New Faculty Tour: Got Milk?

Written by Beverly Johnson, public service assistant in governmental services and research, and Mara Register, public service assistant in governmental training, education and development, of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. 

Thursday started out bright and early with a visit to the University of Georgia experimental station in Tifton. Our visit to the facility was hosted by Dr. Joe West. This world renowned research facility was established in 1918 on land donated by Captain H.H. Tifton. More than 500 employees representing twenty-two countries work at the station. It is co-located with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and contains more than 2,200 acres of field laboratories.

We had the opportunity to see the progress of the Future Farmstead Project, a residential farm structure and site that will support research focused on sustainability and energy efficiency in farm facilities. We then heard from Dr. Charles Douglas who provided additional information about the experimental station during our visits to the dairy and peanut crop research field. The dairy was an amazing facility financially self-sufficient from milk sales. The dairy industry has an annual economic impact in our state of more than $780 million. One milk cow can produce 100 pounds of milk every day...and there are more than 80,000 milk cows in Georgia! Got Milk? You bet! It was an incredible visit with people passionate about agriculture and the key economic role it plays in our state and country.

Five fun facts:

• Ninety-five percent of milk production in the United States comes from Holstein cows.
• Georgia is the top producer in the country for pecans, peanuts and poultry.
• In 2012, Georgia became the top producing state for blueberries
• Georgia produces 35 commercial vegetable crops and is third in the country for overall vegetable production. 
• Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton has an annual enrollment of 3,300 students from eighteen states and 20 foreign countries. 

New Faculty Tour: Back on the bus!

Written by Jackie Guglietta, assistant director of regional programs for the UGA Alumni Association 

Each day of this journey brings new surprises and exceeds all our expectations. Although these memories will stay with me long after this trip, yesterday was one of my favorite days with colleagues that are quickly becoming some of my favorite people.

One of the sayings on this trip has been, "back on the bus!" We have this yelled at us often because we are going from place to place, squeezing in all the fun and information to stay on schedule. With all the excitement, you can't blame us for having small moments of fatigue after interesting programs. Last night, however, there was a higher and more consistent energy among the group. Why were we all so pumped up? It could have been feeding little calfs, going out on the boat or even seeing dolphins swimming...but I think it had something to do with our mascot Uga surprising us as the special guest at Skidaway Island! For some of us, this was our first time meeting him and we were excited to spend some quality time petting him before dinner. This week we have been the type of group that does not let anything get in the way of our meals, but delaying dinner a few minutes to snap a photo with Uga was definitely worth it.

After "Calling the Dawgs" (I am going to need a few more practice rounds!), we enjoyed a delicious low country boil with our new Skidaway Island friends. Shrimp, potatoes, corn on the cob, sausage, banana pudding and more...we were in heaven. Then it was "back on the bus" to the wonderful downtown Savannah for the night.

We are so thankful to the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography staff for allowing us to see what they do and for being such amazing hosts. I am looking forward to seeing what our last day has in store for us!

New Faculty Tour: Railways and the Economy

Written by Richard McCline, senior public service associate at the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development.  

Wow...another great experience for all of us on the New Faculty Tour! Today we visited the CSX terminal in Waycross. Waycross is aptly named due to the nearby intersection of highways I, 23, 82, 38, 15 and 121 - all important east, west, north and south routes.

Although it is tempting to think of railroads as remnants of the past, Georgia could no maintain its leading role as a producer of pine timber, pecans, peanuts or poultry without the rail system. CSX operates more than 2,700 miles of track, handles almost 2 million carloads of products and employees about 3,000 people. 

The view from the control tower at the freight yard is much like you imagine the view from an air traffic tower would be. With the help of some sophisticated IT support, you can see the entire rail yard and traffic. Furthermore, CSX is a community-conscious business; CSX has a large commitment to the United Way and does great work with a youth program started several years ago. 

The visit to CSX helped connect the dots between Kia, the poultry industry, agriculture, overall economic development in Georgia and UGA's key role in the state's economy.

All in all, it was another interesting and very informative stop along the New Faculty Tour.  

New Faculty Tour: The Auto Industry and Economic Development

Written by Mi Geum Chorzepa, assistant professor of civil engineering in UGA's College of Engineering. 

Early Wednesday morning, the New Faculty Tour visited the Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) plant in West Point. The tour was arranged by Sean McMillan, director of economic development at UGA. As we drove into the site, I almost felt as though I was sitting in the conference room at the Georgia Power Resource Center. On Tuesday, Tommy Wade, senior civil engineer at Georgia Power, presented GIS-based site design and showed a virtual manufacturing building placed on a potential plot on Google Earth. Driving up, the building looked very similar to the 3D building model.

The tour started with a presentation by Kia employees. During the presentation, we learned that KMMG revitalized the West Point community and provided training and jobs to community residents. We also learned that they are growing in size - manufacturing more than 200,000 cars per year. We then started a guided tour of four assembly units. The first unit we visited was the stamping line, where the manufacturing process begins. Three models are mainly manufactured in this plant: the Sorento, Optima and Santa Fe. The welding shop was the next stop. It was, in my opinion, the most impressive stop. Approximately 300 welding robots put the body panels together, providing 2,200 welds per car.

And it wasn't just the technology that impressed the New Faculty. The safety and assurance programs in place were truly impressive. Moreover, the space was used very efficiently, fully utilizing the overhead compartments. The third stop was the paint shop. This shop cleans, conditions, Eco bathes and primes the metal bodies, and provides the final color coat. As we were walking to the last unit, the testing and quality assurance unit, we saw the cafeteria, fitness center, bank, medical center and learned about Kia's employee wellness programs and benefits. In the testing unit, it was amazing to witness the well-coordinated teamwork and safety and quality assurance programs. Kia's Georgia plant is capable of assembling a car in only one hour. It's hard to believe, but now we can testify to the speed!

It was touching to see the busy manufacturing lines and to be part of this vibrant community. As the nation struggles to find more jobs for its citizens, it is truly impressive that KMMG not only manages to stay in business but also successfully operates a manufacturing plant in the United States. Kia cars are not made until they have already been sold. As a part of the new engineering program at UGA, I realize our engineering students may also be able to provide the infrastructure and workforce that can attract more businesses like KMMG and make positive changes to Georgia cities and communities. Moreover, I strongly believe diverse research programs at UGA will bring more new business initiatives to Georgia. I look forward to visiting the plant again with our students.

New Faculty Tour: Four Stops, Five Facts

Written by Beverly Johnson, public service assistant in governmental services and research at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government

We were on the road at 6:20 yesterday morning with a jam-packed day!

First stop: West Point
Sean McMillan, UGA director of economic development, accompanied us to our first stop, Kia Motors Manufacturing of Georgia. Sean provided our group with information about the partnership among several state agencies - including QuickStart, Georgia Department of Economic Development and Georgia Power - that was required to bring Kia to Georgia. This was a wonderful example of what can happen when collaboration is put to work.

Our visit began in the Kia training center with a welcome by Kia representatives, followed by a presentation about the company, vehicles and impact Kia has made on the region. The visit continued with an amazing tour of the manufacturing plant. We were able to see the processes used to assemble each of the vehicles the plant produces. What an impressive use of robotics and technology! Kia's workforce is a sterling example of the skills needed to attract today's manufacturing companies to Georgia.

Here's five fast facts about Kia:

• Located in West Point, GA, Kia is the largest economic development project in recent years.
• Kia produces 365,000 cars each year at the West Point facility.
• Kia uses a "just in time" production system, meaning only four hours of inventory is in the plant at any given time.
• Kia has its own medical facility staffed with physicians and medical staff for employees' benefit. The facility also has its own onsite emergency medical technician team.
• Every vehicle is sold before Kia builds it.

And at the end of the tour...we each got a car! It was only a model car, but it was a car...and it was free! 

Next stop: Columbus

Our second stop for the day was at the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center at Fort Benning. If you have never been to this attraction, you must put it on your bucket list! The museum walks you through 237 years of infantry history. The state-of-the-art facility is not your typical museum...it is a true experience! You can see an IMAX movie, spend time at the shooting range and participate in a virtual Humvee simulation all in one day. 

Here's five facts about Fort Benning and Columbus:

• Columbus is home to the world's longest urban whitewater course. 
• Mayor Teresa Tomlinson is the first female mayor of Columbus.
• Fort Benning provides $110 million in salaries each month, making it a vital component of Columbus' economic engine.
• Fort Benning is the largest simulation and paratrooper training installment in the world and trains 98,000 soldiers each year.
• The National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center houses a 27-ton tank that is more then 200,000 square feet. 

And last but not least, Americus and Tifton

Archway Professional Maggie Potter provided an excellent tour through Southwest Georgia. She shared the work being done with local communities to expand economic growth and showed us President Jimmy Carter's current home! 

In 2007, Americus suffered an EF-3 tornado. But to see the city today, you would never guess the community had suffered such a horrific experience. One of the greatest rebuild efforts is the new hospital and medical facility. Citizens of this region no longer have to travel to Albany or Columbus to receive medical attention. This is a major accomplishment! 

In Tifton, we attended a reception and dinner held in the beautiful home of former Regent Julie Hunt. Today, we will see UGA's Tifton campus and will travel on to Waycross.

And here's five fast facts about Americus and Tifton:

• Americus leads the world in cotton production.
• The historic Windsor Hotel in Americus is one of two historic hotels in Georgia listed on the National Register.
• UGA's Tifton campus has a Vidalia onion lab.
• The Archway Partnership in Americus is working on a project to study the feasibility of methane gas production from the local landfill. 
• Americus was chosen as a City of Excellence by Georgia Magazine in 2000. 

New Faculty Tour: West Point to Ft. Benning

Written by Todd Carlisle, business consultant, University of Georgia Small Business Development Center

Today, our tour across Georgia took us to West Point and Fort Benning. In West Point, we learned how local government, economic development professionals, higher education, local landowners and one large company can transform a region and the state. This great change was the establishment of KIA in West Point. In touring the plant, it is evident that KIA is vested in its people, the community and growing in the state. The facility is on the cutting edge of automotive production; KIA employees more than 3,000 people and has a manufacturing capacity of 360,000 automobiles.

In Fort Benning, we were hosted by "The Black Hats" of the Airborne School, the expertise that mold and prepare the elite paratroopers of the Army. I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade. This is the Warrior's Creed and a perfect testament to the atmosphere we experienced at Fort Benning. On our tour through the base museum, we saw memoribilia from all wars and conflicts in the past 200-plus years all the way through the second Iraq conflict. We also watched the Black Hats take soldiers through training exercises as they progress and strive to be part of the Airborne Creed.

New Faculty Tour: Kia Motors Manufacturing

Written by Darren Hayunga, assistant professor in the department of insurance, legal studies and real estate in the Terry College of Business

Today on the New Faculty Tour we visited the Kia plant in West Point. In addition to the incredible technological achievements, as a real estate professor, I found the initial process of obtaining the land to be remarkable. Thirty-two land owners came together to provide a contiguous parcel on which Kia and their four direct suppliers built their facilities.

Potentially the state could have claimed eminent domain - but the claim is tenuous because the project is not for a highway or traditional public project. There is a case out of Connecticut that went to the Supreme Court in which the local government used eminent domain on a non-traditional project, but this could have certainly started the project off on the proverbial wrong foot. Instead, the landowners created a legacy that has been a tremendous economic benefit for the entire state.

New Faculty Tour: UGA and Economic Prosperity

Written by Mara Register, public service assistant in governmental training, education and development at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government.

The first full day of the New Faculty Tour was packed with community visits, presentations and collaborations that elevated my pride in my home state of Georgia. The morning began at Jaemor Farms in Alto, GA with an energetic presentation from Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black as he explained the significant contribution agriculture makes to the growing economy of our state. And then, from a vibrant family farm in Northeast Georgia, we traveled to the capital city of the South, Atlanta.

In Atlanta, we had the opportunity to visit the Centergy Center in Midtown for an impressive overview of the facility by key Georgia Power staff. This state-of-the-art economic recruitment center truly serves as the heart of past, present and future business recruitment and retention efforts in Georgia. It was an honor to hear from the new Georgia Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Gretchen Corbin. Numerous times she recognized the important role the Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG) plays in ensuring our local Georgia communities are prepared for economic recruitment and prosperity through our leadership training of elected officials and staff.

After lunch, CVIOG's Director Laura Meadows greeted us at the Capitol. Needless to say, I was so proud of Laura's incredible overview of CVIOG and the role we play in leadership training, education and technical assistance. She shared how our efforts help make government work better for the people of Georgia. We then heard from Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and Secretary of State Brian Kemp. Our visit to the Capitol ended with a brief tour of this grand symbol of government and democracy for our state.

Following a visit to the King Memorial site and a visit to the Terry College of Business and UGA Alumni Office in Atlanta, we had a wonderful dinner and networking opportunity with members of the Consular Corps, located in Atlanta. It was truly an impressive evening dining with dignitaries from Canada, France, Haiti, India, Great Britain and South Korea. Visiting with this group was like having a window into the world right at your dinner table.

At the end of this action-packed day, I have a much greater appreciation for the role UGA plays in the economic vitality of our state as it is positioned nationally and globally. I also gained a much greater understanding of our work at CVIOG and the significant role we play every day in our training and educational efforts setting the stage for effective leaders today and in the future.

New Faculty Tour: Jaemor Farms

Written by Tim Quigley, assistant professor in the department of management in the Terry College of Business. Quigley moved to Athens 3 weeks ago from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. 

The UGA New Faculty Tour rolled into Jaemor Farms early Tuesday morning for breakfast and discussions with local and state agriculture officials.

Jaemor is a fifth-generation family farm turned tourist destination serving up peaches, apples, berries, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables. It was interesting to hear how the younger generation argued for installation of a corn maze. The boost in traffic at the farm helped grow the pumpkin harvest and sales from 5,000 in 2006 to more than 30,000 in 2010.

We heard from Commissioner Gary Black of the Department of Agriculture who highlighted Jaemor's sustainability, noting that they were "green" long before it was trendy. Highlighting Jaemor's 100+ year history, he also noted that sustainability is not just about being organic or environmental but also includes ensuring there's profit from the family farm this year and an opportunity to make a profit in the years to come.

Commissioner Black also highlighted the growing importance of locally grown food as people begin to see a connection between national security, personal security and food security. He believes this will provide growth opportunities for Georgia's farmers.

The visit to Jaemor concluded with a tractor tour of the farm, samples of fresh blackberries and a quick stop in the market before boarding the bus for our next stop.

Photo courtesy of the Georgia Small Business Development Center in Columbus. 

New Faculty Tour: Day 1

Written by Kelly Simmons, UGA public affairs representative 

After a send off by University System Board of Regents Chairman Dink NeSmith at the Georgia Center Monday afternoon, 40 UGA faculty members boarded a bus and traveled to the Hall County Civic Center in Gainesville for the first stop on the 2013 New Faculty Tour.

Following a reception and dinner, the group heard from President Jere Morehead who urged them to remember the land-grant mission of the university and look for ways to serve the state.

"It's done everywhere on campus," he said of public service and outreach, whose vice president is leading the four-day tour. "It's a mission that crosses all disciplinary areas of our campus."

University System Regent Philip Wilheit of Gainesville told the faculty members that UGA has been instrumental in helping Hall County land major manufacturing firms, which offer good salaries and benefits to North Georgia residents. UGA also played a critical role in helping entrepreneurs launch a wine industry in the Georgia mountains. 

“That was a direct result of the relationship between economic development and UGA,” Wilheit said. 

The New Faculty Tour will continue today with visits to Jaemor Farms in Alto and the Centergy Building, Capitol and UGA Alumni Center in Atlanta.