By Andrea Gutierrez, Bryan County News
Earlier this summer Komar, a global apparel company, opened its third distribution center in Ellabell, and it has already hit the ground running in just over two months.
Operational since August, the LEED-certified 760,000 square foot third-party logistics (3PL) center is currently supplying auto parts and solar panels for the Hyundai plant, as well as stockpiling parts for Toyota’s battery plant in Pendergrass, a town 57 miles northeast of Atlanta.
“We didn’t expect to be this busy now,” remarked Jay Harris, CEO of Komar Distribution Services.
Nevertheless, business is booming, owing to the center’s proximity to the Port of Savannah and the upcoming Hyundai Metaplant, which is virtually right next door.
Harris describes this connection with Hyundai as “very fortuitous,” since the Metaplant hadn’t yet been announced when Komar Distribution Services purchased the land for the center back in “late 2022” from the Development Authority of Bryan County, led then by current RISE President and CEO Anna Chafin.
The facility marks Komar’s third distribution center in the United States, after establishing locations in California and Oklahoma. Harris said that having distribution centers closer to companies helps greatly with speed and quality in delivering goods to customers.
“It’s very important these days for e-commerce, business-to-consumer, and direct- to-consumer (for) inventory to be co-located,” said Harris, who cited an example of an unnamed audio electronics company set to move from their current location to Savannah.
center’s short-term goal is to hire 250 employees within two years, in order to reach a long-term goal of 400 workers at the Ellabell location.
“I think that’s one of our specialties, (taking) individuals from all walks of life, other industries, and introduce them to supply chain, distribution, and logistics and have them love it,” Harris said when talking about workers starting out at Komar from other jobs.
To that end, Komar Distribution Services has recently partnered with Minnesota-based Bus Stop Mamas, a digital marketplace that helps introduce businesses to workers seeking flexible schedules — primarily working moms.
“Bryan County and the surrounding communities are excited to have Komar and its partner, Bus Stop Mamas as key players in bringing highly competitive and forward-thinking jobs to the region,” said Ryan Purvis, CEO of the Development Authority of Bryan County.
Building a modern workforce
According to a 2023 press release from the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the state of Georgia has been named the overall no. 1 state for business, as per rankings from Area Development magazine, for 10 consecutive years.
“Judging by our little microcosm at Komar, that (accolade) is absolutely true,” Harris said, citing the news.
Harris says that the distribution