SAVANNAH, Ga. () — A well-known Savannah name is now marking a local intersection.

Longtime owner and builder of the Polote Corporation, Benjamin R. Polote’s name is now high above the intersection of Highway 204 and Highway 17. 

State Representative Carl Gillard proposed the legislation that the General Assembly approved allowing the designation.

Surrounded by his family and friends Tuesday, Polote shared his gratitude by recalling a friend’s favorite song, saying “if I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living will not be in vain.”

“Of everything I do, I mean it from the bottom of my heart,” he said. “I can’t help anybody if I don’t have myself. So I’m not a foolish man. I understand that I have to have in order to give and achieve.” 

Polote was almost in tears as he accepted this honor for building a lasting legacy in Savannah.