Bryan County 
Rich Past & Dynamic Future

Story by Cindy Reid

Rural Bryan County is a beautiful county—often overshadowed by its neighbor Savannah, but historic and meaningful in its own right. Dotted with boat ramps and vistas of untouched land, Bryan County is home to approximately 45,000 residents, a major military installation and two cities. The county seat lies in the city of Pembroke in the more rural north, and in the south end is the bustling city of Richmond Hill. In between you'll find Black Creek, Lanier, Ellabell, Keller, and other small towns filled with farms, faith and generations of families.

One-third of the county’s land is occupied by Fort Stewart, which is the largest Army installation east of the Mississippi River and home of the 3rd Infantry Division.

Located inland, but convenient to the coast and major highways, Bryan County has long been a relatively low-key haven for many—from farmers and suburbanites to historical figures and even a legendary rock star. Surrounded by so much water, it’s truly a Southern oasis.

But today, Bryan County is experiencing rapid growth and phenomenal change—a change that connects to its historic past of being a transportation hub, while propelling the county and its residents directly into the future of new technology. It’s been in the news a lot lately. Ask most coastal Georgia folks and they will tell you that Bryan County is the news.

Explosive Growth

According to the 2020 national census, Bryan County is the fastest-growing county in Georgia, and it is the sixth-fastest growing county in the United States. Its overall growth was at 48 percent, meaning more than 14,000 people moved to Bryan County since the last census in 2010. And this is just the beginning as industry growth around Interstate 16 is expected to bring nearly 20,000 new employees to the area in the coming years.

A number of factors contribute to Bryan County’s popularity. Anna Chafin, CEO of the Development Authority of Bryan County, says “One of the biggest draws is definitely the public school system. When you consider College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI) data, Bryan County is the top-performing school district in the region and is in the top seven percent of districts in the state.”

Many young families and professionals are moving to the area, and the county’s median household income is well above the Georgia average and on par with the national average.

She says, “We also have a multitude of industrially zoned available land and speculative buildings, so companies know that if they choose to locate in Bryan County, they will have a speed-to-market advantage.

The big news is …. Hyundai Motor Group

In 2022, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun announced that the South Korean auto manufacturer will build its first fully dedicated electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facility right here in Bryan County. Hyundai is investing $5.54 billion in the state-of-the-art smart factory and will deliver an estimated 8,100 new jobs to the region. It is forecast that Hyundai suppliers will invest approximately another $2 billion in the project. The facility will be located at the Bryan County Mega Site in Ellabell, GA.

The Bryan County Mega Site is an economic development site purchased in 2021 by the State of Georgia and the Savannah Harbor-Interstate 16 Corridor Joint Development Authority (JDA) specifically to attract an industrial manufacturing facility. The state paid $61 million, and Bryan County contributed $9 million, for the 2,284-acre site located near the interchange at I-16 and Highway 280. It is the largest such purchase of land in the state’s history.

Hyundai began construction at the Mega Site in January 2023, and they expect to be building cars there by the end of 2024.

In August of this year Hyundai and LG Energy Solution announced an additional $2 billion in capital investment and another 400 new jobs, bringing the totals to $7.59 billion in capital investment and 8,500 new jobs to the area.

It’s Not Just Cars

“Hyundai is definitely the largest company to invest in Bryan County,” says Anna Chafin. “However, if you don’t count Hyundai, the largest would actually be one of their affiliate suppliers, MOBIS, which is currently building a $926 million manufacturing facility in Richmond Hill that will employ more than 1,500 people.”

Other industries who have chosen Bryan County for initial investment or expansion include:

•          C&H Precision—a leading firearms manufacturer, announced plans for a significant investment in a state-of-the-art manufacturing and headquarters facility in the city of Richmond Hill,

•          Tyler Distribution Centers—a division of Port Jersey Logistics, will lease AltaBird Investment’s nearly completed 281,067-square-foot Class-A industrial space.

•          KISS USA—a global beauty company, will create more than 395 new jobs and invest $121 million in a facility at The Cubes at Interstate Centre II, a Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) Certified site in Bryan County.

•  Komar Brands—a global apparel company, will create 294 new jobs and invest $87 million in a new manufacturing and distribution facility at Interstate Centre 3, a Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) Certified site in Bryan County.

Historic Roots

Bryan County was established in 1793. Natural waterways border much of the county. The Ogeechee and the Canoochee rivers border the north, while the Intercoastal Waterway borders the south. The Ogeechee River is 294 miles long and flows southwest to Ossabaw Sound on the coast. The Canoochee River, the largest tributary of the Ogeechee River, is 108 miles long and flows through Ft. Stewart, joining the Ogeechee River from the west. There were ancient settlements in the area of the Ogeechee River dating back 11,500 years ago, and the river’s banks were inhabited for several centuries by Native Americans.

The county was a major producer of rice throughout the Colonial and Antebellum eras. Transportation innovations first played a role in the county’s history with the construction of the Savannah-Ogeechee Canal in 1830, and the building of the Savannah, Albany, and Gulf Railroad in 1850.

Pembroke, “A Historic Railroad Town,” was created when the Savannah & Western Railroad extended its line in 1889. During the heyday of the lumber business it was a busy city and eventually became the county seat in 1937.

Today the Pembroke Historic District—listed in the National Register of Historic Places—is a charming small town with many family-owned shops and eateries.

Fort McAllister State Historic Park is the home of the best-preserved earthwork fortification of the Confederacy and is located in the southern end of the county.

Other historic sites include the Bryan Neck Presbyterian Church, the oldest public building in the county, and the Bryan Neck Missionary Baptist Church, organized in 1869, which is the oldest African American church congregation in lower Bryan County. The first structure for the church, a Prayer House, was built in 1870 on the site of the current church.

The automotive industrialist Henry Ford and his wife Clara discovered the county in the 1920s, and in 1936 they built a mansion on the ruins of a plantation house on the Ogeechee River in Ways Station. “Richmond” was the historic name of their building site, so they named their new winter estate Richmond Hill Plantation. Due to the Ford’s many investments in the community’s wellbeing, from schools to health clinics, local citizens voted to change the name of Ways Station to Richmond Hill. The Fords made their winter home at Richmond Hill for almost 25 years and were extremely active in the community until his death in 1947.

And that rock legend? None other than Gregg Allman, Southern rock pioneer and founding member of the Allman Brothers Band who was a longtime resident of Richmond Hill. He and his wife Shannon built a home on the Belfast River where he lived until his death in 2017. He often spoke of the quiet and beauty he found while fishing and watching the wildlife from his river dock.

Past & Present Come Together

Echoes of Bryan County’s past, as a key player in Georgia’s railroad and canal history, can be found in today’s headlines, and being on the cutting edge of automotive technology would certainly have appealed to longtime resident  Henry Ford.

When asked if Bryan County will see even more expansion over the next decade, Chafin says, “Yes, we expect to continue to see growth over the next ten years. The good thing about a project like Hyundai is that they have a large network of suppliers that need to be near the main manufacturing facility. We have already seen a lot of activity from suppliers since the announcement of Hyundai last year with 11 total supplier announcements throughout the state. Additionally, more than 34 million square-feet of industrial space is planned on property owned by private developers in Bryan County, and we expect that a significant amount of this development will happen over the next several years.”

Thanks to the influx of industry to the county, longtime residents and newcomers alike will enjoy the benefits of robust economic opportunities well into the future.