USA: subsidies for the tuna processing industry

One million USD for the tuna cannery of Chicken of the Sea in Giorgia.

Here are the news releases on this:


EDGE Fund – Toombs County Development Authority and Chicken of the Sea

Lyons, GA – A $1 million EDGE grant from the OneGeorgia Authority to the Toombs County Development Authority provided assistance with building improvements to benefit the location to Georgia of a manufacturing and distribution facility for Tri-Union Seafoods, LLC d.b.a. Chicken of the Sea International, one of the top producers of canned/pouched tuna capturing 25 percent of the US market share.

Chicken of the Sea located into an existing 212,000 SF industrial building previously occupied by Simonton Building Products, Inc. In addition, COS constructed a 13,968 square-foot freezer facility connected to the existing building needed for its tuna canning operation. The facility is situated on a 27.02-acre site in the Toombs Corporate Center on US Hwy 1 north of Lyons.

Tri-Union Seafoods, LLC (TUS) is a subsidiary of Thai Union International, Inc. (TUI) which is based in San Diego. This processing and canning operation for TUS is the first in Georgia. Chicken of the Sea will invest $20, 000,000 in the facility and create 310 new jobs within four years. The raw tuna is shipped straight from the Port of Savannah to process into shelf stable canned tuna, and then shipped throughout the United States.

The EDGE Fund, a specialized incentive tool, is used to enhance Georgia’s competitiveness in attracting significant economic development projects. It is a program providing “deal-closing” funds when one rural Georgia community competes for a business location or expansion with another state or country.
• Required elements: a recommendation for funding from a state agency; private investment commitment and job creation commitment from the beneficiary business.
• Benefits must exceed costs.
• Clawback provisions require partial repayment in the event job-creation or private-investment commitments are not met.

Who can apply?
Eligible applicants for EDGE funding are general-purpose local governments, local-government authorities, joint or multi-county development authorities in any of the directly eligible counties or conditionally eligible counties. Eligible sub-recipients are legally established business entities.

How much money is available?
EDGE Funds are not limited in amount. Grant and/or Loan amounts are recommended by the Georgia Department of Economic Development and are based on economic impact and demonstrated need.

How can the funding be utilized?
EDGE funds may be used for the purchase of publicly owned assets such as land and site development; infrastructure improvements; and publicly owned/ privately leased assets, such as land, buildings & machinery and equipment. Demonstration that relocation or expansion will enhance the overall economic security of the county is an important consideration. Applicants are encouraged to seek the advice of the Authority prior to submitting an application.

Here’s how it works:
Applications are online at www.onegeorgia.org and are accepted on an ongoing basis. Funding is used only when the industry is actively considering a location in another state.

http://www.onegeorgia.org/projects/17/EDGE-Fund---Chicken-of-the-Sea

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Toombs County Development Authority / Tri-Union Seafoods, LLC d.b.a. Chicken of the Sea International

EDGE grant funds of $1 million are awarded to assist with building improvements at the location of a manufacturing and distribution facility for Tri-Union Seafoods, LLC d.b.a. Chicken of the Sea International (COS). Chicken of the Sea is one of the top producers of canned/pouched tuna capturing 25 percent of the US market share. The company, located in an existing industrial building, constructed a 14,000 square-foot freezer facility that is connected to the existing building. The facility is situated on a 27 acre site in the Toombs Corporate Center on US Hwy 1 north of Lyons. Tri-Union Seafoods, LLC (TUS) is a subsidiary of Thai Union International, Inc. (TUI) which is based in San Diego. The parent company is the second largest processor of tuna in the world and with the opening of the Georgia plant; Thai Union Frozen Products anticipates that it will become the largest tuna processor in the world. The Toombs County canning operation is the first in Georgia for TUI and its’ many subsidiaries.

* EDGE Award: $1 million / Total Project Cost: $21.5 million
* 310 new jobs in four years / Interstate competition: South Carolina

http://gov.georgia.gov/00/press/detail/0,2668,78006749_78013037_160994537,00.html