Southeast Georgia Regional Development Association
The Southeast Georgia RDA is a collection of nine counties that are ideally located for a variety of industries: manufacturing, logistics, metalworking, food processing, and more. The region is within driving distance of three major seaports and two international airports, with access to four interstate highways and several U.S. and state routes. These counties are rural, but also business focused, offering employers and employees excellent work-life balance.
Appling County is a central distribution hub in Georgia’s Southeast. It is less than 100 miles from the ports at Brunswick and Savannah. Three industrial parks along U.S. Highway 341/Golden Isles Parkway provide four-lane access to Interstate 95 to the east and Interstate 75 to the west. Appling County is a partner in the regional Southern Pines College and Career Academy and hosts a branch campus of Coastal Pines Technical College in Baxley.
Appling County
As the “Blueberry Capital of Georgia,” Bacon County’s blueberry farmers lead the way in blueberry research, supported by the University of Georgia Blueberry Research and Demonstration Farm there. Other industry clusters include metal fabrication and distribution/logistics. Bacon County hosts a branch campus of Coastal Pines Technical College in Alma, and also is a partner in the regional Southern Pines College and Career Academy.
Bacon County
Clinch County industry is historically rooted in timber products, although the county's modern agricultural sector has expanded to include blueberry and honeybee farming. Manufacturing stands as the county’s number one employer. Two industrial parks with available property are less than 70 miles from the Port of Brunswick and just over 70 miles from Jacksonville's International Airport and port.
Clinch County
Coffee County is the largest member of the Southeast Georgia RDA by population and is two hours or less from I-10, I-16, I-75, I-95 and numerous U.S. and state highways; seaports at Savannah, Brunswick, and Jacksonville; and international airports at Savannah and Jacksonville. Coffee County is home to South Georgia State College, which offers bachelor’s degrees in five fields, 20 transfer pathways, and an Adult Learners program. Wiregrass Georgia Technical College has a campus in Douglas, which also supports the Coffee County School System’s Wiregrass Regional College & Career Academy.
Coffee County
Jeff Davis County offers a strong foundation in manufacturing, renewable energy, and logistics. At the intersection of U.S. Highways 221 and 341, and served by rail, Jeff Davis County offers convenient access to major Southeastern markets and beyond – including two seaports just 90 minutes away. Jeff Davis hosts a campus of Coastal Pines Technical College and is also a partner in the regional Southern Pines College and Career Academy.
Jeff Davis County
Pierce County offers the peaceful landscape of rural Southeast Georgia with the support of a strong, business-minded county. Top employment sectors are Manufacturing, Distribution/Logistics, and Food Processing. The Pierce County Industrial Rail Park has a CSX Select Site designation and is within 50 miles of the Brunswick port. Post-secondary education and job training is available in nearby Waycross and in Brunswick.
Pierce County
While Toombs County is known as the home of the famous sweet Vidalia® onion, onions are not the only sweet asset. This pro-business community offers a skilled workforce, low operating costs, and proximity to the Port of Savannah via Interstate 16 (less than 90 minutes away). Toombs is also home to Southeastern Technical College (STC) which produces a robust, talented, and reliable technical workforce.
Toombs County
Ware County is the second largest county in the Southeast Georgia RDA by population and the economic hub of the area, which borders the famed Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge. CSX Transportation has its largest, most productive automated classification rail facility in Waycross, and is only an hour’s drive from the ports at Brunswick and Jacksonville. Waycross hosts the main campus of Coastal Pines Technical College as well as a branch campus of South Georgia State College.
Ware County
With natural beauty and a bevy of business opportunities, Wayne County is an excellent place to live, work, and play. Wayne County is in a perfect strategic location, minutes from I-95, less than an hour from the Port of Brunswick, and an hour and a half from the Port of Savannah and Jacksonville International Airport. Wayne County hosts a campus of Coastal Pines Technical College in Jesup, and Wayne County High School students may be dual-enrolled at either Coastal Pines Tech or the College of Coastal Georgia.
Wayne County