The Georgia Economic Developers Association (GEDA), one of the
leading organizations for economic development in the U.S., named
the location of the Israeli company Caesarstone Sdot-Yam Ltd.
(NASDAQ:CSTE) to Bryan County, Ga., as the “Deal of the Year” in
the 50,000 and under population category at its annual awards
luncheon Monday.
Pictured at the GEDA awards luncheon,
left to right: Jimmy Burnsed, chairman of the Bryan County Board of
Commissioners; Beth Nelson, human resources manager for
Caesarstone; Stacy Watson, general manager of economic &
industrial development for the Georgia Ports Authority; Anna
Chafin, CEO of the Development Authority of Bryan County (DABC);
Renee Rosenheck, senior project manager for the Georgia Department
of Economic Development; Dan Camp, director of project management
of TerraPointe; Steve Croy, board member of the DABC; Yaakov Dory,
president/general manager of Caesarstone Technology USA; Governor
Nathan Deal, state of Georgia; Derrick Smith, chairman of the DABC;
Charles Stallworth, project manager for Georgia Power; and Harold
Fowler, mayor of city of Richmond Hill (Photo: Business Wire)
The awards, which recognize achievement in locating or expanding
new business, were judged by a group made up of an independent site
selection consultant and state partners who made recommendations to
the GEDA board.
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal honored the company and a range of
partners in the collaborative effort, including the Georgia
Department of Economic Development, Georgia Power, the Development
Authority of Bryan County, the city of Richmond Hill, the Bryan
County Board of Commissioners, Georgia Ports Authority, and
TerraPointe Services, the real estate subsidiary of Rayonier
Inc. (NYSE:RYN).
It is the second such award given in the past few months to
Caesarstone and its partners. In June, conexx: America Israel
Business Connector, a nonprofit organization that helps bring
mutual economic advances to Israel and the southeastern United
States, also named the location its “Eagle Star Deal of the
Year.”
Just one year ago, Caesarstone announced it would build its
first-ever U.S. manufacturing facility at Belfast Commerce Centre,
a certified industrial site owned and managed by TerraPointe and
the largest rail-served site in the Port of Savannah market.
“We are pleased with our decision to locate our plant in Bryan
County,” said Yosef Shiran, Caesarstone’s Chief Executive Officer.
“The proximity to the Savannah port, convenient transportation,
availability of quality workforce, and the support of the community
and authorities of Bryan County and the state of Georgia make this
the right location for our operation expansion.”
In addition to creating 180 jobs, Caesarstone is investing over
$100 million into the facility. Derrick Smith, chairman of the
Development Authority of Bryan County, said the deal was a true
collaborative effort.
“The Caesarstone project was extremely competitive,” Smith said.
“Initially, Caesarstone reviewed 80 sites in seven states. All the
parties—from the company to the landowner, the city, the county,
and the development authority—came together to find creative
solutions to make this deal happen. And we were all working around
different time zones, cultures, and languages throughout the
process.”
During the negotiation, the Bryan County Board of Commissioners
Chairman made a personal visit to Israel, calling on Caesarstone
headquarters and building immense trust and community bonds. “It
was this kind of extra effort that helped Caesarstone understand
what kind of community Bryan County is,” Smith said.
While the community had all the right attributes, Caesarstone
required a development-ready industrial site to support its
operations. Enter TerraPointe and its certified site, Belfast
Commerce Centre.
As the largest rail-served site in the Port of Savannah market,
Belfast features 8,800 feet of onsite rail, two miles of I-95
frontage, and direct rail access to the port via CSX and the
Riceboro Southern Railway. A certified “development-ready” site, it
had all the necessary permits in place for Caesarstone and other
similar manufacturers interested in building there.
“While Belfast Commerce Centre was ready for development, with
all the due diligence completed, a strong public-private
partnership with many committed partners was critical in making
this deal a reality,” said Chris Corr, president of TerraPointe
Services. “We’re proud to have been part of this collaborative
effort.”
The site has now received Georgia Ready for Accelerated
Development (GRAD) certification in addition to its CSX Select Site
designation.
About Caesarstone
Caesarstone, founded and headquartered in Caesarea, Israel,
manufactures custom quartz surfaces, using the latest technologies
and innovative techniques to create the ideal surface for kitchens,
vanities, floors, and other interior surfaces for both residential
and commercial buildings. It offers more than 40 unique colors and
textures available in more than 50 countries. For more information,
visit www.caesarstoneus.com.
About The Development Authority of Bryan County
The Development Authority of Bryan County serves as the economic
development arm of the Bryan County government and the cities of
Pembroke and Richmond Hill. For more information, visit
www.bryancountyga.com.
About TerraPointe Services
TerraPointe Services Inc., a Rayonier company, is a professional
real estate service organization authorized to manage real estate
activity on behalf of various Rayonier companies (including
Rayonier Forest Resources, TerraPointe LLC, and Belfast Commerce
Centre LLC). For more information, visit
www.terrapointeserviceslandsales.com.
About Rayonier
Comprised of Forest Resources and Real Estate businesses,
Rayonier Inc. is a geographically diverse global land resources
company. The company owns, leases, or manages 2.6 million acres of
high-quality timberlands in North America and New Zealand. Its
holdings include 2.3 million acres across ten U.S. states and
approximately 200,000 high-value acres with residential,
commercial, and industrial development potential along the
Interstate 95 corridor between Savannah, Ga. and Daytona Beach,
Fla. Rayonier is structured as a real estate investment trust. More
information is available at www.rayonier.com.
About GEDA
More than 50 years strong, GEDA is a non-profit association of
professionals, volunteers, and supporters. The association provides
networking and professional development opportunities for its
members and supports public policies that promote quality job
creation and sustainable economic development throughout the state.
For more information, visit www.geda.org.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:
http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20141119005918/en/
Development Authority of Bryan County (DABC)Anna Chafin, CEO,
912-653-4967
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