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Jesup car dealer joins state board
Chad NeSmith
Chad NeSmith stands next to a vehicle in his showroom. - photo by Photo provided.

JESUP — Chad NeSmith, dealer principal of NeSmith Chevrolet Buick GMC in Jesup, has been appointed to serve on the Georgia Automobile Dealer Association board of directors for a three-year term beginning July 1.  
GADA has more than 500 dealer members who represent more than 90 percent of the new vehicles sold in Georgia. GADA provides a lobbying voice for dealers and in partnership with its subsidiary, GADA Services Inc., GADA offers title services, business forms, informative industry publications, and continuing education for members.
NeSmith was nominated and approved for the distinguished GADA position during the organization’s annual conference June 13-16 in Ponte Vedra, Fla.  
“I’m honored to serve on this board,” NeSmith said. “The GADA is one of the most influential lobbying organizations in the state, which ensures fair treatment of every franchise dealer in Georgia and makes certain that customers are protected and the car buying experience is better all the way around.”
NeSmith’s father, Martin, was GADA board of directors’ chairman in the 1990s and still supports the organization.
“It’s a delight to see my son serving on the board,” Martin NeSmith said. “The GADA works on such important legislation that impacts every citizen in the state. Chad will represent the dealer body and every car buyer in our state very well. I’m extremely proud of him.”
For more information, go to www.nesmithnow.com or call 912-427-2045.

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Record April boosts Savannah's container trade at port
GardenCityTerminal
The Port of Savannah moved 356,700 20-foot equivalent container units in April, an increase of 7.1 percent. - photo by Provided

The Georgia Ports Authority's busiest April ever pushed its fiscal year-to-date totals to more than 3.4 million 20-foot equivalent container units (TEUs), an increase of 8.8 percent, or 280,000 TEUs, compared to the first 10 months of fiscal 2017.

"We're on track to move more than 300,000 TEUs in every month of the fiscal year, which will be a first for the authority," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. "We're also anticipating this to be the first fiscal year for the Port of Savannah to handle more than 4 million TEUs."

April volumes reached 356,700 20-foot equivalent container units, up 7.1 percent or 23,700 units. As the fastest growing containerport in the nation, the Port of Savannah has achieved a compound annual growth rate of more than 5 percent a year over the past decade.

"As reported in the recent economic impact study by UGA's Terry College of Business, trade through Georgia's deepwater ports translates into jobs, higher incomes and greater productivity," said GPA Board Chairman Jimmy Allgood. "In every region of Georgia, employers rely on the ports of Savannah and Brunswick to help them become more competitive on the global stage."

To strengthen the Port of Savannah's ability to support the state's future economic growth, the GPA Board approved $66 million in terminal upgrades, including $24 million for the purchase of 10 additional rubber-tired gantry cranes.  

"The authority is committed to building additional capacity ahead of demand to ensure the Port of Savannah remains a trusted link in the supply chain serving Georgia and the Southeast," Lynch said.

The crane purchase will bring the fleet at Garden City Terminal to 156 RTGs. The new cranes will support three new container rows, which the board approved in March. The additional container rows will increase annual capacity at the Port of Savannah by 150,000 TEUs.

The RTGs will work over stacks that are five containers high and six deep, with a truck lane running alongside the stacks. Capable of running on electricity, the cranes will have a lift capacity of 50 metric tons.

The cranes will arrive in two batches of five in the first and second quarters of calendar year 2019.

 Also at Monday's meeting, the GPA Board elected its officers, with Jimmy Allgood as chairman, Will McKnight taking the position of vice chairman and Joel Wooten elected as the next secretary/treasurer.

For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Senior Director of Corporate Communications Robert Morris at (912) 964-3855 or rmorris@gaports.com.

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