Savannah, Georgia

Historical Riches
Savannah, the division headquarters of Great Dane, is a city of 150,000 residents, located just 15 miles from the Atlantic Ocean in coastal southeastern Georgia. A city of contrasts, Savannah is a modern, metropolitan area and the largest world trade cargo port on the South Atlantic coast, yet it is also a scenic town punctuated by shade trees and lush squares lined with grand mansions built early in its 275-year history.

Georgia became the 13th colony of the New World when General James Oglethorpe and a small group of travelers from Great Britain landed and settled in Savannah in 1733. Credited as the first planned city in America, Savannah was built around a series of squares which became gathering points and places of commerce. During the Civil War and General Sherman's infamous march to sea it is said the city was spared from total demolition by fire because of its breathtaking beauty.

Because of its historic charm and eclectic beauty, Savannah has recently become the subject of best-selling novels and Hollywood movies. Author John Berendt turned the spotlight on Savannah with his novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, but the city has also been featured in the feature movie Gingerbread Men and in the Academy Award winning film Forest Gump.

Entertainment and Leisure
Savannah is a city of cultural awareness, evidenced by the resident societies dedicated to furthering the arts, yet it is also a town where residents take advantage of leisure time spent enjoying rivers, beaches, and outdoor recreational facilities. After dark, the nine-block waterfront plaza adjacent to the Savannah River comes to life, as people dine and socialize in fine restaurants and nightclubs. An after-dinner stroll along the riverfront affords an exciting view of ships flying flags from around the world.

Perhaps not widely known is that Savannah hosts the second largest St. Patrick's Day celebration in the country. Each March, the city fills with bands, parade-goers, and hundreds of thousands of visitors arriving to celebrate, participate, and enjoy the city's legendary southern hospitality. Aside from St. Patrick's Day, Savannah's unique blend of dynamic cosmopolitan culture has not gone unnoticed, as an estimated five million tourists visit the historic port city each year.

Great Dane Trailers in Savannah
The first Great Dane trailer ever built was assembled at the Savannah manufacturing plant in 1930. Today, a complete line of refrigerated and dry freight trailers is produced at Savannah's 420,000 square foot plant. Constantly looking toward the future, the Savannah Plant, which employs approximately 500, utilizes some of the most technologically advanced trailer manufacturing equipment in the nation. In fact, the Savannah facility was recently granted ISO 9002 registration, joining its sister plants in Brazil, Wayne, and Terre Haute.

Great Dane celebrated two milestones in 2000. As the company reached its 100th anniversary, Great Dane employees in Savannah gathered that year for a Centennial Open House and to celebrate the completion of the plant's 250,000th trailer.