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Our area's progressive leadership, including the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce, Brunswick & Glynn County Development Authority, and city and county governments, have made it extremely lucrative to locate business here. Our tax structure encourages development with a 100% freeport and ad valorem tax exemption on certain materials. A number of tax credits, incentives and programs are also available. Contact the Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority for more information, 912-265-6629, or visit their website at www.georgiasgoldenopportunity.com.
We are home to a broad range of industries including paper manufacturing, wood products, food processing, auto processing, metal fabrication, chemical processing, beverage distribution, aviation and distribution. Our superb infrastructure, well-trained labor force, forward-thinking leadership, enticing incentives, well-developed sites, and international transport system combine for a perfect recipe for successful business.
Workforce - Located in a right-to-work state, Glynn County offers a pool of well-trained workers. Georgia's Quick Start Program provides free customized training for the workers of new and expanding businesses in our state. In addition, the Golden Isles Career Academy, College of Coastal Georgia and Coastal Pines Technical College, all located in Glynn County, graduate qualified workers with bachelor degrees and technical training in a wide range of fields each year.
Development - What makes Glynn County so attractive to business and industry? The same things that make it attractive to people: climate, location and surroundings. For starters, our temperate climate allows work to normally progress without interruption throughout the entire year. Our location is ideal—far enough from big cities to avoid their problems, close enough for ready access to products and services. Our surroundings are exceptional for business and link us to the world: major highways and interstate, a jetport with an 8,000 foot runway, two Class I railway lines (CSX and Norfolk Southern), in addition to one short line rail link, AMTRAK passenger service in neighboring locations and, of course, our “side door,” the Atlantic Ocean.
Air Travel - Brunswick-Golden Isles Airport has an 8,000-foot runway, and serves an estimated 62,000 passengers each year. ASA offers several flights daily to Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport with a flight time of only 37 minutes. McKinnon St. Simons Island Airport, with a 5,400-foot runway, serves many general aviation needs of St. Simons Island and Sea Island.
Hospitality & Tourism - Tourism is a multi-million dollar industry in Brunswick and the Golden Isles. Over 1.5 million visitors spend roughly $735 million each year. As such, the Chamber has a powerful alliance with the Golden Isles Convention & Visitors Bureau. This organization's primary purpose is promoting Brunswick and the Golden Isles as a visitor destination. Visit the Golden Isles Visitors Bureau website.
The Port of Brunswick - The Port of Brunswick is recognized as one of the most productive ports on the East Coast. Operated by the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), the Port of Brunswick specializes in the handling of breakbulk, agri-bulk and RoRo cargoes. The port includes three distinct terminals – Mayor’s Point Terminal, Colonel’s Island Terminal and Marine Port Terminals.
To remain well-positioned for future growth, continued upgrades to infrastructure have been a priority in recent years. On Colonel’s Island’s Southside, an additional 850 acres of auto-processing capacity was added; BMW returned to the Port of Brunswick, and Mercedes-Benz built a 70,000 square-foot vehicle preparation center, consolidating its Southeastern shipping operations and making the Port of Brunswick Mercedes-Benz USA’s South Atlantic Hub. Including BMW and Mercedes, some 15 automobile manufacturers import and export vehicles through the Colonel’s Island Terminal.
Through its partnership with Bunge North America, one of the world’s largest agri-business and food-stuff producers, agribulk tonnage has continued to increase dramatically. A new 10,000-ton grain storage tank was recently completed to accommodate additional volume.
Today, the Port of Brunswick remains the second largest grain facility on the East Coast and the second largest auto port in the nation. To learn more about the Port of Brunswick, visit the Georgia Ports Authority.
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) - Headquartered in Glynco, GA, on a 1,600-acre campus at the northwestern edge of Brunswick since 1975, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center provides advanced law enforcement training services for more than 90 Federal agencies and is the headquarters for all Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers. FLETC also provides services to state, local, and international law enforcement agencies.
A 2011 study conducted by the Fanning Institute contracted with researchers from UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government identified FLETC as the largest non-manufacturing employer in Glynn County, with more than 5,000 area jobs being attributed to the agency. The analysis suggests that FLETC, directly and indirectly, supports about 2,300 jobs in Glynn County, another 900 in the region, 500 in the Atlanta MSA and nearly 1,400 elsewhere. In the five-county region, this translates to more than $250 million in direct and indirect personal income, of which over $203 million can be attributed directly to Glynn County. Considering that the more than 5,000 jobs supported around the country, the total economic impact is nearly 19,000 jobs with personal income totaling more than $975 million.
For more information on FLETC, check out the website at www.fletc.gov.
Major Employers, excluding FLETC and the Port of Brunswick:
- Southeast Georgia Health System
- Sea Island Company
- Georgia Pacific Cellulose
- Wal-Mart Superstore
- King & Prince Seafood
- Rich Corporation
- Pinova, Inc.
- International Auto Processing
- Gulfstream Aerospace
- Target
For more statistical info visit: Brunswick & Glynn County Development Authority.