Leaders from the City of Hinesville and the Hinesville Development Authority (HDA) broke ground on a new small business incubator in Downtown Hinesville on Jan. 29. The new small business incubator, which is the first and only of its kind for the Hinesville community, will help local entrepreneurs develop and grow business in the area. Construction of the 5,000 square foot building that will serve as the small business incubator will begin this spring and represent a $1.5 million investment into the community. “Small business is the lifeblood of any community,” City Manager Kenneth Howard said. “At the City of Hinesville, we are committed to supporting our local business economy by investing in tools and resources that our local entrepreneurs need to launch and maintain a successful thriving business, thereby benefiting the community as a whole through job creation and adding to our community’s quality of life.”
The small business incubator, which will take approximately 18 months to construct, will serve as a central hub for local entrepreneurs to receive the necessary technical assistance and infrastructure needed to develop and grow a business in the area. Not only will the small business incubator give entrepreneurs a physical space to operate their business, it will also give them access to services that will help them refine their business model and access capital.
“The small business incubator will enhance our community’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” HDA Chairman Justin McCartney said. “Our goal is to help new and seasoned business owners grow, expand and thrive.” The construction of the small business incubator is the culmination of a communitywide initiative to grow business in the Hinesville area. At the request of the public, the City and HDA first began pursuing the idea in 2016. With Georgia Southern University onboard as a partner, leaders purchased a .72-acre parcel at 207 W. Memorial Dr. that same year to serve as the small business incubator’s home site.
The site is located directly across from the Georgia Southern University – Liberty Campus and minutes away from City Hall. "We are very excited to be expanding our presence in Hinesville through this partnership,” said Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero. “The Business Innovation Group at Georgia Southern exists to ignite small business development throughout our region, and we look forward to having an innovation hub located in Hinesville that is dedicated to enhancing and supporting economic growth and prosperity to the community and the entire region."