The Effingham County Industrial Development Authority is still waiting to hear from Project Supreme.
IDA officials — Chairman Martin Wilkins, Chief Executive Officer John Henry and project manager Ryan Moore — went to Europe in July to make their sales pitch of Effingham County to the Project Supreme board.
Wilkins said Effingham IDA representatives made what they believe was a good case for Effingham during their presentations.
“We feel we have a really good site, a good location,” he said. “That’s in our favor. We made them a good offer. Now it’s up to them.”
Should Effingham’s IDA land Project Supreme, it is expected the company would occupy the frontage along Highway 21 of the development authority’s industrial park at Highways 21 and 275. IDA officials have hoped to claim a headquarters-type operation for their prime locale along the highway.
“We were expecting a decision last Thursday,” Henry said at Wednesday’s called IDA board meeting. “They pushed it back to Monday.”
There was still no decision after Monday, though IDA officials are expected to meet with Project Supreme officials Friday in Atlanta, along with state economic development representatives.
“They are furthering negotiations,” Henry said. “Everyone who was in the game is still in the game. Nothing has really changed.”
Effingham’s competition is thought to be another southern Georgia county and another Southern state.
Project Supreme, a codename for an overseas firm looking to open a U.S. headquarters, was given that moniker by state officials. Such companies’ true identities are often cloaked, even from the local development authorities until an agreement is made.
The IDA’s presentation and the discussion of its presentation lasted an hour and a half, but the IDA and Project Supreme representatives met on and off over three days to discuss different aspects of Effingham’s offer.
“Some of it was explaining information we had provided months before,” Wilkins said.
Project Supreme is a European-based manufacturer of electrical components and it is anticipated it will employ between 450-500 people with an expected impact of $100 million.
