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Leaders welcome Mitsubishi
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Community leaders are expressing optimism and excitement following Monday’s announcement by Gov. Sonny Perdue that Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas Inc. will locate a manufacturing facility in nearby Pooler.

The company will bring an estimated 500 jobs to the area and plans to invest $325 million in its newest facility, according to the Associated Press. The Mitsubishi plant will manufacture and service turbines used by power plants to generate electricity, according to the AP.

The state bought the mega site for $23 million seven years ago, in an effort to persuade DaimlerChrysler to locate on the mega site. The agreement did not hold up and an estimated 3,000 jobs never materialized.

"It (Mitsubishi plant) will make a regional impact," said Josh Fenn, Bryan County Development Authority executive director. "Any time an industry locates in our area it’s a benefit for metro Savannah. We’ve got vendors that will do business with that plant, we have unemployed citizens that will get jobs at the plant and there are people associated with the plant who will move to and live in Bryan County."

Fenn commented "a big name company" such as Mitsubishi deciding to relocate to metro Savannah illustrates the company’s confidence in the region, especially in a struggling economy.

Ted Akins, Bryan County Development Authority Board Chairman, said Bryan County’s proximity to Pooler – a short 15-minute drive from the mega site – should help bring additional businesses to the authority’s Interstate Centre.

"We’re going to work extremely hard to do that," Akins said. "We’re happy to have someone at the site, particularly in these bad economic times."

Akins said there is plenty of available space for auxiliary businesses to locate at the centre in north Bryan County.

"We have a 600,500 square foot crossdock facility that’s available now with our partner TPA Realty Services from Atlanta," he said. "We probably have another 500 acres available to put other businesses on our site."

-Read more in the Bryan County News

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