Business
Business

Airport touts $5 million plant inspection facility

By
Nov 7, 2013

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and U.S. Department of Agriculture officials on Thursday celebrated the opening of a new $5 million plant inspection facility at the airport. The 16,000-square-foot facility built by New South Construction and Circle D Enterprises opened in September, tripling the space available to inspect live plants from places like Central and South America for pests and diseases. It will enable growers in the region to expand their international shipments of live plants and cuttings to Atlanta, instead of having to route shipments through Miami. The new facility should speed shipping time, cut costs and reduce the risk of plants deteriorating before they arrive at nurseries. After several years of growth, Atlanta now has the second-largest USDA plant inspection station in the nation with 200 million plants imported annually, trailing only Miami.

About the Author

As business team lead, Kelly Yamanouchi edits and writes business stories. She graduated from Harvard and has a master's degree from Northwestern.

Follow Kelly Yamanouchi on facebookFollow Kelly Yamanouchi on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Jeff Graham (right) executive director of Georgia Equality, leads supporters carrying boxes of postcards into then-Gov. Nathan Deal’s office on March 2, 2016. Representatives from gay rights groups delivered copies of 75,000 emails to state leaders urging them to defeat so-called religious liberty legislation they believed would legalize discrimination. (Bob Andres/AJC)

Why Hollywood didn’t publicly fight Georgia’s ‘religious liberty’ bill

The film and television industry of today is very different than the one that existed when Gov. Deal vetoed the religious liberty measure in 2016.

Slowdown in global shipping will soon hit Georgia. Are layoffs, shortages next?

Global shipping is slowing a month after President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” escalation of the trade war. Georgia companies, workers and consumers could soon feel it.

The Latest

Since tariffs went into effect in early April, Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has managed to accept delivery of three new tariff-free Airbus planes. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Delta has bought three planes since the trade war began, but paid no tariffs. Here’s how

Delta, Korean Air to acquire 25% of WestJet

Opinion: Vacuums, AI and scales: some surprising new car features

Featured

The Midtown Atlanta skyline is shown in the background as an employee works in Cargill's new office, Jan. 16, 2025, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Atlanta’s recovering office market braces for potential tariff impact

Fears that tariffs could spark a recession, increase layoffs and spike construction costs have the office sector on pins and needles.

What’s in a name? New MARTA station name a nod to sports before World Cup

MARTA’s Board of Directors voted to change the name in time for the FIFA games and the 300,000 visitors expected to descend on Atlanta.

Trooper pulled to safety after patrol vehicle overturns in South Georgia creek

A Georgia State Patrol trooper is recovering after his patrol vehicle went into a creek during a pursuit and other officers pulled him to safety.