association General Assembly which meets annually.

He also plans to travel to Munich, Germany in early June for the Transportation and Logistics Conference, and to attend the WTC Association official annual meeting in New York in October.  

To expand the impact of WTCSavannah, the organization needs to be regional in scope, Tollison told board members, including reaching out to possible partners in South Carolina. He said that he and other WTC representatives will meet with the mayors of Hilton Head Island, Beaufort, Bluffton, and the county commission chairman of Beaufort County to start the process.

Brynn Grant, Vice President & COO of WTCSavannah reported that WTCSavannah is exploring the opportunity of becoming the EB-5 Regional Center. The United States Immigration and Citizenship Services administers the Immigrant Investor Program, also known as EB-5, which was created by Congress in 1990 to stimulate the U.S. economy through job creation and capital investment by foreign investors. Grant said that becoming an EB-5 Regional Center is not an easy process, but that research indicates it is a worthwhile endeavor.

Other upcoming WTCSavannah news and events include:

- Southeastern United States – Canadian Provinces Alliance meeting in Savannah on April 24. According to the SEUS-CP website, the alliance works to promote trade and investment opportunities between and among its member states and provinces.

- The WTCSavannah Mid-Year Trade Report will be published, May 7.

- SEDA and WTCSavannah Luncheon and Savannah Export Symposium, May 23.

- May SEDA and WTCSavannah board meetings are scheduled for May 14 at Woodville Tompkins Technical & Career Institute at 151 Coach Joe Turner St. Savannah, GA 31408.

NEWS - Economic Development

By Clark Byron
SBJ Staff

April 25, 2013 – The Coastal Area District Development Authority and the Small Business Administration are partners in offering two special loan programs to aid companies hit hard by the ongoing economic downturn. The focus is to save and create jobs. Refinancing, business expansion, and capital purchases are just some of the things the new SBA his lending for, according to Andrew Standard, CEO of CADDA.

The SBA 504 program Loan or Certified Development Company program is designed to provide financing for real estate, buildings and machinery, and other fixed asserts, at below market rates. The 504 refinance program expired on Sept. 27, 2012 but is now being reinstated in Senate Bill 2364 sponsored by U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA). It is on a fast track to a vote. “We’re told by the National Association of Development Companies that the legislation should gain enough steam to be put back in place within six months,” said Standard.

The 7(a) Loan Program is the SBA’s primary program to help start-up and existing small businesses obtain financing when they might not be eligible through normal channels. The SBA itself does not make loans, but rather guarantees a portion of loans made and administered by commercial lending institutions. Most banks participate in this program, as do some non-bank lenders, which expands the availability of these loans. Lenders structure loans according to the SBA's requirements and receive a guaranty from the SBA on a portion of the loan.

“Typically, the bank will get a 75 percent loan guaranty for funding of a loan up to $5M,” said Standard. “It can all totally be refinanced. It can be a restructure. The SBA has relaxed its standards to where if it benefits the borrower in a cash flow situation or lowers the interest rate the borrower is currently paying.”

“It’s not a bailout program. If [a business] is already being foreclosed on and its credit is already totally trashed, this is not for them,” said Standard. “If they’ve been in business for let’s say, three years, and you look at the records and see that there has not been any cash flow from the beginning, then that’s probably not the instance where it’s going to help.”

These programs are for business owners who are just beginning to struggle. “What is most common in today’s world is that a lot of larger banks financed businesses that started five years ago on a 60 month balloon,” explained Standard. “Now the balloon is coming up and the bank doesn’t want to refinance it.” The bank may say that it is restructuring its assets and that even though the loan was paid in a timely fashion, it’s not interested in financing the balloon. When a typical bank says it isn’t going to do the refinancing, other banks will usually follow suit. However, because the SBA guarantees $.75 on the dollar, and the bank has the borrower’s collateral, the incentive to use the SBA program is very attractive to lenders.

Another common business scenario where these programs can help is when a company’s numbers are a little off. The sales volume is slumping and the company needs to restructure. The SBA rate is at 4 percent instead of the common 6 percent and the loan period can go as long as 25 years. This can reduce the expense line and help renew cash flow.

Another strong incentive for lenders to participate is that they can sell the guaranteed amount (at closing) and receive a premium of up to 20 percent. “That’s a strong direct move to the bottom line of the bank,” said Standard. “The bank is helping the borrower and it’s getting a premium that goes right to the bank’s earnings. It’s a win/win for everybody.” A multitude of entities purchase these guarantees. They then consolidate them into packages of multiple loans and sell them to retirement funds and other long-term investors. All of these incentives make participating banks much more willing to lend.

Years ago, the SBA was the lender of last resort. Typically, an applicant had to be denied by at least two lenders before the SBA would consider a loan request. “SBA isn’t looking to clean up the trash, but where there are ways to make something work, if there’s enough of a track record, they’re interested,” said Standard.

There are no geographical restrictions guidelines for these programs. They can be rural or urban, as long as it is a for-profit business. In fact, rural borrowers can pair these SBA programs with similar guaranteed loan and grant programs offered by the USDA in rural communities. The two agencies share a memorandum of understanding that provides for this.

Standard said the SBA is much more streamlined these days. Everything is done online now. Applications go to one central location. “We typically get a two to three day turn around whereas before it took about a month,” said Standard. “[The SBA] has dramatically changed and all the change has been good,” he said.

The SBA has not done an adequate job in promoting its evolution and upgrades, according to Standard. Only a limited number of banks are aware of the progress the SBA has made and they are taking full advantage of it. “Every loan they do has a guarantee,” said Standard. “There are many banks and individuals who dealt with the SBA 10 years ago and recall the endless paperwork and headaches. That has all changed.”

NEWS - Economic Development

By Clark Byron
SBJ Staff

April 25, 2013 – In January, The Creative Coast’s executive director Jacob “Jake” Hodesh said farewell to Savannah and accepted what he termed “an irresistible offer” in his home town of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Hodesh, who had served in the top spot at The Creative Coast for almost three years, is now the Director of Mentoring at Cintrifuse, an organization that, according to its Web site, “ . . . proactively links entrepreneurs with strategic businesses, research institutions, mentors and investors to help successfully launch high-growth startups.”  The mission is much the same as that of The Creative Coast.

The staff roster on the Creative Coast Web site hasn’t been updated since Hodesh’s departure. It still lists him as the man in charge but that could all be changing very soon. According to Savannah attorney Dana Braun, who chairs the board of The Creative Coast, the organization’s executive search committee, led by board members Murray Wilson and Radford Harrell, has narrowed the nearly 300 applicants down to three finalists. The names of the finalists have not been made public but Braun said that one resides in Savannah, another in South Carolina and a third is from outside the area altogether.

All three have been interviewed and, according to Braun, the announcement of the new executive director could come as soon as next week. In the meantime, the organization’s director of programs, Charisse Bennett, has been handling the day-to-day operations. “The board has also been pretty hands-on,” said Braun.

According to the organization’s Web site, The Creative Coast’s mission is, “To nurture the members of the Savannah community engaged in creative or innovative endeavors and to cultivate an environment in which they can thrive.” The organization conducts an ongoing schedule of activities and programs designed to link creative and innovative entrepreneurs with progressive investors. A calendar of these events is on the Web site. One activity, FastPitch, concluded March 29. “It’s like speed dating between entrepreneurs and investors,” said Dr. J. David Frost, vice provost of Georgia Tech and a Creative Coast board member.

One of the most popular offerings of The Creative Coast is its jobs board. Companies and individual post directly to the jobs board, according to Braun, who also says that 52 positions have been filled since the service was first launched.

Funding for Creative Coast comes from the City of Savannah, SEDA (its largest funder), and the organization’s own fundraising efforts, said Frost. Braun said that The Creative Coast is a finalist in a SEDA grant competition with its Foundry project, a business incubator for multiple, highly creative, highly innovative entrepreneurs. “We should hear for sure sometime in May,” said Braun.

NEWS - Economic Development

By Clark Byron
SBJ Staff

April 16, 2013 – Great Britain’s Ambassador to the U.S., Sir Peter Westmacott, was in Savannah on Friday to discuss with members of World Trade Center Savannah, ways to improve international trade between the U.S., the U.K. and the European Union.

Westmacott, who was appointed ambassador to the U.S. in late 2011, was accompanied by Annabelle Malins, G.B. Consulate General in Atlanta, and a small security detail.

World Trade Center Savannah is a member of the World Trade Centers Association, a global association of more than 300 World Trade Centers in some 100 countries.
During a special presentation at the British-owned JCB plant in Pooler, Westmacott was interviewed by WTCSavannah’s chair Eric Johnson of the Savannah architectural firm Hussy, Gay, Bell and DeYoung.

The title of the presentation was Galvanizing GDP Growth through Trans-Atlantic Trade. “I am very conscious of the immensely important trade relationship that’s going on between our two countries,” said Westmacott. The ambassador reiterated the fact that, “. . . the U.K. is, by quite a long ways, the number one trade partner abroad and in Europe.” Westmacott said the U.K. provides more than one million jobs in the U.S.

According to Johnson, the U.K. is one of the largest investors in Georgia, with over $10B. The U.K. is the second largest in the E.U. and seventh largest in the world. The U.K. is the largest export market for Georgia products and the sixth largest in the world. Britain is the second largest employer in Georgia with almost 23,000 jobs at 10 companies in the region.

The platform for the ambassador’s visit was the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The U.S. and U.K. trade $2.5B in goods and services, which is the world’s largest trading relationship. A large part of TTIP’s purpose is the negotiation of the removal of the remaining tariffs and cumbersome standards that tend to put a drag on an otherwise smooth trade relationship. According to Annabelle Malins, GB Consulate General in Atlanta, “Every tariff we remove and standard we align could result in millions of savings to companies and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.”

Johnson asked the ambassador what he felt the most pressing issues were in improving the already good trade relationship between the U.S. and the U.K., as well as other European trade partners. “I think what we would like to see is a reduction in the remaining tariffs,” said Westmacott. He also called for a harmonizing trade standards such as technical regulations, and the standardization in the credentialing of inspectors and other global trade officials in all countries. “What we actually need to focus on most in this deal are technical regulations, standards and certifications – i.e. red tape and double costs for producers.” These technical barriers to trade are estimated to be equivalent to tariffs of 10 to 20 percent per product.

Georgia exported about $1.1B in goods to the U.K. in 2012, and about $6.3B to the E.U. in total. Those exports include machinery, transport equipment, paper and electronics. Georgia received some $1.9B imports from the U.K. last year in machinery, paper and chemicals.