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Chamber hires new executive director
Board won't disclose job's salary
Leah Poole CURRENT 2010
Leah Poole has been moved up from being "interim" director to executive director of the Liberty County Chamber of Commerce. - photo by File photo
Seraine Page
Staff Writer
Updated: Dec 10, 2010, 3:27 PM
Published: Dec 10, 2010, 3:30 PM

 Liberty County Chamber of Commerce interim director Leah Poole officially accepted the permanent position as executive director of the chamber on Thursday morning.
 “It means a lot to me [to get this position],” Poole said. “I’ve been on the board for a really long time and I would like to think I’ve been instrumental to where it is today.”
Poole, who currently works as United Way of Coastal Georgia area director, said the position is effective as of Jan. 1.
“I hate to leave United Way. I can do many things, but I can’t do everything,” she said of her involvement several community organizations.
The position has been vacant for four months since Kenny Smiley resigned after working with the chamber for 11 years. Smiley took a job in Northeast Georgia for a regional magazine.
Poole and Chamber Chairman Toby Mahan refused to disclose what the new director’s salary will be, even though the chamber is partially funded with government money.
The city and the county each contribute $21,000 to the chamber, according to the city of Hinesville’s website and County Finance Officer Kim McGlothlin.
Currently, the Chamber rents space from the Liberty County Development Authority. They are exempted from paying utilities but do pay a subsidized rent of $1,132 per month; $13,584 for the year, said Carmen Cole, director of administration and finance for the LCDA. Cole said the space would normally rent for $22-$25 per square foot, but the authority allows the chamber to rent it for $16 per square foot.
The newly selected executive director said she will continue to support the United Way any way she can, even after she jumps into her role with the chamber.
“I strongly believe in what they do,” she said.  “I’ve been giving to them for 10 years now.”
As for what she is most looking forward to, Poole said working with the people she has worked with for years as a board member will be the best part of her job.
“I think the chamber is an integral part of our community and it can continue to be and we need people to be involved,” she said. “I think we’ll have a really good year.”

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GPA grows trade, market share
Intermodal volume up 20 percent
port photo
Rubber tired gantry cranes handle cargo at the Chatham Intermodal Container Transfer Facility at the Port of Savannah. The Georgia Ports Authority's Mason Mega Rail project will double rail lift capacity to 1 million containers per year by 2020 - photo by Provided
Staff Report
Updated: Apr 17, 2018, 1:07 PM
Published: Apr 17, 2018, 1:08 PM

The Georgia Ports Authority achieved 14 percent growth in March container volumes, moving 355,208 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers.

From July 2017 to March, TEU container trade grew by 9 percent, or 255,786 additional units for a total of 3.08 million, a new record for Savannah.

"Savannah's continued strength is a reflection of our customers' commitment, Georgia's leadership, and the many dedicated service providers, GPA employees and ILA members who come together every day to achieve great things," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. "March marked our 17th consecutive month of business expansion thanks, in part, to a strong economy and growing market share."

Intermodal rail volumes jumped by 20 percent in March and 15.4 percent for the fiscal year to date, for a total of 318,454 containers handled over nine months – another record for the GPA.

"As the numbers show, our rail cargo is growing at a faster pace than our overall trade," GPA Chairman Jimmy Allgood said. "This is important because rail is playing a key role in our responsible growth strategy. We anticipate our rail infrastructure investments to take 250,000 trucks off the road each year by 2020."

The GPA recently broke ground on its Mason Mega Rail Terminal, on which the Port of Savannah will build 10,000-foot unit trains within its own footprint. From the expanded rail infrastructure at Garden City Terminal, Class I rail providers CSX and Norfolk Southern will provide direct rail service to major Southeast and Midwestern markets from Memphis to St. Louis, Chicago to Cincinnati.

An added benefit is that the Mason Mega Rail project will move all rail switching on terminal – improving vehicle traffic flow around the port.

In August, the GPA will open its Appalachian Regional Port in Murray County. Located in an industrial belt, including the production and export of carpet and flooring, automobiles and tires, the ARP will provide an alternative to all-truck transit to Northwest Georgia.

Each round-trip container moved via the Appalachian Regional Port will offset 710 truck miles on Georgia highways.

March was also a strong month for roll-on/roll-off auto and machinery units at the Port of Brunswick and Ocean Terminal in Savannah. Colonel's Island Terminal in Brunswick handled 66,144 cars, trucks and tractors, while Ocean Terminal added 4,050, for a total 70,194, a 17.2 percent increase.

"The global economy is thriving and our volumes are following suit," Lynch said. "As existing accounts grow their footprint in the expanding auto facility in Brunswick, Georgia's competitive logistical advantages are drawing additional business across all of our docks."

Lynch noted that for the fiscal year to date, Mayor's Point breakbulk terminal in Brunswick grew by 44 percent (34,515 tons) to reach 112,728 tons of forest products. At East River Terminal, bulk cargo expanded by 34 percent July-March (189,918 tons) for a total of 750,384 tons.

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