Brunswick Defense Leader PaR Marine to Benefit from Acquisition

April 23rd, 2012

PaR Systems, Inc. announced the purchase of Marine Systems Technology Ltd., a leading expert in lightweight composites, fire protection and composite engineering, and affiliated company MST Engineering Ltd., designers and manufacturers of marine doors, panels, hatches, scuttles, and other products. Both companies are located in Winsford, United Kingdom. Marine Systems Technology (MST) invented the patented composite technology COMFIRE®, which provides a major advance in passive fire protection at the highest level on military and commercial ships. MST was recently the first company ever to qualify a door to exacting US Navy fire boundary specifications.
The new business will be part of the PaR Marine group with headquarters in Brunswick, Georgia. PaR Marine has a long legacy of providing engineered equipment and systems for defense, commercial, and industrial applications. PaR Marine focuses on providing marine customers with specialty equipment, cargo handling systems, and deck machinery while combining its strong engineering with comprehensive heavy fabrication capabilities.
“The addition of Marine Systems Technology into the PaR family is an ideal fit to allow us to continue to grow our presence in the international marine market, and also provides the platform for further expansion of PaR’s growth in Europe across all its sectors,” states Ian Haley, President of PaR Marine. “COMFIRE products will serve as a catalyst to expand in a number of market segments in which PaR Marine is interested; UK navy, submarines, cruise and other commercial ships, and offshore oil platforms. Also, the MST organization shares the same deep values that PaR holds, in particular the focus on providing the client with the best quality and reliable specialty engineered product,” said Ian.
Over the last 10 years a group of composite technologists, engineers, and designers have worked together at Marine Systems Technology to develop ground-breaking products which combine the materials technology of COMFIRE. These products have low weight, and world leading fire resistance and sound attenuation qualities, particularly in marine environments. The range of products includes fire doors, watertight fire doors, level access door systems, bulkheads, and non-combustible case goods for applications throughout the entire interior of today’s naval ships, offshore vessels, cruise ships, and fast ferries. COMFIRE complies with the most stringent marine safety guidelines while offering many practical advantages to the ship designer.
COMFIRE is non-combustible and stable in fire, with no smoke or toxicity, and offers excellent thermal and sound insulation properties. COMFIRE is intended for use where SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) and other marine regulations require non-combustible fabrications within ships.
PaR Systems, a portfolio company of MML Capital Partners (www.mmlcapital.com), is a world leader in providing advanced engineered equipment, systems, and services for critical material handling and automation applications to improve customer quality, safety, and productivity. Since 1961, PaR has created custom-engineered, and often times, first-of-a-kind manufacturing solutions for a broad range of industries including aerospace, defense/marine, hazardous material/nuclear, heavy material handling, industrial manufacturing, and life sciences. PaR Systems is headquartered in Minnesota, with global engineering and manufacturing centers of excellence. For more information on PaR Systems, visit www.par.com.

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Work Ready Grant to Fund Summer School

March 30th, 2012

March 30, 2012 – The Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority announced today that it has been awarded a $10,000 Work Ready grant from the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development. The grant was awarded as a result of Glynn County being designated as a Certified Work Ready Community, a designation the community achieved in 2011. In response to the program’s objectives, the funds will be utilized to address high school graduation rates.
In pursuing the funds, the Development Authority created a team involving the Glynn County School System, Altamaha Technical College, the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce and Communities In Schools of Glynn County to develop a plan that would best use these funds.
With funding for 2012 summer school programs in Glynn County Schools in jeopardy due to ongoing budgetary issues, the Work Ready Team decided on a plan that would ensure the availability of these programs. Under the proposed plan, approximately 75% of the grant will be used to fund summer school sessions in June and July. These programs will be available to Glynn County high school students who need to recover lost credits in order to remain on-track to graduate. First priority will be given to seniors in need of credit recovery, with underclassmen having opportunities to participate until the classes are full. The remaining 25% of the grant funds will be used to provide on-line review courses for students who will be taking the SAT or ACT tests during the late Spring or Summer of 2012.
Kate Russell, Chief Financial Officer of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development said in her plan approval letter, “the Work Plan Review Committee loved your plan and its attention to both long and short-term needs”.
Nathan Sparks, Executive Director of the Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority said, “we are very pleased to receive these grant funds and are excited that they will be used to help increase the graduation rates here in Glynn County.”

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Blackwater Midstream Announces Tank Expansion Project

February 29th, 2012

NEW ORLEANS, Feb 29, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) – Blackwater Georgia, L.L.C., a wholly owned subsidiary of Blackwater Midstream Corp. BWMS 0.00% is pleased to announce a phase I expansion at its Brunswick, Georgia terminal that will add an additional 60,000 barrels of chemical storage capacity at the site under a long term lease with a new customer. The project is being 100% financed by Blackwater Midstream’s senior lender, J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.

The Brunswick site will grow from its current capacity of 161,000 barrels to a total of 221,000 barrels after construction is completed. The Blackwater Georgia facility is located on six acres of land that is leased from the Georgia Ports Authority. After completion of phase I, there is additional land for a phase II project that could add another 100,000 barrels of capacity at the site at some point in the future. Michael Suder, Blackwater Midstream Corp.’s Chief Executive Officer stated, “We are extremely pleased to announce this expansion project at our Brunswick terminal. The terminal has been operating at 100% of capacity and securing this additional business is right in line with our business objective of bringing internal growth at our existing sites. We are very appreciative of the support that we have received from the Georgia Ports Authority.”

Blackwater Midstream Corp. is an independent operator of bulk liquid storage terminals with other facilities in the Port of New Orleans in Westwego, Louisiana and Salisbury, Maryland.

SOURCE: Blackwater Midstream Corp.

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Economic Indicators Point to Better Days

February 16th, 2012

While attending last week’s Georgia Foreign Trade Conference on beautiful Sea Island, I had the opporutnity to hear renowned economist Dr. Walter Kemmsies of Moffat & Nichol offer his thoughts on the state of our economy. While it would be misleading to say that Kemmsies’ forecast was completely rosy, he did present a number of compelling arguments as to why the future continues to look more promising. In particular, he cited the combination of improving (less constrained) credit markets, policymakers committed to recovery (namely, the Fed). and pent up consumer demand as reasons to be optimistic about he future. He also pointed to the 3,000,000 net new jobs that the US economy added since 2010 (private sector added 3.6 M while goverment cut 500,000) and improving auto sales as positive indicators.

Kemmsies’ forecast was not without warning, however. He alluded to hidden risks in the financial sector, an overbuilt retail sector (think less bricks and mortar retail in the future, more on-line) and a clearly “poorer” US consumer base as reasons for caution. He also suggested that there is growing bubble risk with a decline in Government Spending being the potential bogeyman. Interestingly, Kemmsies pointed out that emerging markets like China and India have driven the global recovery thus far.  In particular, the sizable (in some cases mind-boggling) investments these countries have made in their own public infrastructure have led to major purchases of capital equipment, etc. Companies like CAT and others have all benefited from this (in case you missed it, Caterpillar just reported record profits for the 4th quarter of 2011).  As welcome as this has been at a very tenuous time, Kemmsies indicated that emerging markets cannot sustain the recovery forever, and eventually Americans must again buy things produced in these countries and grow our own exports beyond their current levels.

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Port Authority Positions Brunswick to be Biofuel Powerhouse

August 18th, 2011

The Georgia Ports Authority and Logistec USA, Inc. signed a partnership on August 11, 2001 that will modernize the East River Terminal at the Port of Brunswick to facilitate the growing international market for wood pellets. Logistec, a leading marine and environmental services provider, will invest $5 million to expand the biofuel export market in Georgia and increase capacity for handling a broad range of general and bulk cargo.

“We welcome this renewed partnership with Logistec and look forward to enhanced customer service at East River Terminal,” said GPA’s Executive Director Curtis J. Foltz. “The significant expansion and installation of new infrastructure at East River Terminal will accommodate Georgia’s export for biomass fuels and create jobs throughout Georgia’s transportation, logistics and forest industries.”

The East River Terminal will be significantly upgraded in the first phase of this expanded partnership to handle up to one million tons of wood pellets and chips annually.

“We are very pleased to participate as a key supplier in the development of the biomass industry in Georgia,” said President and Chief Executive Officer of Logistec Corporation Madeleine Paquin. “Our commitment to invest in a modern facility specializing in the handling of wood and peanut pellets will ensure a key competitive component in the supply chain and will make available a competitive facility to generate growing exports from Georgia for years to come.”

East River Terminal in Brunswick is within close proximity of customers’ manufacturing facilities in the heart of Georgia’s timber land. Pellets are easily and competitively transported to the terminal and stored before Logistec loads the cargo into vessels bound for biomass power plant utility companies in the United Kingdom, Scandinavia and elsewhere within the European Union.

“There will be further investment in East River Terminal and its handling facility as the market for biomass fuels grows,” said Foltz.

The project will begin in September 2011 and is scheduled to be completed in January 2012. It will include deepening three berths to 36 feet at mean low water and significant investment upgrading the docks and handling facility.

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Scojet, Inc. relocating to Glynn County, Georgia.

July 20th, 2011

Scojet, Inc. and the Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority announced today that the company will be relocating its corporate headquarters and primary manufacturing operations to Glynn County, Georgia.  Currently located outside of Augusta, Georgia, Scojet has three distinct divisions – Precision Engineering, Manufacturing and International Sourcing.  The company also owns and operates a manufacturing facility in Ningbo, China.

Scojet will acquire Lots 2 and 3 in Glynn County’s North Glynn Commerce Park, for a total site of approximately four acres.  The company has also agreed to enter into a purchase option agreement for Lots 4 and 5, representing an additional four acres.  Shortly after finalizing the acquisition, the company will begin constructing a 14,479 SF state-of-the-art facility that will include office, manufacturing and warehouse space.  Scojet intends to complete construction and occupy its new facility by the Summer of 2012.

“Since beginning conversations with Scojet some two years ago, we have developed a true appreciation for their ingenuity and commitment to growth.  Despite having been in business only 10 years, they have successfully developed customer relationships with some of the world’s more recognizable manufacturers”, stated Nathan Sparks, director of the Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority.

Scojet’s Precision Engineering unit has provided design services for a host of noteworthy companies including John Deere, Club Car and Ariens Company, while the company’s manufacturing unit produces products for industries ranging from aerospace to medical.

As a result of the move, Scojet expects to relocate 7 – 8 management and manufacturing personnel to Glynn County.  Soon thereafter, the company will hire an additional 4 – 5 positions locally.

“The first few positions hired in Glynn County will be the beginning of what we believe will be significant growth for us over the coming years.  Frankly, we were constrained in our Augusta facility with no room to expand.  With ample opportunity to grow as a result of this move, our hope is to increase the business such that continued hiring is a necessity,” stated Gary Trzcianka, CEO of Scojet, Inc.

In order to entice Scojet to locate in Glynn County, the Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority offered a location package that included discounted land pricing, favorable option terms and a grant from the Authority’s “Share the Future” discretionary incentive fund which will be used to provide assistance with building permits and to relocate machinery from the company’s Augusta facility.

“Both the Development Authority and the Glynn County community have already been great partners to us as we’ve worked to make the final location decision.  We have no doubt that this relationship will only grow as we transition our business to the area,” stated Gary Trzcianka.

For more information contact:
Nathan Sparks, Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority, (912) 265-6629 Gary Trzcianka, Scojet, Inc., (706) 228-3530. Be sure to contact the Authority by using our form on our web site.

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College of Coastal Georgia’s Impact on Glynn County Economy

June 17th, 2011

Many of you may have read with interest about the recent study undertaken by the University of Georgia’s Selig Center and Terry College of Businesss focusing on the economic impact of the College of Coastal Georgia.  For those of you who missed this information, the College was found to have an economic impact of $69.7 million during its first year as a four-year institution.  This, combined with some $61.4 million resulting from new CCGA capital projects equated to an unprecedented total economic impact for the College of $131.1 million.  While this is certainly reason to celebrate, the Development Authority is most excited about the future possibilities the point to.  It is clear that the College’s commitment to enrollment growth  – and its dedication to capital projects that will both attract and accomodate this growth - will only lead to an even greater economic impact in the coming years.  Because of this, the businesses and citizens of Brunswick and Glynn County community can look to the future with tremendous excitement and optimism! Get in touch with us using our contact form!

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Restaurant Leader Chooses Brunswick for New Concept

May 31st, 2011

The Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority and Darden Restaurants, Inc. recently announced that the company will be developing a new restaurant concept at Brunswick’s Glynn Isles shopping center. Known as Darden’s “Synergy” concept, the 8,700 square-foot restaurant will feature both a Red Lobster and an Olive Garden under one roof with a shared kitchen, but separate dining rooms. Brunswick will be only the second U.S. city to welcome a combined Red Lobster/Olive Garden, with the first being opened in Palm Coast, Fla., earlier this month. The Brunswick restaurant is currently slated for an October 2011 opening.

“We often hear from consumers that they would love a Red Lobster or an Olive Garden in their community,” said JJ Buettgen, Senior Vice President of New Business Development for Darden. “Drawing upon our expertise in delivering great brand experiences, we’ve developed a new restaurant prototype that allows us to bring both of these beloved brands to smaller markets like Brunswick. The unique design creates two separate, distinct restaurants in one building with a shared kitchen. Guests enter either the Red Lobster or the Olive Garden side of the building, and once inside the brand experience is identical to a stand-alone Red Lobster or stand-alone Olive Garden.” Efforts to bring the Synergy concept to Brunswick began in June 2010 when Darden representatives contacted the Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority.
“While our organization is generally not involved in facilitating retail and restaurant investments, the numbers behind this project were too compelling to pass up,” stated Nathan Sparks, executive director of the Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority. Darden plans to create more than 175 jobs in Brunswick and invest some $4.5 million in the construction of the new facility. The company also expects to collect and remit some $400,000 in sales tax each year and create another 100+ jobs during the construction phase of the project. Upon learning that Darden was interested in a competitive location incentives package as it evaluated a potential location in Brunswick, the Authority convened a working group comprised of representatives from the City of Brunswick, Glynn County and the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce. “The company indicated that property tax abatements would be important in their final analysis, and we wanted to ensure that our City and County leadership were supportive of us providing that benefit to them in exchange for the jobs, investment and sales tax benefits they were bringing to the table,” stated Dave Erickson, chairman of the Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority. The working group structured an incentives package for Darden which features a five year property tax abatement. During this time, the restaurant site will be titled to the Authority, resulting in the property being exempt from property tax as provided under Georgia law. Darden will continue to make an annual lease payment to the Authority during this time, with the payment equating to the portion of the company’s tax bill that would have gone toward the Glynn County Board of Education were the property not owned by the Authority. The Authority will then remit this amount to the Glynn County Board of Education.
“We felt it was important to protect this potential funding source for our schools, and the company was very receptive to that,” stated Sparks. “The commitment we’ve received from the city of Brunswick and the Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority to work with us in a spirit of collaboration has been outstanding,” said Buettgen. “It’s an excellent example of how government and business can work together for the benefit of a community. Not only are we bringing these two iconic restaurant brands to Brunswick, but we’re also creating more than 175 new jobs in the community with a company that was just recognized as one of FORTUNE magazine’s ‘100 best companies to work for.’” Additionally, as an incentive for the company to undertake as much of the restaurant construction project as possible with local subcontractors, the committee structured a clause that rewards Darden with an additional year of property tax savings for every $100,000 they spend with contractors from Glynn County. Assuming Darden spends $500,000 with Glynn County contractors, this could result in an additional five years (maximum) of property tax savings for the company.
“Members of our committee are sensitive to the difficulties being faced by our local building trades, particularly in light of the recent economic downturn. The opportunity for Darden to achieve additional property tax savings by utilizing our talented local contractors will hopefully result in more opportunities for this group,” stated Sparks. “Between the jobs, the investment, the sales tax, the preservation of funds for our schools, the opportunities for our local building trades, and lest we forget, the wonderful addition to our growing selection of quality restaurants – this is a solid win for Brunswick,” stated Brunswick Mayor Bryan Thompson. “We’re very excited to be moving forward with this project, and we look forward to being of service to our guests and the people of Brunswick for many years to come,” Buettgen concluded.
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Brunswick’s Colonel’s Island Port Terminal Posts Best Month Ever

May 31st, 2011

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) recently announced  that the Port of Brunswick posted its best month ever in March 2011 for automobile and machinery units or Ro/Ro (roll-on/roll-off) cargo at Colonel’s Island Terminal with a total of 42,740 units.

“We attribute the Port of Brunswick’s volume gains to a number of factors including economic recovery, a renewed consumer market for automobiles and the expanded vehicle processing center facilities,” said GPA’s Executive Director Curtis J. Foltz. “Brunswick has become the sixth largest U.S. auto port by having the best workforce, unsurpassed infrastructure, room to grow and a sound marketing plan to capitalize on its strengths.”
Colonel’s Island Terminal reported a 36-percent increase compared with March 2010 to post its best month ever. Ro/Ro volume at Colonel’s Island Terminal has posted a 51.7 fiscal year-to-date increase for FY2011 (July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012), compared with FY2010. The high automobile volumes are reflective of market share gains by the primary brands the GPA handles, specifically Hyundai, Mercedes, BMW, Kia and Volkswagen.
“As Brunswick continues its momentum gaining market share across the Southeast, the Port of Savannah is handling additional volume without delays on terminal,” said Foltz.
The Port of Savannah handled 238,030 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), which was a 4.5-percent increase compared with March 2010. Fiscal-year-to-date volume for FY2011 is up 12.6 percent for TEUs compared with FY2010.
Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 295,000 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $15.5 billion in income, $61.7 billion in revenue and $2.6 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy. The Port of Savannah handled 8.6 percent of the U.S. containerized cargo volume and 12.4 percent of all U.S. containerized exports in 2010.
For additional information, please contact GPA’s Senior Director of External Affairs Robert Morris at (912) 964-3855 or rmorris@gaports.com. Visit the GPA web site at www.gaports.com.
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World’s Largest Ro/Ro Vessel Calls on Brunswick

May 31st, 2011

On April 25, 2011, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) today welcomed the largest RoRo (Roll-on / Roll-off) vessel ever to call Georgia’s deepwater ports when the M/V Tønsberg, operated by Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL), docked at the Port of Brunswick’s Colonel’s Island Terminal RoRo Facility.

“The future of moving RoRo is represented here today as we welcome the most sophisticated, environmentally friendly vessel of its kind to ever call Georgia’s ports,” said GPA’s Executive Director Curtis J. Foltz. “The arrival of the Tønsbeg is yet another view into the future as Georgia’s ports in Brunswick and Savannah continue to serve as strategic gateways for the movement of automobiles, construction and agricultural equipment. We are honored to partner with WWL to grow RoRo business via Georgia’s deepwater ports.”
As the largest of its kind, the vessel has a length of 869 feet and offers a cargo capacity of 4.874 million cubic feet. The pioneering RoRo vessel is the first of four Mark V vessels that are entering WWL’s fleet.
The entire cargo hold of the MV Tønsberg is arranged for oversized and heavy cargo such as excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders and harvesters. With a width of 39.4 feet and safe working load of 505 tons, the vessel’s stern ramp offers manufacturers the possibility to ship larger units than ever before. The clear height of the main deck, 23.3 feet, is also unprecedented for this kind of vessel.
To access more details on the vessel, including photos and a video, please visit: http://www.pitchengine.com/pitch/133138/

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