Benjy Thompson, the CEO of the Development Authority of Bulloch County, said in an interview Friday that the regional authority provides for better communication and the ability to coordinate resources for industries that might want to locate along the I-16 corridor.
In June, President Barack Obama signed into law a measure authorizing the deepening of the harbor to go forward. Four months later, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Georgia Department of Transportation and Georgia Ports Authority signed a project partnership agreement, allowing the long-awaited expansion to begin.
Ports along the East Coast, including Savannah; Charleston, South Carolina; and Jacksonville, Florida, have been working to upgrade their intake capabilities in anticipation of the expansion of the Panama Canal, expected to be completed within the next couple of years. Once the canal is expanded, bigger ships with more cargo will be able to pass through, and that is expected to provide an economic boom, especially for communities whose ports can most efficiently handle the larger loads.
Thompson noted that Bulloch County has had proven success in attracting large industries — the Wal-Mart Distribution Center, Great Dane and Briggs & Stratton, among others. And the Development Authority of Bulloch County, along with the equivalent authorities in each of the other three counties, will continue to pursue those kinds of projects.
“What we hope is coming up soon due to the port deepening and the improving economy is more interest in coastal Georgia for those types of projects — and those that may be even larger,” he said. “As we see projects that may require a more regional approach to things, which I think is an intelligent way to go, we have among the four counties that are part of the joint development resolution

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