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Tea company serving economy
Florapharm plans distribution center
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Danielle Hipps
Updated: Dec 15, 2011, 12:00 PM
Published: Dec 14, 2011, 2:40 PM

A German tea company has signed a three-year lease slated to begin March 1 inside Hinesville Technology Park, one of the industrial properties owned by the Liberty County Development Authority.

The business, Florapharm, will occupy space in the former BioAgra building, which the company vacated in 2009, according to Carmen Cole, LCDA director of finance and administration.

Since November, Florapharm has paid a $750 monthly reservation fee to hold the space until its $10,742 per month lease takes effect.

According to its website, the company was established in 1992 and is a world supplier of a variety of teas, including green, black, rooibos and oolong varieties.

“They seem to have ambitious plans for the facility, and I think it will benefit our community,” LCDA attorney Kelly Davis said as he announced that Florapharm had signed the lease.

“Those were fairly lengthy negotiations, it took us a while,” CEO Ron Tolley said. “But it’s a good example of foreign-direct investment from overseas in Liberty County.”

LCDA marketing director Anna Chafin said the company will use the space for distribution operations and plans to employ 50 people in the first five years of operation, with the potential to expand both the facility and employment in the future.

The LCDA board discussed the steps necessary to prepare the facility for the tenant during its Monday meeting.

The LCDA is in the process of selling specialized industrial equipment that BioAgra left in the space because it was affixed to the building, Cole said.

Equipment expert Terry Stargel with Versatile Equipment Co. has been tagging the machinery for sale and ensuring its condition, she said.

Stargel separated the equipment into 17 lots, and each will be bid on separately to give more buyers a chance at acquiring the items.

Cole asked the board to approve two separate proposals from VEC for Stargel’s services. The first, $6,370, will cover time and labor to inspect the equipment and get it in working order for the sake of demonstrations. The other, up to an estimated $4,750, is for the expert’s time in overseeing the removal of the items.

The board discussed the matter, with members Paul Krebs and state Rep. Al Williams voicing reluctance to approve the proposal. Cole said that getting the equipment working would show potential buyers that it is functional and likely would increase bids on the items. She also said that having someone to oversee the removal would protect both the building and equipment purchased by others.

The board approved the proposals, with Krebs abstaining and all others in favor.

Money for the services will come from $50,000 that was allocated for repairs and renovations to the space, Cole said. Once the equipment is removed, the facility will be renovated.

Bids for the items are due Dec. 22, and the board anticipates awarding the bids during a called meeting at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 6.

Davis also spoke about approving a $12,070 payment for residual closing costs associated with the authority’s restructuring of nearly $25 million in debt this summer.

The terms of the restructuring agreement require the authority to bear legal costs associated with the deal, Davis said.

Though the LCDA previously paid $107,000 in issuance costs for the bonds, the $12,070 invoice from SunTrust’s counsel had not been forwarded to the LCDA upon closing.

In January, the group likely will consolidate two separate bonds into a single, tax-exempt bond with a lower interest rate, Cole said. The closing costs approved Monday will be paid along with the consolidation transaction.

Fees for the consolidation will be significantly less than the initial bond issuance fees, Davis said, and Cole added that the LCDA will make budget adjustments to supplement the fees.

In other news:

• Davis said he is working closely with Midway’s counsel, James Coppage, to resolve some long-standing payment and interest issues related to shared water and sewer services. He anticipates both parties will come to an amicable agreement.

• Krebs brought up installation issues related to the authority’s water pump system. After discussion, the board decided to ask the project engineer, parts supplier and contractor who completed the labor to take a look at the machinery and determine whether any corrective action is needed.

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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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