Since the conception of The Lakes at Green Valley, Georgia’s first and only “eco” industrial park, a decade ago, Griffin-Spalding Development Authority (GSDA) has solidified the county’s status as a preferred destination for Japanese investors.
“Prior to this, we were able to attract a couple of Japanese companies such as Sumika and Hoshizaki in our other parks. Our relationship with them early on made us realize the value of recruiting Japanese companies, and we have been targeting them as partners since then,” said GSDA Executive Director David Luckie.
The 570-acre mixed use development has attracted the likes of Otsuka Chemical, Toppan USA and Marukan. Last year, Rinnai opened its first U.S. manufacturing plant in the park, filling up six of the 11 designated industrial sites. With those latest developments, the investors at The Lakes at Green Valley are all Japanese.
Last year, Luckie, along with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, paid a courtesy call on Rinnai’s senior officers in Japan during a trip to attend the Southeast U.S.-Japan Conference. He is planning more visits as a gesture of appreciation to the other GSDA’s Japanese partners and hopes to fill the rest of the unoccupied sites with Japanese investors.
“Building the relationships with our Japanese companies is very important to us. We want to be lifelong partners as they continue to grow in our community. We have built a community here that Japanese can call home,” said Luckie.
“Of course, this would not be possible without the support and confidence that existing investors have placed in us over the years along with the great assistance from the State of Georgia’s Department of Economic Development,” he added.