Features
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Ex-Mercer University Baseball Player-Turned Entrepreneur Hits It Out of the Park
April 17, 2018
“A cup of coffee” is a baseball idiom used to describe a brief opportunity of time spent by a minor league player in the major leagues before being summarily sent down again. On a college level, Mercer University student, Shane Buerster, experienced that expression when cut from the school baseball team in his sophomore season, even though he had been a very good player throughout high school. Shane went one step further, however, and took the time to actually smell the coffee.
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Three Companies Named Georgia’s 2018 Manufacturers of the Year
April 17, 2018
At a luncheon held Thursday, Gov. Nathan Deal named three of Georgia’s leading companies as the 2018 Manufacturers of the Year. Pratt & Whitney in Columbus, Ga., won in the category of 500 or more employees; NIBCO in Greensboro, Ga., won in the category of 150-500 employees; and, Alpharetta-based Metcam won in the category of 150 or fewer employees.
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How Georgia is Improving Affordable Housing as a Platform for Health
April 12, 2018
Access to quality, affordable housing is critical for supporting good health. For individuals and families with tight budgets, high housing costs can lead to tough choices between making rent and going to the doctor, between keeping the lights on and buying healthy food, or even between being part of a community or becoming socially isolated.
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Perdue Farms to Create 125 Jobs, Invest $42M in Houston County
April 11, 2018
Gov. Nathan Deal announced that Perdue Farms will create 125 new jobs and invest $42 million to expand its cooking operation in Houston County. Perdue Farms’ cooking operation in Perry produces a variety of frozen, cooked chicken products for consumers and restaurants.
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Blue Bird Sells Its 2,500th Gasoline-Powered School Bus
April 11, 2018
Blue Bird recently celebrated its 2,500th gasoline school bus sale. Over the past two years, sales of Blue Bird’s gasoline school buses have grown substantially due to their low upfront costs, maintenance savings, cold weather startup, heating capabilities and public fueling accessibility.
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Georgia’s Legacies, Past And Future
April 11, 2018
The last week of Georgia’s 2018 meeting of the General Assembly featured even more symbolism and ceremony than usual. There were the customary farewell speeches by members who won’t be returning after this year’s election. On Tuesday and Wednesday, there was also a casket in the middle of the rotunda.
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Treasury, IRS Announce First Round of Opportunity Zones Designations for 18 States Including Georgia
April 11, 2018
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service designated Opportunity Zones in 18 States. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created Opportunity Zones to spur investment in distressed communities throughout the country. New investments in Opportunity Zones can receive preferential tax treatment.
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Hartsfield-Jackson Still World’s Busiest in Global Ranking
April 10, 2018
Demand has continued its robust year-on-year growth across the world’s major airports both in terms of passenger numbers and air cargo. Passenger traffic at the world’s 20 busiest airports grew by 5.2% in 2017. With almost 1.5 billion passengers passing through their terminals in 2017, this group of 20 represents 17% of global passenger traffic.
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Georgia’s 2018 International Representatives Visit the State
April 09, 2018
Georgia’s competitiveness in the global marketplace is continuously strengthened by the work of its international representatives across the globe. The state of Georgia has representation in 12 strategic markets including Brazil, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Europe, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Peru, the United Kingdom and Ireland. The state’s international representation directly contributes to the state’s success as a global business hub.
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M&R Marketing Group: 3 Ways Digital Media Can Help Promote Your Event
April 06, 2018
With an exponential increase of Internet users in the past decade, it’s no surprise that businesses are flocking to the online world to achieve advertisement success. Without a doubt, more people are being reached and information is spreading in viral ways. Fortunately, there are countless digital media outlets you can use to advertise!
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Advanced Technology Development Center Attracting More Out-of-State Entrepreneurs to Georgia
April 06, 2018
Portland, Maine is a long way from Atlanta — exactly 1,177.7 miles by way of I-85. But when Stacy Taylor and her business partner, Richard Kehne, looked for a place to build and grow their logistics and technology startup, Taylor Kehne Industries, they left New England and bypassed other startup hubs including Boston and New York to plant stakes in Atlanta. The key draw: Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center.
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Georgia Power, Employees & Foundation Invest $21M to Improve Georgia Communities in 2017
April 05, 2018
Georgia Power released its total charitable giving impact for 2017, including more than $21 million total invested by the company, The Georgia Power Foundation, Inc. and employees in Georgia communities and non-profit organizations throughout the year. Last year alone, 6,000 Georgia Power employees and retirees donated their time to help their neighbors and improve the quality of life in their communities by completing more than 147,000 volunteer hours.
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The Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce Had its Own March Madness with a Huge Lineup of Events
April 04, 2018
March began with a handful of ribbon cuttings, the largest one was held for the Grand Opening event at Yancey Brothers. Yancey Brothers recently completed construction of a state-of-the art facility in south Macon. Nearly a thousand guests were in attendance, while their CEO and Chairman, Jim Stephenson welcomed them. Stephenson was recently elected Vice Chair of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
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Commercial Vehicle-Only Lanes Coming to Georgia
April 04, 2018
We all experience the frustrations of traffic congestion. And if you’ve driven I-75 north from Macon you’ve no doubt experienced some of the worst gridlock in Georgia. The corridor, dominated by truck traffic, is home to almost daily traffic snarls due to crashes, stalls, overturned trucks and spills. These incidents can be deadly, tie up traffic for hours, make trip times unpredictable, and result in huge costs in terms of time, wages, jobs, health, property damage – and lives lost.
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How to Start a 529 College Savings Plan for Your Children
April 02, 2018
You want your kids to get a good education, but the cost of a college degree can trigger some serious sticker shock. Here are some things you need to know about using a 529 plan to save for your child's college education.
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Georgia Employers Association Spring Conference Targets Opportunities for Georgia Businesses
April 02, 2018
The theme for the Georgia Employers’ Association 2018 Spring Conference in Savannah is "Strategies for a Better Business Environment." This year’s event will focus on opportunities and challenges for Georgia businesses in today’s expanding economic climate. Attendees will hear from business leaders, healthcare experts, and Georgia government representatives and will gain valuable perspectives to help them improve and grow their organizations.
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General Assembly Adjourns After Delivering Historic Victories for Georgia Families
March 30, 2018
Governor Nathan Deal, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and Speaker David Ralston led the General Assembly to adjourn Sine Die for the 154th legislative session. This marks the end of a legislative year in which the General Assembly advanced reforms and investments that will benefit every Georgia family, and concludes the final session of an administration that has consistently delivered for Georgians by leading on the most important issues facing our citizens, creating nearly 700,000 jobs as the nation’s best state to do business, and generating a rising economic tide that has left our entire state better off than we were eight-years-ago.
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Waypoint Residential Acquires 194-Bed Student Housing Property Serving Mercer University
March 29, 2018
Waypoint Residential, a vertically integrated real estate investment management firm that focuses on the U.S. rental housing sector, announced that it has acquired The Lofts at College Hill, a 194-bed purpose-built student housing property serving Mercer University in Macon. The Lofts currently is the only off-campus, purpose-built student housing property that serves the university.
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Delta Biometrics Launches across All 50 Domestic Delta Sky Clubs with Check-in Option
March 28, 2018
Delta Sky Club members with CLEAR can use their fingerprints to enter all 50 U.S. Delta Sky Club locations beginning this week, making Delta the only U.S.-based global airline to offer customers a secure biometric check-in option at a single touch point across its domestic network.
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UGA Study: Georgia Ports Support More Than 439,000 Jobs
March 27, 2018
Georgia's ports support 439,220 full-and part-time jobs across the state, according to a study released by the Selig Center for Economic Growth at UGA's Terry College of Business.
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Middle Georgia's Gottwals Books is 2018 Georgia Small Business ROCK STAR
March 26, 2018
Traditionally, used bookstores are known for being dusty, musty hole-in-the-wall locations with very little organization. It’s hard to find a book you’re interested in, and special orders are out of the question. Peach County’s Shane Gottwals and the Gottwals Books/Walls of Books team are placing the used book industry on notice with their retail model.
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Governor Deal Proclaims “Georgia Technology and Innovation Day” at Annual Technology Summit
March 26, 2018
Governor Nathan Deal, referencing the 13,000 technology-related companies in Georgia, proclaimed a resolution marking March 21st as Georgia Technology and Innovation Day. The Governor included the special announcement during his speech at the annual Technology Summit held this past week in Atlanta at the Cobb Galleria.
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Georgia Production Partnership to Host Mid-Georgia Regional Meeting in Macon
March 22, 2018
As Georgia’s booming film industry continues to break records; the Georgia Production Partnership, along with presenting sponsor, the Georgia Film Office, a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, will host the first of four regional meetings to showcase the opportunity the film industry brings to all of Georgia.
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Georgia Sets Employment Records in February
March 22, 2018
State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said today that February was another record-setting month for Georgia, as the state reached new highs for jobs, employed residents and labor force. At the same time, unemployment claims fell and the unemployment rate remained unchanged.
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Four Georgia Small Businesses Named Rock Stars
March 21, 2018
The Georgia Department of Economic Development, along with the Georgia Economic Developers Association, announced Georgia’s 2018 Small Business Rock Stars. GDEcD and GEDA hosted a luncheon where four Georgia companies were honored for being an outstanding, unique and impactful small business.