**In order to read many of the GEDA articles linked to in this newsletter you must be logged into the GEDA website using the instructions above.**
August GEDA Monthly Meeting will be in downtown Columbus at the Convention and Trade Center, with the program focus on transformation of downtown redevelopment. Christie Gribble, GEDA Chair of the Non-Traditional Economic Development Shared Interest Group (SIG) and Executive Director of the Fannin County Development Authority, along with Brian Sillitto, Executive Vice President of Economic Development for the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce, have put together a great panel for us to learn from including:
Richard Bishop – Chief of Staff, Office of the Mayor (former President of Uptown Columbus)
Becca Zajac – Vice President of Marketing & Community Relations, Uptown Columbus
Peter Bowden – President of VisitColumbusGA
Pace Halter – President, W.C. Bradley Real Estate
Betsy Covington, President, Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley
Wednesday, August 28, Coastal Georgia Good News Gathering, Coastal Regional Commission, 10:30 AM-1:30 PM, hosted by Jason Coley, Community Development Manager, Georgia Power, and sponsors. Register by contacting Jason, JFColey@SouthernCo.com.
The GEDA Annual Conference will be held at the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa on September 18-20, 2019. Click here to learn more and register.
Chair's Column
Dog Days of Summer
I trust that all of you have had a great summer, perhaps with a vacation (or two), some time off or just enjoying our hot, Georgia dog days. Did you know that the original meaning of “Dog Days” had nothing to do with dogs, or even the lazy days of summer? Dog days actually refer to the dog star, Sirius and its position in the sky, … but I digress.
Perhaps you have been able to see other GEDA members in one of the regional gatherings this summer, in place of a monthly GEDA meeting. I want to thank those who organized regional meetings in July to allow us to have somewhat of a fix for missing our typical GEDA meetings. There are still a couple of regional gatherings that will take place in August, since that was the best time for them.
Georgia Small Business ROCK STAR Awards Application
Nominations are now open.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) and the Georgia Economic Developers Association (GEDA) team up every year to recognize the outstanding, unique and impacting small businesses in the state of Georgia.
This unique endeavor for Georgia is a huge success only because of the small businesses that impact Georgia every day…the risks, the innovation, the outreach, the reasons why…all of these qualities abound in Georgia and we want to recognize them.
Click here for past winners and more information on the program.
WHAT’S NEW THIS YEAR?
We have added categories so please be sure to check the one that best describes your business. We have also added peer-to-peer judging which means that the current 2019 ROCK STARS will be part of the judging process.
CRITERIA:
Any type of Georgia-based small business is invited to apply. Nominate your own company or another great Georgia small business. Youth-owned small businesses are encouraged to apply.
You must employ under 100.
If you have been assisted by your local or state resources, you will receive bonus points (see nomination form for further explanation)
Andrew Carnes, has been promoted from Senior Director of Economic Development to Vice President, Economic Development at Partnership Gwinnett.
Deven Cason, Project Manager, Partnership Gwinnett, has been promoted to Director of Economic Development.
Andrea Taylor, CEO, Hazlehurst-Jeff Davis Chamber & JDA, was recently recognized as a new Georgia Certified Chamber Executive (GCCE) at the GACCE Executive Leadership Conference on Jekyll Island.
If you are moving, changing jobs or getting a promotion, please email us at kshea@georgia.org, and we’ll publicize your news in the GEDA newsletter.
Project Announcements
** Names highlighted in green below are GEDA members with hyperlinks to their email addresses.**
Italian Manufacturer to Open First U.S. Facility in Gwinnett County
August 1, 2019 – Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that that Rivacold, a leading manufacturer of refrigeration systems, will create 140 jobs and invest $5 million in a new manufacturing facility in Buford. Newly created jobs will include skilled positions in manufacturing.
Congratulations to the team of Andrew Carnes, Vice President, Economic Development, and Deven Cason, Director of Economic Development, Partnership Gwinnett; Nico Wijnberg, Director, International Investment Team, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Global Commerce Division; MaryBeth Flournoy, Business Recruitment Manager, Georgia Power; and Rodger Brown, Director of Strategic Communications, Quick Start; who worked to locate this project! Read more…
Variotech to establish North American headquarters in Atlanta
July 17, 2019 – The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) announced today that Variotech, a world leader in tray solutions, will create 20 new jobs at a new North American headquarters in Fulton County.
A shout out to the partners involved in this project, including: Fernanda Kirchner, Project Manager, International Investment Team, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Global Commerce Division; and Bob Kosek, Senior Project Manager, Business Attraction, Invest Atlanta! Read more…
Edifecs to establish East Coast presence in Atlanta
July 15, 2019 – The Georgia Department of Economic Development announced that Edifecs, Inc., a global health information technology solutions company, plans to hire up to 200 associates in the next three to five years in a new office location in Fulton County.
Way to go Randall Toussaint, Director, Corporate Solutions and Cyber Security Team, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Global Commerce Division; Rebecca Jordan, Senior Project Manager, Metro Atlanta Chamber; and MaryBeth Flournoy, Business Recruitment Manager, Georgia Power; who were involved in this effort! Read more…
Stitch Fix to Open Facility, Create 900+ Jobs in Douglas Co.
July 12, 2019 – Governor Brian P. Kemp announced today that Stitch Fix, the leading online personal styling service, will open a new distribution center in Lithia Springs, creating over 900 new jobs in the next few years.
Our compliments to this project’s partners on their achievement: Chris Pumphrey, Executive Director, Douglas County Economic Development Authority; Hank Evans, Senior Project Manager, Logistics, Energy, Agribusiness & Food Team, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Global Commerce Division; MaryBeth Flournoy, Business Recruitment Manager, Georgia Power; and Josh Stephens, Director, Program Management, the Metro Atlanta Chamber! Read more…
Kroger, Ocado Solutions to Build New Facility, Create 410 Jobs in Clayton County
July 11, 2019 – Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Kroger, one of the nation’s leading grocery retailers, and Ocado Solutions – a company specializing in cloud, robotics, and IT for retailers – will join forces to build a new Kroger distribution facility in Forest Park, creating 410 jobs and investing $121 million.
Kudos to the following team members: Wylly Harrison, Director, Logistics, Energy, Agribusiness & Food Team, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Global Commerce Division; Charlie Moseley, Business Recruitment Director, Georgia Power; Rodger Brown, Director of Strategic Communications, Quick Start; and Mayor Butler, Angela Redding and Ed Wall, the City of Forest Park; who worked to get to this announcement! Read more…
Amazon to Build New Fulfillment Center, Create 1,000 Jobs in Gwinnett, DeKalb Counties
July 10, 2019 – Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Amazon will open a new fulfillment center in Gwinnett and DeKalb counties, creating 1,000 new jobs.
Congratulations to those involved in this project, including: Andrew Carnes, Vice President, Economic Development, Partnership Gwinnett; Hank Evans, Senior Project Manager, Logistics, Energy, Agribusiness & Food Team, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Global Commerce Division; and Bradley Harris, Manager, Economic Development, Georgia EMC! Read more…
Swiss Manufacturer to Open Facility, Create 100 Jobs in Bryan Co.
July 10, 2019 —Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Preci-Dip, a Swiss manufacturer of electronic connector pins, will open its first U.S. production facility in Bryan County. The company will invest a total of $13.6 million in this project, creating 100 new jobs.
A job well done to the team of Anna Chafin, Chief Executive Officer, Development Authority of Bryan County; Joseph Huntemann, Project Manager, International Projects Team, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Global Commerce Division; David Denison, Project Manager, Georgia EMC; and David Sink, SIOR, Principal, Colliers International; who worked on this project! Read more…
Applications now open for 2019 Georgia Automotive Awards August 1, 2019 —The Georgia Department of Economic Development announced that it is now accepting nominations for the 2019 Georgia Automotive Awards.
Applications will be open through September 13, and winners will be announced in the fall. For more information, visit www.georgia.org/GAAutoAwards. Read more…
Georgia Council for the Arts is accepting applications for the Vibrant Communities grant. The Vibrant Communities grant will fund arts projects in counties in which no organization received an FY20 GCA Project, Partner, or Arts Education Program Grant. The complete list of eligible counties is available in the guidelines. The deadline to apply is August 30, 2019. Click here for additional info.
Going to the GEDA 2019 Annual Conference (AC19)? Apply today for a GEDA Professional Development grant. You can receive up to $600 in scholarship money as reimbursement for expenses associated with the AC19. It takes place at The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa on September 18-20. Three scholarships are available.
For additional information on the Professional Development scholarships, look on the GEDA website, or contact Kevin Shea, President, GEDA at 404-962-4109.
Get involved in GEDA's Committees and SIGs to learn about projects and meet fellow members - visit your profile on GEDA.org to join.
