Biz

The Volvo Sweepstakes Are On

GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA BATTLE TO LURE CARMAKER …  || By FITSNEWS ||  Georgia and South Carolina are battling furiously to land a Volvo automotive manufacturing facility – with sites in Savannah, Georgia and Berkeley County, S.C. vying for the 4,000 jobs and $500 million in investment attached to the proposed…

GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA BATTLE TO LURE CARMAKER … 

|| By FITSNEWS ||  Georgia and South Carolina are battling furiously to land a Volvo automotive manufacturing facility – with sites in Savannah, Georgia and Berkeley County, S.C. vying for the 4,000 jobs and $500 million in investment attached to the proposed plant.

In fact the governors of both states – Georgia’s Nathan Deal and South Carolina’s Nikki Haley – traveled to the company’s North American headquarters in New Jersey this week to make their closing arguments.

“I’ve got my fingers crossed,” Deal told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We’re glad that we created an environment where we’re known as business-friendly.”

Deal added that he wasn’t worried about getting involved in a taxpayer-subsidized bidding war with the Palmetto State (which may actually be in the midst of a bidding war with itself).

“Governor Haley is a good friend of mine,” he said.  “We’re competitive on many, many projects. South Carolina is a competitive state.  We’re accustomed to the rough-and-tumble that’s associated with trying to lure people coming to this state.”

Oddly enough, Haley gift-wrapped a huge competitive advantage for Georgia back in 2011 when her appointees to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) overturned an agency decision to deny environmental permitting for Savannah’s government-funded harbor expansion plan.

Haley told her appointees to reverse the agency’s decision after receiving a boatload of cash from Savannah port interests – as well as a promised prime time speaking slot at the 2012 “Republican” national convention (from the Georgia Ports Authority’s leader).

Will that decision come back to bite her?  Well … bite her more than it already has?

Or … would it actually be better for South Carolina to lose this “economic development” battle?

After all, our state’s long-running strategy of bribing companies to locate here has been a miserable failure.   Our labor force remains among the nation’s smallest (and dumbest) – and our income levels remain among the nation’s lowest.

In what universe is that “economic development?”

A Swedish-based company, Volvo was purchased by Chinese carmaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group – owned by billionaire Li Shufu – for $1.8 billion in 2010. The seller? Ford – which had acquired the company for $6.4 billion in 1999.

For those of you keeping score at home, Shufu has a net worth of $3.3 billion – meaning he’s got more than enough cash to build his own damn manufacturing facility (in either Georgia or South Carolina).

Volvo sold 465,866 cars in 2014 (a new record), and hopes to sell 800,000 by 2020.  Of course its U.S. sales fell by seven percent last year – with strong Chinese sales growth driving the uptick.

***

Related posts

Biz

‘Bidenomics’ Jobs Report: Not All It’s Cracked Up To Be

Will Folks
Biz

Guest Column: ‘Bidenomics’ Is A Nightmare For Consumer Costs

FITSForum
Biz

Spring Surge: Gas Prices On The Move

FITSNews

50 comments

Haley's Deal April 30, 2015 at 12:13 pm

Calling it now! Georgia will get the jobs, Haley will get a fundraising dinner.

Reply
GrandTango April 30, 2015 at 12:19 pm

That’s what you and FITS are praying for. Your hatful and FILTHY souls are so corrupt…you S#!t all over yourselves w/ the possibility good news for South Carolina…

FITS has asked his gods of Global Warming repeatedly for horrible news regarding the Boeing 777….so he can get his jollies from it…FITS is telling lies about Nephron, because SC landed it…and hundreds of op-tier chemistry-profession jobs…

You ignorant, self-loathing B@$t@*d$ are the same e pieces of $#!t who squeal w/ effeminate glee when an American child is blown up by a jihadist….then you demand due process…

I say F*#k you – you low-life @$$-hole. I pull for South Carolina….You hateful jerk…GTFO my state if you hate it so much…

Reply
Rock-o-bama April 30, 2015 at 12:43 pm

What is it with you and crapping all over oneself? I mean, really, it’s not needed. I just imagine you sitting around all day day dreaming in your recliner about adult men crapping their pants or somethig. Other days its gay sex acts. Can’t you just make statements without potty language. BTW – I actually give the edge to SC for the Volvo plant. Charleston’s shipping routes are more in line with any components being shipped from Europe to the plant. Savannah’s established clients tend to be more out of the Middle East / Africa and Far East. Beyond that, Volvo executives would probably prefer Charleston restaurants and hotels far better than Savannah. I’ll take high-end cuisine over corn pone and chicken any day.

Reply
Spit Take #12,005 April 30, 2015 at 12:51 pm

Brahaha! Thanks for my daily belly laugh.

Reply
GrandTango April 30, 2015 at 1:27 pm

I picture a fat, alcohol-saturated Liberal, Rosacea-laden…so F*#king pickled – and obese – you can’t get out of your chair….

You’re one of those too fat to walk, so you use the Rascal at the grocery store…Am I right????

Reply
Spit Take #12,006 April 30, 2015 at 2:19 pm

Dead wrong as usual…but funny!

GrandTango April 30, 2015 at 2:23 pm

Oh yeah…I left out the drool…

You said you have spit on your face all the time…

Spit Take #12,007 April 30, 2015 at 2:44 pm

Watch and learn how others react to your comments. You’re so welcome…
http://youtu.be/3nQWCQ6sing

GrandTango April 30, 2015 at 3:03 pm

LMAO…I beat the F*#k out of you, to the extent you now have to use a Youtube crutch to express yourself…Hahahaha…No thanks..

You had your chance to tell me who you are…don’t go coward now…after I took your crutch and kicked you @$$ with it…LMAO…

Spit Take #12,008 April 30, 2015 at 5:50 pm

LMAO! You’re like a freshly cleaned pane of glass.

BigT's Workin' April 30, 2015 at 2:55 pm

Too fat to work? You looking in the mirror? You’re really are laughable with about thirty comments so far today. We’ll see you tonight at the Comedy House?

GrandTango April 30, 2015 at 3:01 pm

When I really slap the P!$$ out of you…you revert to the myths…LMAO…

fc April 30, 2015 at 12:56 pm

Liberals believe America is evil and are cheering the riots and destruction of our cities.Criminals are hero’s…law abiding citizens are the enemy.

Why would you expect the liberal/socialist haters on here to want anything good to happen to their state or local communities?

Their entire, God hating/denying existence on this earth is one of hate and misery.

Haley continues to be an effective governor and it drives em insane.

Reply
QED April 30, 2015 at 8:35 pm

Conservatives hate black people, it’s as simple as that.

Reply
Chips A. Hoy April 30, 2015 at 8:44 pm

NOT conservative black people.

easterndumbfuckistan April 30, 2015 at 1:13 pm

FITS has asked his gods of Global Warming repeatedly for horrible news regarding the Boeing 777

What does the 777 have to do with the price of tea in Charleston, Columbia, or Greenville?

Reply
GrandTango April 30, 2015 at 1:19 pm

If you’re too F*#king stupid to comprehend anything but ideology fed to the simple-minded…STFU..Dumb@$$…

Reply
easterndumbfuckistan April 30, 2015 at 1:34 pm

FITS has asked his gods of Global Warming

Last time I checked Christians of the Lutheran denomination (Missouri Synod) didn’t pray to the gods of Global Warming.

GrandTango April 30, 2015 at 1:51 pm

Obama says he’s a Christian, too…Jeremiah Wright is his reverend. People can SAY anything…
It’s a Dumb@$$ that believes everything some people feed you…

IgnantTango April 30, 2015 at 3:44 pm

If they fed simple-minded people ideology they would be scooping you servings all day.

FreakyTango April 30, 2015 at 3:43 pm

“you S#!t all over yourselves”

You come up with the oddest stuff, really makes me wonder about you guy.

Reply
Rakkasan April 30, 2015 at 5:08 pm

I’ll see your Filthy Soul and raise you one Posting Queen. Cue sound of head exploding. Kasploosh!! The Queen is dead–or at least should be after that bitch slapping. You will clearly need to up the “quantity” on your auto-ship order for Depends from Amazon.

Reply
GrandTango April 30, 2015 at 5:09 pm

Dribble…next..

Reply
shifty henry April 30, 2015 at 12:24 pm

and that’s just for starters…

Reply
Rock-o-bama April 30, 2015 at 12:43 pm

Can we get a Swedish joke – please?

Reply
shifty henry April 30, 2015 at 12:54 pm

I’ll work on it for ya’…

Reply
Bible Thumper April 30, 2015 at 1:30 pm

It’s politically correct to make a joke about the Swedes, but they’re just not that funny.

shifty henry April 30, 2015 at 2:05 pm

see: “work”

Rocky April 30, 2015 at 2:09 pm

My wife is a big ABBA fan. I think that’s funny. We could even use some of their stuff for Grand Tango – “Mama mia, there you go again……..” Or – “Did you see the dung, Grand Tango……”, or “You are the swearing Queen, really mean, you’re the swearing Queen……”.

The Colonel April 30, 2015 at 2:37 pm

This is lame but here’s an ABBA tribute to Emily/BigT/Grand Tango:

You can post, you can jive, having the time of your life
Meet no girls, watch that TV, digging the Posting Queen

Friday night and the basement’s low
nowhere but Fitsnews to go
He posts the right kind of stories, to get me in the groove
You come in to look for coherence
No way I could be that guy
But the night is young and the posts are mine
I type a bit of @^%#, and you lose your mind
You’re in the mood for coherence
And then you get my brilliance…

I am the Posting Queen, young and sweet, only fortyseventeen
Posting Queen, feel the beat from the keyboard click
I can post, I can jive, having the time of my life
See no girls, watch some TV, digging the Posting Queen

Rocky April 30, 2015 at 3:51 pm

Ding, ding, ding!!! We have a winner. You can pick up your new Volvo at the door.

shifty henry April 30, 2015 at 5:07 pm

OLE’S COMPUTER TERMS
————————————-

Log On: Making da wood stove hotter

Log Off: Don’t add no more wood

Monitor: Keepin an eye on da wood

Download: Getting da wood off da truck

Megahertz: Ven yer not careful getting da firewood

Floppy Disk: Vat yew get from trying tew carry tew much wood

Ram: Dat ting dat splits da wood

Hard Drive: Getting home in da winter time in the snow

Prompt: Vat da mail ain’t in da winter time

Windows: Vat yew shut when it’s cold outside

Byte: Vat dem dang black flies do

Chip: Munchies fer da TV

Microchip:Vats in da bottom of da munchies bag

Modem: Vat yew did tew da hay fields

Keyboard: Where yew hang da keys

Software: Dem dang plastic forks and knives

Mouse: Vat eats da grain in da barn

Mainframe: Holds up da barn roof

Port: Fancy wine

Random Access Memory: Ven yew can’t remember vat yew paid fer da rifle, ven yer wife asks

Screen: Vat yew shut vens it’s black fly season

shifty henry April 30, 2015 at 5:02 pm

I’m stealing that….

Rocky April 30, 2015 at 2:15 pm

An eight year old boy is walking down the road one day when a car
pulls over next to him.

“If you get in the car,” the driver says “I’ll give you $10 and a
packet of sweets.”

The boy refuses and keeps on walking.

A few moments later, not to take no for an answer, the man driving the
car pulls over again. “How about $20 and two packets of sweets?”

The boy tells the man to leave him alone and keeps on walking.

Still further down the road the man pulls over to the side road. “Ok,”
he says. “This is my final offer. I’ll give you $50 and all the
sweets you can eat.”

The little boy stops, goes to the car and leans in.

“Look,” he shouts to the driver. “You bought the damned
Volvo, Dad. You’ll have to live with it!”

shifty henry April 30, 2015 at 2:31 pm

Ole and Lena were getting on in years. Ole was 92 and Lena was 89. One evening they were sitting on the porch in their rockers. Ole reached over and patted Lena on her knee. “Lena, vat ever happened tew our sex relations?” he asked. “Vell, Ole, I yust don’t know,” replied Lena. “I don’t tink ve even got a card from dem last Christmas.”

———————–

Little Ole was sitting at the kitchen table doing his school homework. He had a puzzled look on his face as he considered the assignment that was due–writing an essay about his origin.
He turned to question his mother. “Mama, vere did Grandma come from?” he asked. “Da stork brought her,” answered mama Lena. “And vere did yew come from?” asked Little Ole. “Da stork brought me,” his mother answered. “And vere did I come from?” Little Ole inquired. “Vell, son, da stork brought yew, tew,” mama Lena replied.
With a scowl on his face, Little Ole picked up his pencil, turned to his school tablet, and began writing his essay: “Dere have been no natural births in our family for three yenerations.”

Rocky April 30, 2015 at 4:06 pm

Like

The Colonel April 30, 2015 at 12:58 pm

When God had finished creating Switzerland in outline, He created the first Swiss man and asked: “I shall grant you three
wishes. What would you like?”
The Man replied; “Well, first of all, imposing mountains.” And the Lord created the most
magnificent mountains.
God asked: “What else? No need to be shy.” “Green, juicy meadows with cows that will
produce a lot of excellent milk.” And God created green meadows with excellent dairy cattle.

The Swiss
decided to make sure, milked one of the cows, and tasted the milk. “Is it good?” God asked. “Excellent!
Taste it Yourself, Lord!” and he passed God a glass of milk. “You’re right, it is excellent,” God said.
“And what would you like now?” “Five francs for the glass of milk,” the Swiss replied.

Reply
Rocky April 30, 2015 at 2:04 pm

Yeah, that was good.

Rocky April 30, 2015 at 2:12 pm

Did you ever hear about the swede who went ice-fishing and returned home with 10lbs of ice?

Bible Thumper April 30, 2015 at 12:21 pm

SC wins either way. If Georgia gets it, a quarter of their employees will commute from SC without the tax incentives. That deepened port at Savannah is good for SC.

Reply
easterndumbfuckistan April 30, 2015 at 12:26 pm

Free the South Carolina Volvo, Free the South Carolina Volvo, Free the South Carolina Volvo!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_9kInups_E&feature=youtu.be&t=1356

Reply
TroubleBaby April 30, 2015 at 12:29 pm

“A Swedish-based company, Volvo was purchased by Chinese carmaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group”

I can’t wait for Swedish meatballs made from dog meat. I’m sure they will taste better than when Ford owned Volvo and made them from hotdog meat.

+1 for cultural diversity.

Reply
Bible Thumper April 30, 2015 at 3:34 pm

The meatballs are Swedish, but the pasta noodle came from China by way of Marco Polo.

Reply
TroubleBaby April 30, 2015 at 3:37 pm

The Chinese might have invented the noodle, but the Italians gave it flair.

:)

The Swedes & Chinese could learn a thing or two about flair from the Italians, especially in aesthetically pleasing automotive design.

Reply
Welcome to Georgia April 30, 2015 at 4:31 pm

Smart money on Georgia. Better roads, better infrastructure. And even though ND is a republican, his leadership does seem to be more competent than Nimmy’s

Reply
ELCID April 30, 2015 at 6:37 pm

“Governor Haley is a good friend of mine,”

Yep, she’s my little SC prostitute.
Does everything I ask her to do for money.
She frequently screws SC citizens for Savannah Ports Authority.

Reply
aikencounty April 30, 2015 at 8:06 pm

Well Cadillac was starting to sniff around the up state until NIMRATA told the union companies to stay the fuck out of South Carolina.
She so smart.

Reply
Slartibartfast April 30, 2015 at 10:50 pm

Just remember: Volvo is Latin for “I roll.”

Reply
Your English Teacher May 1, 2015 at 8:35 am

Just remember, the Sweepstakes IS on–not ARE on

Reply
Its Time May 1, 2015 at 10:58 am

Everyone forgets how she steered Caterpillar to Georgia as well, limiting what the State would do. Word on the street had it going to Georgia months before they announced the outcome of the “hard fought” battle between states. Word was, SC wasnt going to step up on that project, and they didnt.

That happened at the exact same time frame as her other gifts to Nathan Deal.

Reply

Leave a Comment