August 2023 Features

• New Coalition Takes Aim at Tort Reform in Georgia

  August 31, 2023

  A new nonprofit founded by three high-power lobbying firms is setting its sites on tort reform in Georgia. Competitive Georgia announced its formation Tuesday, the latest sign that business leaders are preparing a major push for the General Assembly to curb what they see as frivolous lawsuits that drive up the cost of doing business.

• UGA SBDC to Host GrowSmart Program in Macon

  August 30, 2023

  The University of Georgia's Small Business Development Center in Macon will host the GrowSmart™, program in Macon, Sept. 12th – Oct.10th.

• Macon & Eggs to feature Military Roundtable Discussion with Leadership from Robins Air Force Base

  August 30, 2023

  The Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce will host a roundtable of local military leadership at its morning business advocacy program Macon & Eggs. The breakfast program will take place this Thursday, 8:30 a.m., at Central Georgia Technical College's Aerospace Training and Sustainment Center.

• Georgia DOT Celebrates Connected Vehicle Technology Integration

  August 29, 2023

  Georgia Department of Transportation recently held a ribbon cutting to celebrate Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything waivers granted by the Federal Communications Commission allowing Georgia DOT to integrate C-V2X technology across the state.

• Charlie Harper: Preparing For The Last Season Of College Football As We Know it

  August 28, 2023

  The weather says summer, but the calendar says fall. We know this because the University of Georgia Bulldogs are ready to suit up between the hedges in Athens to defend their National Championship. Or better said, Championships. Plural.

• Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center Achieves Redesignation as Level I Trauma Center

  August 23, 2023

  Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center has achieved redesignation as an American College of Surgeons verified Level I trauma center. The Medical Center was originally designated as a state Level I trauma center by the Georgia Department of Public Health in 1998.

• Georgia Named the Best State for Business Growth, According to New Research

  August 23, 2023

  New research has revealed the best states for business growth, with Georgia taking the top spot. Business consulting firm Venture Smarter analyzed data from the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics to discover the business growth rate in each state based on the number of establishments in December 2021 compared to December 2022.

• Georgia Ranks Sixth for States that Dine Out the Most, with Chick-Fil-A Their Favorite Restaurant

  August 21, 2023

  Dining out is often seen as something to do when celebrating an event or seeking a fast meal after a long day, that’s why a new study has investigated which states enjoy dining out the most.

• Georgia Chamber CEO Chris Clark -The Coming Crisis in Healthcare: Workforce

  August 18, 2023

  Across Georgia and the country, we are experiencing a serious need for healthcare staff. Hospitals, senior care facilities, urgent care centers, local health clinics, and even imaging centers are facing long-term problems providing access to care for our citizens.

• Visit Macon Launches the Film Macon Trail, Showcasing Sites Seen on the Big Screen

  August 17, 2023

  On Wednesday, August 16, Visit Macon launched the new Film Macon collection on the Tour Macon mobile app. The easy-to-use mobile app will serve as the ultimate companion for visitors to explore Macon's film industry and discover over 25 locations and 40 productions filmed around in the city. The Film Macon collection is available for free in the Tour Macon app in the Apple or GooglePlay app stores.

• Georgia’s Unemployment Rate Holds Firm, Remains Below National Average

  August 17, 2023

  Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson announced today that Georgia's July unemployment rate remained steady at 3.2 percent, unchanged from a revised 3.2 percent in June. The unemployment rate is also three-tenths lower than the national average.

• Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson Returns Millions in Unremitted Funds to the Georgia State Treasury

  August 16, 2023

  Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson hosted a press conference yesterday to reveal the findings of a comprehensive internal audit, which uncovered $105,170,178.20 in unremitted funds that began accumulating in fiscal year 2014.

• The Average Georgia Credit Score Increased 12 Points During COVID

  August 15, 2023

  When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the United States at the beginning of 2020, quarantine and social distancing regulations caused consumer behaviors to change dramatically. As a result, many Americans were able to save money during the pandemic and able to improve their financial situations by increasing savings and paying down debt.

• Parkland Communities Announces Warner Robins’ First Single-Family Build-to-Rent Community

  August 14, 2023

  Parkland Communities will start construction soon at Grove Landing, the first single-family build-to-rent community in Warner Robins, Georgia. Featuring 317 single-family homes, this fully amenitized community offers quality rental homes for the growing area.

• Georgia Voted #12 Best State for Franchising; What Does This Mean for Small Business Throughout State?

  August 14, 2023

  This month, we are taking at the “Rich States, Poor States” Economic Competitiveness Index and how it can be useful to franchisors as they expand their footprints. For the state of Georgia, these rankings reveal a lot about where the state economy is going and where there is opportunity for their economy to grow.

• Navicent Health Foundation Announces Retirement of President Ellen Johnson, Macey Terrell Named Successor

  August 11, 2023

  Navicent Health Foundation announced today the retirement of President and CEO, Ellen Johnson, CFRE. Johnson will retire at the end of 2023, bringing to a close a remarkable career of 42 years of service to Atrium Health Navicent; 19 years with the Navicent Health Foundation, and serving as President for the last eight.

• Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Georgia Serves Grants $6.6M in AmeriCorps Funding for Georgia

  August 11, 2023

  Georgia Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Christopher Nunn announced that Georgia Serves is granting $6,600,668 in federal AmeriCorps funding to 20 organizations across the state.

• Jekyll Island, Helen & Dahlonega Voted Among the Top Budget-Friendly Honeymoon Destinations in America

  August 11, 2023

  As the wedding bells start ringing across the country, the euphoria of newlywed bliss is closely shadowed by the daunting expenses that weddings and honeymoons entail. Living the high life in 2023 isn't exactly a cakewalk, with that pesky thing we call inflation still sticking around and most couples starting their wedded adventure with a 'something borrowed' bank balance.

• Historic Macon Foundation Names Nathan Lott New Executive Director

  August 10, 2023

  A preservationist from New Orleans will become the new leader of the Historic Macon Foundation.

• USG’s Economic Impact Grows to $20.1B as Graduates Earn $1+ Million More with Their College Degrees

  August 10, 2023

  The University System of Georgia contributed a total of $20.1 billion to Georgia’s economy between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, a $800 million or 4.14% increase over the previous year, a new study shows.

• Downtown Macon’s Business Improvement District Reinstated And Expanded, Fueling Economic Growth

  August 09, 2023

  Downtown Macon’s Business Improvement District (BID) is celebrating a significant milestone. Downtown property owners elected to reinstate and expand the district for another five years. This renewal marks a momentous occasion for downtown Macon and the entire community, as the BID has played a crucial role in revitalizing downtown and driving remarkable economic growth.

• Georgia Breaks Economic Development Records for Third Year in a Row

  August 09, 2023

  Governor Brian Kemp, in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, yesterday announced that for the third year in a row the state broke records for economic development during Fiscal Year 2023.

• New Survey Finds Employees Ask for Community Outreach Reboot

  August 08, 2023

  In the 2023 Business Generosity Report by goBeyondProfit and Georgia CEO, Georgia employees clearly indicated their shifting priorities regarding the most important demonstrations of generosity to the community.

• Georgia Center of Innovation Hosts Successful 2023 Georgia AgTech Summit

  August 07, 2023

  On June 7th, the Georgia Center of Innovation hosted the second annual Georgia AgTech Summit at the Robert F. Hatcher Sr. Conference Center on the campus of Middle Georgia State University. Similar to the first Georgia AgTech Summit held in 2022, this goal of this year’s Summit’s was to bring together industry, academia, and government partners who are players in the Georgia AgTech ecosystem to collaborate and share ideas.

• Charlie Harper: Debt Downgrade A Too Subtle Warning Of What Is To Come

  August 07, 2023

  The research firm Fitch Ratings downgraded the quality of the United States debt last week. They’re arguably the lesser known of the three main agencies that assign letter grades to denote the likelihood a bond issuer will repay their debt.