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Relocating to Savannah
straight talk
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the hub for innovation
Savannah Development & Renewal Authority
the downtown business recruiter and facilitator
Savannah Economic Development Authority
the large industry recruiter
To the Point Answers to Questions Most Frequently Asked about Savannah
| Quality of Life | Lots of folks are moving to Savannah - the theme of "quality of life" is heard in the conversations of many who elect to live in Savannah. The barrier islands of the coast, the historic district and its squares, the small town convenience, the climate, the beauty of the live oaks green all winter, the airport convenience for escape, all add up to the opportunity for a lifestyle that is exceptional and clearly slower than in the major cities of our country. That is why people move to Savannah or stay after being in the military or in college here. |
| Schools | Savannah and Chatham County have a consolidated school system that has struggled to attract white kids since the imposition of forced integration. Something like 25% of the students continue to attend private and parochial schools established during "integration". Public schools are, never the less, a practical alternative because one needs only three good schools, an elementary school, a middle school and a high school. Attendance zones are highly flexible so take time to visit the most highly regarded public schools. Twelve years at a private school can add up to $250,000+ of after-tax cash better used for a college education. Public schools here graduate students who succeed at major universities around the country; ask for a list. Don't assume that all private schools perform at a higher level than do some of the public schools. HOPE scholarships are a major benefit for parents of Georgia students. |
| Universities | Armstrong (AASU) provides an excellent faculty and educational opportunity for undergraduates in liberal arts and science; it has a major emphasis on health professions. Georgia Southern University in Statesboro is a one hour commute and they have some night classes at the Center for Continuing Education on M.L. King Street in Savannah. Savannah Technical College is an important resource for job training and they also provide ESL training. SCAD's target market is the parent of a creative student who want to get their kid off of their own payroll and into a job; SCAD has moderate success at that. AASU and GSU course are free for residents over 62 years of ages (as long as the class is not full). |
| Economy | Savannah's economy has no one dominant sector. The port (#3 container port on the East Coast), the military, basic manufacturing, warehousing and distribution, regional retail and tourism provide the base of jobs in Savannah. Unfortunately many large locally owned businesses have been acquired and their HQs have been lost. Hospitals and government are the largest employers. Gulfstream is the anomaly - a large manufacturer of an world class product. Colonial Oil (see below) is much larger than most people realize. |
| Climate | Savannah has the same climate as North Florida as evidenced by the native vegetation (e.g. palm trees) that live along the coast. If you want to see snow you may have to wait 10 years and then you will have about 45 minutes before it melts. Houseplants can survive outside through many winters. When the orange groves in Florida freeze it is freezing here too. Ocean temperatures, which can get up to 85 degrees lag the air temperature on the way up and down. Temperature on Tybee are about six degrees cooler in summer and warmer in winter than in downtown Savannah. |
| Downtown | Broughton Street (main street) has gone from vacant to almost full in the last 10 years thanks to the efforts of volunteer-led SDRA (link above)- over $200 million of private investment has been attracted for downtown revitalization. Parking is THE big issue holding back further progress; a new major construction project near city market will add a net of 500 new spaces - not nearly enough. Downtown is the entertainment district for the city and is busy at all hours. |
| Housing | Housing is changing in many directions and neighborhoods. New construction and condo conversions are active around the historic district. New communities are being built on the western and southern edges of Chatham County - west of the airport and west of Hunter AAF. New lofts in the Starland District have been sold out pre-completion. Areas of the Victorian District, Baldwin Park and Parkside have seen major renovation. SCAD students are important tenants for intown areas. There may be a buyer's market at the Landings on Skidaway as the earlier retirees now need to sell and move to transitional housing. Condo conversions are going crazy downtown - there just might be excess inventory. |
As in many cities, the loss of corporate headquarters has had an impact on Savannah’s leadership capacity
Colonial Group: Colonial Oil Industries (incl Enmark Stations) –Demere Family; revenue $4.5 billion www.colonialgroupinc.com Memorial Health University Medical Center www.memorialhealth.com Revenue $447 million in 2004 Citi Trends – previously Savannah Wholesale (Yellin, Bono Families) public company www.cititrends.com Revenue $381 million in 2007 St. Joseph’s - Candler Hospital www.sjchs.org Revenue $328 million in 2005 Savannah College of Art & Design www.scad.edu Revenue in 2005 $166 million JC Lewis Companies – J.C. Lewis, WJCL sold in 1999 Morris Multi-Media Inc. – Charles Morris www.morrismultimedia.com Brasseler USA www.brasselerusa.com Dixie Plywood – Dan & Waldo Bradley Families www.dixieply.com Vaden Dealerships - Dan Vaden family www.danvaden.com Melaver Inc. - real estate development & prop. mgt. - Melaver family www.melaver.com
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2006 Derst Baking – Ed Derst www.derst.com acquired by Flowers Industries 2006 Friedman’s Jewelers (Public on NASDAQ) www.friedmans.com moved HQ to Dallas 2006 Savannah Electric & Power HQ in Sav. closed and assumed by Ga. Power/ Southern Co. 2005 Palmer & Cay – John E. Cay III www.palmercay.com acquired by Wachovia Bank 2003 South University – John South sold to Education Management Corp www.edmc.com 2003 Intermarine USA (absentee owner Bernie Ebbers) Acquired by Palmer Johnson 2002 HO Systems (Tom H. Lee Funds) Acquired by VeriSign 1999 Union Camp (secondary HQ) Acquired by International Paper – moved staff to Memphis 1998 Kuhlman Corp. (Bob Jepson and others) Acquired by Borg-Warner 1998 Chatham Steel Corp. (Tenenbaum Family) Acquired by Reliance Steel & Alum www.rsac.com 1997 Savannah Foods & Industries (Sprague, Oxnard and others; a public company) Acquired by Imperial Holly 1965 Carson Products (Minis Family) Acquired by L’Oreal 1993 Solomons Co. (Solomons Family) Acquired by Cardinal Health www.cardinal.com 1993 Jones Hill & Mercer Insurance (Jack Jones) by HRH Insurance www.hrh.com 1991 C & S Bank (almost HQ – home of Mills B. Lane) Acquired by NationsBank www.bankofamerica.com 1989 Great Southern Federal S&L taken over by FDIC 1988 Savannah Electric & Power Co. Acquired by Southern Co. www.southerncompany.com now renamed Georgia Power Company 1988 Johnson Lane Space Smith & Co. Merged with Interstate Securities 1986 Builderama (Don Kole) 1985 Gulfstream Aerospace (Alan Paulson) Acquired first by Chrysler then by General Dynamics; Revenue $3.4 billion in 2005 - the most significant manufacturer now in Savannah 1985 M&M Supermarkets (Melaver Family) Acquired by Kroger 1985 Savannah Bank & Trust Co. Acquired by Georgia Railroad, then First Union Bank, now Wachovia 1960 Savannah News-Press Acquired by Billy Morris of Augusta, now Morris Communications Savannah Foundry & Machine Co.; Ductile Iron Co. of America (Neil Mingledorff)
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