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IDA CEO weighs in on Savannah region's No. 1 rankings
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SAVANNAH – Site Selection magazine’s annual ranking named Savannah the No. 1  Top Metro by total industrial projects for metros with populations from 200,000 to one million (tied with Toledo, Ohio) and No. 1 Top Metro by projects per capita. The rankings were announced March 1.

In announcing the rankings, Site Selection said, “Savannah, Georgia, vaults all the way into Site Selection’s top spot for Tier 2 Metros (tied with Toledo, Ohio) after finishing No. 12 in last year’s rankings. Further cementing its accomplishment, the port city on the Atlantic claimed the top spot for Tier 2s in our new Per Capita rankings.”

“It is truly phenomenal for our region to receive this designation from Site Selection magazine, especially considering the challenges many faced last year,” said Effingham County Industrial Development Authority CEO Brandt Herndon. “This ranking is a testament to the hard work, dedication  and determination of our local and state leaders to create an environment where companies are confident in their decision to locate and expand in the Savannah region. We were fortunate to welcome new companies to our community, and will continue to work to facilitate an environment where they can achieve long-term success.”

Site Selection’s Top Metros rankings are based on accumulations of major capital investments in corporate end user facilities within a given core-based statistical area (CBSA) or metropolitan statistical area (MSA), as defined by the Census Bureau. Qualifying projects are tracked by Site Selection’s proprietary Conway Data Projects Database, which qualifies investments that meet at least one of three criteria: a minimum $1 million capital investment; 20 or more jobs created; or 20,000 sq. ft. or more of new space.

The Savannah Metro CBSA is defined as Chatham, Bryan, Bulloch, Effingham, Liberty, Wayne and Long counties by the US Census Bureau.

In the ranking, Site Selection noted the Port of Savannah, growth of e-commerce and recent large-scale industrial park developments as factors contributing to the region’s higher ranking.