Monday, August 10th, we plan to learn more about the Georgia Cyber Center at the Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center. The Augusta Marriott has procedures in place to ensure our safety, including hand-sanitizing stations and social distancing during lunch. Cal Wray, EDFP, President of the Augusta Economic Development Authority, has put together a top-notch panel including: Robbie Bennett, CEcD, Executive Director, Columbia County Development Authority; Will Williams, SCCED, President & CEO, Western (SC) Economic Development Partnership, and current SEDC Chairman; and Major General Jennifer Napper, USA (Ret.), Vice President & Segment Manager, Perspecta (invited).
The GEDA 2020 Annual Conference (AC20) will NOT be in-person this year but will offer virtual content! Sean McMillan, GEDA AC20 Chair, is coordinating the details of the events and more information will be provided soon.
GEDA/GDEcD News
Randall Toussaint, former Director, Corporate Solutions and Cyber Security Team, Global Commerce Division, has left GDEcD to become the Director of Economic Development with the Partnership Gwinnett.
RECENT GEDA WEBINARS - GEDA teamed up with the Georgia Department of Economic Development to present two webinars, primarily to Development Authority Executives. One was on the Safety of Prospect Visit Protocol, which featured Scott McMurray of GDEcD, Charlie Moseley of Georgia Power and Cal Wray of the Augusta Economic Development Authority. The other one was on the GRAD Site Program and featured Lindsay Martin and Ashley Varnum of GDEcD; Bill Bryant, Technical Consultant to the GRAD Site Program; Ryan Waldrep of the Dublin-Laurens County Development Authority; Jason Chambless of Thomas & Hutton; CJ Chance of Hussey Gay Bell; and Scott Poag of W&A Engineering. As a member, you can view a replay of these Zoom calls. Click here for the Safe Prospect Visit Protocol replay. Click here for the GRAD Site Program replay. Thanks to Scott McMurrayand Ralph Forbes of T&H (see more details in the Natural Resources SIG below) for their ideas about these programs and to all the participants for their time and expertise!
Chair's Column
August 2020 Chair's Column
Hi GEDA Friends,
I pray you are doing well this summer. As you’re reading this column, you are all well aware that we have decided to move the Annual Conference to a virtual experience. Sean McMillan and his committee are working hard to deliver a program and content that is meaningful and impactful for you as our members. This decision did not come easy nor was it done with any sense of joy. We all want to be together, network, laugh and grow as professionals.
Evergreen Engineering® is celebrating 35 years of serving industrial clients across the US and around the world from its offices in Eugene, Oregon, Atlanta, Georgia, and Everett, Washington.
Project Announcements
** Names highlighted in green below are GEDA members with hyperlinks to their email addresses.**
Purple Innovation Plans to Invest $21 million in Henry Co. Manufacturing Facility, Create 360 Jobs
July 27, 2020 – Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Purple Innovation, Inc. (“Purple”), the comfort technology company known for creating the Purple® Mattress, has selected Henry County for their third U.S. manufacturing facility. Purple plans to make a $21 million investment in this 520,000-square-foot facility, delivering 360 jobs to the area.
Congratulations to the team members who worked on this project, including Josh Fenn, Executive Director, Henry County Development Authority; Ashley Varnum, Director, Automotive, Aerospace & Advanced Manufacturing Team, Global Commerce Division, Georgia Department of Economic Development; Charles Stallworth, Business Recruitment Director, Georgia Power; and Rebecca Jordan, Senior Project Manager, Economic Development, Metro Atlanta Chamber! Read more…
German Automotive Parts Manufacturer GEDIA to Locate First Southeast U.S. Site in Whitfield County, Create 200 Jobs
July 24, 2020 – Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that GEDIA Automotive Group, a family-owned international company that specializes in making state-of-the-art automotive parts, will build an advanced manufacturing facility that will begin production with a focus on parts for electric vehicles. GEDIA will invest $85 million in this project, delivering 200 jobs to the greater Dalton area at a Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) certified property in Whitfield County.
Tremendous work by a great team to locate this project, including Carl Campbell, Executive Director, Dalton-Whitfield County Joint Development Authority; Nico Wijnberg, Director of International Relations, Marketing, Communications and International Engagement Division, Georgia Department of Economic Development; Lonnie Smallwood, Senior Project Manager, Georgia Electric Membership Corporation; and Rodger Brown, Director of Strategic Communications, Georgia Quick Start! Read more…
Orion Boatworks to Create 120 Jobs in Valdosta-Lowndes County
Valdosta, July 21, 2020 - The Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority Board of Directors announced that an established boat manufacturer, Orion Boatworks, LLC will create 120 new jobs and invest more than $3.5 million in Valdosta-Lowndes County, Georgia.
Way to go Andrea Schruijer, Executive Director, Stan Crance, Existing Industry Coordinator/Project Manager, and Meghan Barwick, Marketing & Research Manager, Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority, on this new location! Read more…
Female-founded Amebous Labs to Open Virtual Reality Gaming Production Studio in Atlanta
July 13, 2020 — The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) today announced that gaming software company Amebous Labs, founded by Georgia Tech graduate Annie Eaton, will open a virtual reality studio in Atlanta. This $1.5 million investment will deliver 12 jobs to the esports capital of the nation.
A big shout out to the following partners: Asante Bradford, Project Manager, Global Commerce Division, GDEcD; Grant Wainscott, Vice President, Ecosystem Expansion, the Metro Atlanta Chamber; Todd Harris, Atlanta Esports Alliance; and MaryBeth Flournoy, Business Recruitment Manager, Georgia Power; who worked together to locate this project! Read more…
Frito-Lay Announces $200 Million Expansion, 120 New Jobs in Houston County
July 8, 2020 – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo and a leading snack manufacturer, will expand its operations in the City of Perry, town of Kathleen, creating 120 new jobs and investing $200 million in the Houston County project.
Kudos to Angie Gheesling, Executive Director, Development Authority of Houston County; Candice Scott, Region 6 Senior Project Manager, Existing Industry and Regional Recruitment Team, Global Commerce Division, Georgia Department of Economic Development; and Jim Lovett, Community Development Manager, Georgia Power; on this significant expansion! Read more…
Residential Apartment Brand ‘Common’ to Establish Second Headquarters in Atlanta, Create 274 Jobs
July 7, 2020 – Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that residential brand Common, which designs, leases, and operates apartments for today’s renters, will invest $7 million in establishing its second headquarters in Atlanta, creating 274 new jobs as the company expands its real estate portfolio intended to help address housing affordability in metropolitan areas across the United States.
Commendations to the team of Kristi Brigman, Senior Project Manager, Corporate Solutions and Cyber Security Team, Global Commerce Division, Georgia Department of Economic Development; Doug Coffey, Business Recruitment Director, Georgia Power; Gregg Simon, Senior Vice President, Project and Partner Development, Economic Development, Metro Atlanta Chamber; and Bob Kosek, Senior Project Manager, Business Attraction, Invest Atlanta; who worked collaboratively to locate this second headquarters! Read more…
Georgia Council for the Arts Accepting Grant Funding Applications
ATLANTA, August 3, 2020—The Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA), a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, is currently accepting applications for two grant programs for arts organizations across Georgia. Vibrant Communities Grants support a variety of arts programming opportunities, including those online due to COVID-19, and Cultural Facilities grants support the restoration or renovation of a building to be used for arts programming. Read more…
Georgia Ranked No. 1 in Film Production by Business Facilities Magazine
July 30, 2020 – On the heels of the news that multiple Georgia-lensed productions have received nearly 50 total 2020 Emmy Award nominations, Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Georgia has been ranked the No. 1 Film Production Leader by Business Facilities Magazine and prior to the global COVID-19 pandemic, was on pace for another record-setting year. This top ranking is featured in the publication’s annual 2020 Rankings Report. Read more…
740+ Make Georgia Safety Promise
July 16, 2020 – Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that 744 Georgia businesses, local authorities, officials, and individuals from across the state have committed to the Georgia Safety Promise. Launched a little over a week ago, the Georgia Safety Promise is a public-private partnership and safety campaign to remind Georgia businesses and the public of the importance of following COVID-19 safety guidelines by agreeing to simple - yet critical - measures that help protect Georgians from COVID-19, minimize spread of the virus, and keep Georgia open for business. Read more…
Applications Open for Georgia ‘GEAR Awards’ Recognizing 2020 Automotive and Mobility Leaders
July 14, 2020 —The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) announced that it is accepting nominations for the 2020 Georgia Emerging Automotive Recognition (GEAR) Awards, previously known as the Georgia Automotive Awards. The updated GEAR Awards, for 2020 and beyond, are designed to recognize forward movement in the automotive and mobility industries through innovation and emerging technologies. Additional information and applications are available at georgia.org/GaGEAR. Read more…The deadline for nominations is August 14th!
Georgia Council for the Arts announces ‘CARES Act’ grant funding for 63 nonprofit arts organizations
July 9, 2020 — The Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA), a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, today announced that 63 Georgia arts organizations in all 14 Congressional districts will receive a one-time competitive grant funded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. As a State Arts Agency, the Georgia Council for the Arts was designated to distribute these CARES Act funds from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to help sustain Georgia’s nonprofit arts sector. A full list of organizations that will receive this one-time grant funding, known in Georgia as a “Resiliency Grant,” is available here. Read more…
Ralph Forbes, PE, Chair of the GEDA Natural Resources Shared Interest Group, and Vice President/Regional Director, Thomas & Hutton Engineering Company, worked with Lindsay Martin, Director, GRAD Site Program and Entrepreneur and Small Business, GDEcD, and Bill Bryant, AICP, Technical Consultant hosted a Zoom-Webinar on the GRAD Site program on Monday, July 27th. These and other participants, including Jason Chambless, PE, Principal, Savannah Civil Dept. Manager, Industrial Group Leader, & Economic Development Manager, Thomas & Hutton; CJ Chance, PE, Principal Engineer, Hussey Gay Bell; and Scott Poag, CEcD, Director of Business Development, W&A Engineering; spoke to an audience of about 50 people.
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