Brunswick Manufacturing Fuels economy
This article first appeared in The Brunswick News
Posted on Aug 13, 2015 by Lindsey Adkison
The Great Recession dealt a heavy blow to many businesses in the Golden Isles from 2007 to 2009.
The manufacturing sector certainly felt the crippling effects. Several scaled back production significantly.
But since the downturn subsided, manufacturing has been picking up steam. It’s continued to flourish, creating a diversified economic landscape in Glynn County.
It’s been an enormous benefit to the area, and it’s something John Scott, who manages business retention and expansion for the Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority, is thrilled to see. In fact, it was one of the reasons he wanted to be a part of the economic development team.
“The recession was a major blow to a lot of our local manufacturers and we even lost a few,” Scott said. “Those that were affected had to become more lean in their operations and reduce their workforce. It’s interesting to note that the aerospace/aviation industry sector was largely unaffected.
John Scott, Brunswick – Glynn County Development Authority
“But Glynn County has a very unique and diverse mix of manufacturers. I like to think of them in terms of industry sectors and our top industry sectors in size of employment are process manufacturing, metal fabrication/machining, aerospace and logistics.”
Manufacturing accounts for well over 3,000 local jobs, with related industries like warehousing and logistics providing more than 1,000 employment opportunities.
The largest local manufacturers are Brunswick Cellulose, Rich Products and King & Prince Seafood.
In recent years the aerospace manufacturing industry has also soared. In June, the new 110,000-square-foot maintenance repair and overhaul Gulfstream facility opened at the Brunswick Golden Isles Airport. That expansion paved the way for 100 new jobs.
Stambaugh Aviation also announced plans for growth to follow infrastructure improvements currently in the works at the airport. That move is also slated to bring 100 jobs.
Scott says both have proved to be enormous strides for local manufacturing.
“With the Gulfstream and Stambaugh Aviation expansions the aerospace/aviation industry sector literally doubled over an 18-month period,” he said, adding that the growth is key for future development.
“We don’t have any confirmations of new projects coming in, but if the trend continues aerospace will easily be the top manufacturing employer in the next few years.”
While the aerospace industry is booming, a number of other local manufacturers are also reporting upticks in business. Scott said one reason many are seeing positive returns can be linked to the “reshoring” movement, where companies have opted out of sending work overseas. This continues to change the manufacturing landscape.
“Manufacturing in Glynn County is changing quickly. Companies have to innovate and improve in order to stay competitive, and for our process manufacturers, this means more automation. Obviously, more automation means fewer jobs, but it also means a significant boost to our tax base,” he said.
“Automation is also a major cause for the ‘reshoring’ trend, or manufacturing companies coming back to the U.S. Since labor cost is no longer the largest single cost, coming back to the U.S. just makes a lot of sense financially. Many of our local manufacturers have seen an uptick in business as a result and there are several examples across Georgia of manufacturers reshoring.”
It follows a similar statewide trend. According to the Georgia Department for Economic Development and the Georgia Department of Labor, the manufacturing sector has seen a boost in recent years.
Stefanie Paupeck Harper, director of communications for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, said a number of new projects have located in the state.
“In the past year, Aug. 11, 2014, to present, Georgia Department of Economic Development has located 150 manufacturing projects resulting in 8,313 jobs and $1.75 billion investment statewide,” she said.
The previous year saw even more projects anchor in Georgia — 165.
“(That) created 9,814 jobs and $2.2 billion investment from 2013 to 2014. And again, these are only our projects,” she said.
The Georgia Department of Labor has also kept track of the increase. Statewide in 2010, it recorded 344,800 jobs within the manufacturing sector. In 2014, that figure jumped to 367,200. As recent as June 2015, there were 373,600 jobs in this sector.
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-1, who recently toured the Gulfstream and Stambaugh Aviation facilities in Brunswick, is enthusiastic about what he’s seen in terms of manufacturing growth in his district, as well as throughout the state.
“It is always great to see economic growth in the first district first hand. Georgia employs more than 355,641 manufacturing workers and this number will continue to rise as long as bureaucratic red tape does not get in the way,” Carter said.
“That is why it is a top priority of mine in Congress to ensure government regulations don’t stifle growth in this important industry. As the manufacturing sector continues to grow, it also underscores the importance of supporting and maintaining our ports, which are vital for our local economy and nation to be competitive.”
Reporter Lindsey Adkison writes about business and other local topics. Contact her at ladkison@thebrunswicknews.com on Facebook or at 265-8320 ext. 346.
