Features
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Georgia Chamber CEO Chris Clark: Economic Prosperity Requires Action on Crime
August 23, 2021
A decade ago, businesses shifted their expansion, location, and relocation decisions from a model founded on incentives and infrastructure to one based on access to talent. Vibrant communities, otherwise known as live, work, play, and pray communities, have become the true economic drivers. No longer do workers move to better jobs. Today, better jobs move to workers.
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State Unemployment Rate Drops to Pre-Pandemic Level in July
August 20, 2021
The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced that Georgia's unemployment rate dropped three-tenths of a percentage point to 3.7 percent in July, mirroring rates seen prior to the pandemic. In March 2020, Georgia’s unemployment rate was 3.6 percent
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Mercer University’s Executive Forum to Kick Off 42nd Year with Presentation by Sportscaster Ernie Johnson Jr.
August 19, 2021
Mercer University’s Executive Forum, presented by Truist, will kick of its 42nd year on Sept. 7th with a presentation by beloved, Emmy-winning sportscaster Ernie Johnson Jr. in Macon.
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Atlanta Fed President and CEO Raphael Bostic to Speak at 2021 American Rural Prosperity Summit
August 19, 2021
The Georgia Chamber has announced that Raphael Bostic, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, will be a featured speaker at this year’s American Rural Prosperity Summit being held in Athens, Georgia, October 4th-6th.
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Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: How Georgia’s Cities are Leveraging Partnerships to Achieve New Heights
August 16, 2021
There’s no shame in asking for help, especially when something as important as a city’s future is at stake. Several of Georgia’s cities are setting a new standard for how to utilize partnerships to truly thrive. Here are their stories.
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Cathy Cox Named Sole Finalist for the Georgia College & State University Presidency
August 13, 2021
Board of Regents Chairman Sachin Shailendra and University System of Georgia (USG) Acting Chancellor Teresa MacCartney have announced Cathy Cox, dean of the Mercer University School of Law, as the sole finalist for president of Georgia College & State University.
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State Record-Breaking Jobs & Investment in FY2021
August 13, 2021
Governor Brian P. Kemp joined the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) to announce record-setting jobs and investments from economic development projects across the state during fiscal year 2021. Investments increased by 46%, while job creation increased 5% above prior state economic development records.
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University System of Georgia Reports Another Record in Degrees Awarded
August 11, 2021
The University System of Georgia awarded an all-time high of 72,929 degrees in fiscal year 2021, which ended June 30. The 3% annual increase over fiscal year 2020 represented 2,050 more degrees awarded than the previous year, and sets another record for the most degrees awarded in the system’s 90-year history.
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GeorgiaForward Announces Dalton as Host of 2022 Young Gamechangers Program
August 10, 2021
GeorgiaForward is proud to announce the return of its Young Gamechangers program in 2022, with Dalton serving as the Host Community.
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NewTown Macon To Increase Black And Women-Owned Businesses In Macon With Knight Foundation Support
August 05, 2021
To expand Black and women-owned business in Macon’s urban core, NewTown Macon will distribute loans and provide entrepreneurial training to women and communities of color to start more local ventures thanks to a $1.5 million investment from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
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Small & Midsize Business CEOs' Confidence Continues to Rise Despite Labor Challenges
August 03, 2021
Confidence among CEOs in the second quarter of 2021 has risen to its highest level in three years, according to the Vistage CEO Confidence Index, which measures sentiment on various economic and business topics among small and mid-sized business leaders.
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U.S. SBA Southeast Regional Administrator: The Summer to Recover with SBA
August 02, 2021
We all recognize a feeling of comfort and familiarity as the nation opens back up for business. Recovery from the pandemic is underway; but there are many small business owners that are still struggling. During these very hot Summer months, it is a great time to take advantage of recovery programs.
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Georgia Earns Back-to-Back No. 1 Tech Hub Rankings
July 30, 2021
For the second consecutive year, Business Facilities magazine has named Georgia’s capital city of Atlanta the No. 1 Tech Hub spot. The momentum the state is experiencing, particularly in tech, is no accident and can be attributed to several factors.
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Georgia Power Announces Revised Schedule, Cost Forecast for Vogtle Units 3 & 4
July 30, 2021
Georgia Power announced a revised schedule and cost forecast for the Vogtle 3 & 4 nuclear expansion project, resulting from productivity challenges and additional time for testing and quality assurance. The company currently projects a Unit 3 in-service date in the second quarter of 2022 and a Unit 4 in-service date in the first quarter of 2023.
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‘How Do We Welcome Our Team Back?’ Georgia-Based Companies Solidify Return-To-Work Plans
July 29, 2021
Do you want to keep working from home, or are you the type who thrives in the office setting? And how should companies accommodate workers after the pandemic upended everything we once knew about the workplace?
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Port of Savannah Moves 5M TEUs in FY2021
July 28, 2021
For the first time in its history, the Port of Savannah has moved 5.3 million twenty-foot equivalent container units, growing cargo volumes by 20 percent in FY2021, or nearly 900,000 TEUs compared to the previous year.
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Delta Fuels Georgia's Post-Pandemic Economic Growth
July 27, 2021
With travel on the rebound, Delta has announced the hiring of 2,216 Georgians since January 1 to join the ranks of the now nearly 30,000 who work for Delta in the state of Georgia. These talented professionals have been hired to work in career jobs across Delta's business in Reservations and Customer Care, Airport Customer Service and Cargo, Flight Operations and Tech Ops.
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Georgia's Medical Cannabis Commission Closer to Helping Patients in Need
July 26, 2021
The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission announced during their public hearing on Saturday, the Notice of Intent to Award six Class 1 and Class 2 Production Licenses to manufacture low-THC cannabis oil for medical use in Georgia. Sixty-nine applicants submitted competitive proposals and have undergone a fair and rigorous selection process.
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Nearly Half of Employers Plan to Increase Corporate Gifting Frequency Post Pandemic
July 26, 2021
Corporate gifting is on the rise as nearly fifty percent of businesses say they intend to increase the frequency of their gift giving post COVID-19, according to a new corporate gifting survey from Coresight Research commissioned by GiftNow, a Synchrony solution.
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AAA Survey: Traveler Confidence Soars; 75% Of Georgians Are More Comfortable Traveling Now
July 23, 2021
Traveler confidence is soaring, according to a new AAA Travel survey, fielded in late June. According to the data, three-quarters of Georgians (75%) feel more comfortable traveling now than they did three months ago.
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Georgia Film Records Blockbuster Year
July 22, 2021
The Georgia Department of Economic Development announced today that the film industry recorded a blockbuster year in Georgia. During fiscal year 2021, the film and television industry set a new record with $4 billion in direct spending on productions in the state.
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Colony Bank Forms Colony Insurance, Agrees to Acquire The Barnes Agency in Macon
July 21, 2021
Colony Bankcorp, Inc., the bank holding company for Colony Bank, announced it has agreed to acquire The Barnes Agency, an Allstate appointed consumer property and casualty insurance agency in Macon. The transaction is expected to close August 1st.
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University System of Georgia State Economic Impact Grows to $18.6 Billion
July 21, 2021
In fiscal year 2020, the University System of Georgia (USG) served as a significant source of stability and played a critical role in the state’s recovery with an $18.6 billion statewide economic impact. USG’s impact grew 0.6 percent over fiscal year 2019. The system directly and indirectly generated 155,010 jobs.
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Knight Foundation to Double Macon-Bibb’s ARPA Investments in NewTown Macon, Historic Macon to Create Affordable Housing
July 20, 2021
NewTown Macon and the Historic Macon Foundation will increase affordable housing in Macon-Bibb County by building new rental units and renovating existing ones with investments from Macon-Bibb County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and a matching grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The grant announcement was made on Monday, July 19th and is pending approval of the ARPA funds by the Macon-Bibb County Commission.
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Georgia Lottery Annual Profits for HOPE, Pre-K Soar to a Record $1.54B
July 20, 2021
The Georgia Lottery Corp. today announced its most successful year ever with historic profits generated for Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship and Pre-K programs. The Georgia Lottery raised a record $1,544,954,000 in profits for fiscal year 2021, bringing the total transferred to the State Treasury’s Lottery for Education Account since inception to more than $23.8 billion.