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There is still time to register for the GEDA 2019 Annual Conference. Andrea Schruijer, Annual Conference Chair, Executive Director, Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority and GEDA 2nd Vice-Chair has assembled a great cast of speakers for your education and enjoyment. Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, SEDA; our Platinum Sponsors: Evans General Contractors and Georgia Realtors; and all of our Sponsors!
Recent Events
The August luncheon was a great success! Nearly 200 attendees descended upon Columbus on August 19th to hear a great panel of experts discuss the transformation of a downtown. Thank you, Columbus and Christie Gribble, GEDA Chair of the Non-Traditional Shared Interest Group and Executive Director of the Fannin County Development Authority, and Brian Sillitto, Executive Vice President of Economic Development, Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, for putting this program together. The big event after lunch for many was white water rafting down the Chattahoochee River. Others enjoyed a golf car tour of Uptown Columbus and zip-lining across the river. A great time was had by all. Thank you to our sponsor, Barge Design Consulting! See attendees and photos.
Nominations are now open for the 2020 Small Business ROCK STARS Awards. Applications are coming in at a strong pace; however, we need your help to make sure the best and brightest small businesses in your city, county or region are represented. Please nominate a company today and share this digital flyer with those in your networks.
Nominations close on September 30, 2019, at midnight.
Please note the ROCK STARS Awards luncheon is moving to April 20, 2020. The location remains the same as last year -- the beautiful Georgia Aquarium. An exciting program is being developed and will include a keynote address from the Georgia founders of The Elf on the Shelf®. Thank you to our leading sponsor, Atlanta Business Chronicle!
For information about criteria, how to nominate a company, or to see past winners’ videos, visit Georgia.org/ROCKSTARS.
Chair's Column
Summer Ends and Fall Begins
I can’t help but think back to when I was in school, back when Labor Day was the last chance for a summer get-away before the school year started again. Summer seemed to last forever as early-morning sunlight came into the window at 7 am, and fireflies twinkled as hot day faded into cool twilight. These final days of summer are my favorite time of year: memories of football weekends, family cookouts, and friendly rivalries echo in my imagination, all with expectation of new traditions and memories for 2019.
Even though Labor Day was the unofficial end of summer, that doesn’t mean the fun has to end! In just a couple weeks, you and 406 of your closest friends will gather in Savannah for the GEDA Annual Conference (hurry… online registration closes on September 9th). I trust that you are ready for an educational and entertaining conference with the theme “Leading Georgia Toward Economic Prosperity.” Many thanks to our Second Vice-Chair Andrea Schruijer for planning a conference that will cover topics ranging from Cyber Security and Logistics to Negotiation Tactics and Strategic Planning. And of course, only one team will walk away with the coveted Cornhole Cup at the 2019 GEDA Cornhole Tournament!
Kristi Brigman joined the GDEcD Corporate Solutions and Cyber Security in the Global Commerce Division as a new Senior Project Manager. Kristi was formerly a Senior Associate at KPMG US in Atlanta.
Jamal Lewis also joined the Corporate Solutions and Cyber Security Team as a new Project Manager. Jamal was formerly a Marketing Services Manager in GDEcD’s Marketing and Communications Division.
Robert Payne, formerly GDEcD’s Director of Account Management in the Marketing and Communications Division, has moved to Seattle, Washington to pursue other interests, since his wife received a great job there.
Marina Chaji joined the Global Commerce Research team.
Jennifer Cook is a new global account manager for the Centers of Innovation. She will report to the Marketing and Communications Division and work with David Nuckolls on the COI team.
GEDA Member News
Josh Fenn, formerly Business Development Rep, with ECS, is the new Executive Director at the Henry County Development Authority.
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.**
Barco to expand operations in Gwinnett County, adding 50 new jobs
August 23, 2019 — The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) announced that Barco, a manufacturer of electronics for business, entertainment, and the medical field, is expanding its operations in Gwinnett County, investing $5 million and adding 50 new jobs to its existing facility in Gwinnett.
A shout out to Andrew Carnes, Vice President of Economic Development, and Megan Elwood, Partnership Gwinnett; and Emily Poole, Region 3 Project Manager, Existing Industry and Regional Recruitment Team, GDEcD Global Commerce Division; and John Woodward, Senior Director, Global Commerce, Metro Atlanta Chamber! Read more…
Parsons Corporation Among First to Locate at Georgia Cyber Center in Augusta
August 22, 2019 —Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that Parsons Corporation, a leading cybersecurity technology provider, will open a new office in the Georgia Cyber Center in Augusta. The company will create twenty-six jobs with room for future growth.
Kudos to Cal Wray, President, Augusta Economic Development Authority; Randall Toussaint, Director, Corporate Solutions and Cyber Security, Adela Kelley, Region 7 Senior Project Manager, Existing Industry And Regional Recruitment Team, and Susan Contreras, Assistant Director of Research, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Global Commerce Division; Doug Coffey, Business Recruitment Director, and Matt Forshee, East Georgia Region, Community Development Director, Georgia Power; Ryan Fetz, Glenn Aspinwal, and Mike Dolan from JLL; and Michael Shaffer, Executive Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Economic Development at Augusta University with the Georgia Cyber Center; who worked to locate this project! Read more…
Arglass Yamamura to Build First U.S. Glass Plant in Lowndes County, Creating Over 150 Jobs
August 9, 2019 — Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Arglass Yamamura, LLC, a glass container manufacturing company, will create more than 150 jobs and invest $123 million to build its first U.S. glass container manufacturing plant in Valdosta, Lowndes County.
Congratulations to the team members, who worked this project, including: Andrea Schruijer, Executive Director, Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority; Ashley Varnum, Director of Advanced Manufacturing, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Global Commerce Division; and Doug Coffey, Business Recruitment Director, Georgia Power! Read more…
Applications now open for 2019 Georgia Automotive Awards
The Georgia Department of Economic Development announced that it is now accepting nominations for the 2019 Georgia Automotive Awards.
The deadline for applications is September 13, and winners will be announced in the fall. For more information, click here.
Americold Breaks Ground on New Facility to Boost Trade through the Port of Savannah
ATLANTA, July 23, 2018 - Americold Realty Trust (NYSE: COLD), (“Americold”), the world’s largest publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on the ownership, operation and development of temperature-controlled infrastructure, today announced it has broken ground on a new 15 million-refrigerated-cubic-foot, state-of-the-art cold storage facility in Savannah, Ga. The new facility, slated for completion by the first quarter of 2020, will offer customers advanced blast freezing capabilities, space and infrastructure to support temperature-controlled containerized trade through the Port of Savannah, GA. Read more…
Going to the GEDA 2019 Annual Conference (AC19)? There is still time to 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 still available.
For additional information on the Professional Development scholarships, look on the GEDA website, or contact Kevin Shea, President, GEDA at 404-962-4109.
Professional Development - SIG Report
On August 21st, the Professional Development Committee hosted a three-hour Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) Preparation Workshop for candidates planning to sit for the CEcD exam within the next twelve months. The workshop was held at the Electric Cities of Georgia (ECG) board room and consisted of seven full-time economic development practitioners/candidates in Georgia.
The workshop provided an opportunity for current candidates to ask questions, hear from the most recently certified to the more seasoned CEcD professionals, and get a feel for the examination process. The workshop included examples of essay questions, multiple choice, short answer, differentials and definitions that gave candidates an idea of what to expect. Due to the amount of interest and feedback from the candidates regarding ways to provide more opportunities to help them prepare for the exam, the Professional Development Committee will explore expanding its exam preparation efforts to better serve GEDA members for future exams.
The Committee would like to thank the staff members at GEDA and ECG for their support in facilitating the workshop, as well as, CEcD professionals Megan Baker, Bob White, Marva Bryan and Jonathan Jackson, for their efforts in making the workshop a success!
Business Retention & Expansion Committee
From Heather Seckman, Committee Chair
In polling the Business Retention and Expansion committee members regarding existing industry, I found some common themes. Most communities, but not all, have an existing industry program.
Of those with an existing industry program, many have an event such as a golf tournament to show appreciation, while some have an appreciation lunch or dinner. Some have monthly or quarterly meetings where the existing manufacturers meet to discuss common issues such as transportation and workforce. Some communities have a staff person solely committed to working with existing industries and their expansion needs.
While many celebrate the recruitment of a new company to the community, most communities know that it is the existing companies and their expansions that are the real victory.
Get involved in GEDA's Committees and SIGs to learn about projects and meet fellow members - visit your profile on GEDA.org to join.
