Development Authority of Bryan County

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Crossroads South Open for Business in Richmond Hill

May 27, 2016
Jamie Parker - Savannah Now

A while back a friend from Canada visiting Charlie Stafford mentioned to the long-time Richmond Hill businessman and developer that it was a lot cheaper to refurbish an existing building than to build a new one.

Add to that that the industrial service and supply company McMillian was also considering moving four of its subsidiaries out of its Chatham County location due space restrictions and you have the formula for success.

The end result was Stafford along with business partners Ben McMillian and Marion Alexander purchasing what is known to most as the old Hobart building on U.S. 17 in Richmond Hill.

“He was absolutely correct. If we had built that building we’d have been at least five years turning the first shovel of dirt. Instead we got probably a couple of million dollars of infrastructure that was already there that we would have had to have bought on today’s market,” said Stafford.

Now the refurbished 120,000 square-foot building, Crossroads South, is home to MacAljon’s ICBS (industrial conveyors), MACS Supply (industrial supplies), MACS Waterjet (precision parts and components), CQS (scaffolding).

“They moved 200 jobs from Chatham County and have added 15 – 20 new employees since locating in the facility in Richmond Hill. The average salary of the positions based at the Richmond Hill location is estimated at $75,000 annually. The company has plans to grow the employment at this location to approximately 350 total over the next few years,” said Derrick Smith, chairman of the Development Authority of Bryan County.

However Smith was referring only to the MacAljon portion Crossroads South. Also using the facility are Omega Construction, Lin Insurance, Go Aviation and National Building Supply.

One big plus for business located at the facility is its location.

“The building in Richmond Hill is located in a Military Zone, which means any business enterprise creating two or more net new jobs in Georgia qualifies for the maximum job tax credit allowed under law, $3,500 per job created per year for five years. The state job tax credit can be used against 100 percent of income tax liability and withholding taxes,” Smith noted.

There are also plusses for Richmond Hill Stafford feels.

“They eat lunch here, they buy gas,” he said of the hundreds working at Crossroads. “It will reach right on out for rentals and all sorts of things. Right now they are driving from Wilmington Island and all over. They are bringing a lot of business to the community.”

Richmond Hill Mayor Harold Fowler echoed Stafford’s thoughts.

“They have about 200 employees there now and I think they are going to be bringing in some more. There are several businesses in there. Hobart had gotten down where they didn’t have but about 50 employees. So I think it is a great addition to Richmond Hill for this group to have taken it over and begin using that building again,” he said.

“This, plus Ceasarstone, are the first industrial growth the city has had in 30 some years. Together they have brought in several hundred people who are working here on a daily basis that we didn’t have just a short time back. I can’t estimate exactly how much of an actual economic impact it will have, but it is good.”

The refurbishing of the building included updating restrooms, adding more than $100,000 of LED lighting and creating 10 office spaces. Three of the offices are already occupied as is all but approximately 30,000 square-feet in the warehouse/industrial area behind them.

Omega Construction, the contractor for Ceasarstone, has leased what was once the lunchroom area and created 10 office spaces from that.


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Development Authority of Bryan County
116 Lanier Street
Post Office Box 267
Pembroke, Georgia 31321-0267

 

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Telephone: +1 (912) 653-4967
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