Features
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Georgia Receives Top Business Ranking for Record-Breaking Seventh Straight Year
November 07, 2019
Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that Georgia’s business climate has been named No. 1 in the nation by Site Selection Magazine, an internationally circulated business publication covering corporate real estate and economic development, for the seventh year in a row. Georgia is the only state that has received the distinction seven consecutive times in the history of Site Selection’s rankings.
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Bill Would Eliminate Taxes from Military Retirements
November 07, 2019
A group of Georgia state representatives are hoping to remove income tax from military retirements. One of the co-signers of HB-7 is newcomer Rep. Philip Singleton (R-Sharpsburg) who was sworn in as the newest state representative for Newnan’s District 71 less than a month ago. At his swearing in ceremony he announced his plans to form the House Veteran Caucus.
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For S&P 500 CEOs, Stock Awards Now Comprise More Than 50% of Total Compensation
November 06, 2019
A new report reveals that stock awards, which include restricted stock and performance-based shares, represented a record portion of CEO compensation in 2018. For S&P 500 CEOs, stock awards alone exceeded 50 percent for the first time. Moreover, they climbed to a record of nearly 40 percent for those in the Russell 3000.
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Delta Increases Service between Atlanta, Key Regional Airports throughout Georgia
November 05, 2019
Delta is deepening its investment in communities throughout its hometown state of Georgia with more flying from Albany, Brunswick, Columbus and Valdosta to the airline's Atlanta hub. Each market will see one additional daily frequency to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport beginning next spring, increasing seat capacity to and from these Georgia communities by 35 percent in 2020.
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Sen. Isakson Highlights Georgia Projects in Senate-Passed Federal Funding Measure
November 04, 2019
U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., applauded the Senate passage of H.R.3055, which includes important funding for agriculture, transportation and other Georgia priorities, while urging colleagues to end obstruction tactics to advance funding for other measures including for veterans, health care, water projects and national security.
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2020 Vision: UWG Hosts 23rd Annual Economic Forecast Breakfast
November 01, 2019
More than 350 business, government and community leaders from the west Georgia region convened at the University of West Georgia Tuesday morning to hear three speakers’ vision for 2020 at the 23rd annual Economic Forecast Breakfast.
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Governor Kemp Announces "Georgia Access" Health Waiver
November 01, 2019
Governor Brian P. Kemp joined members of the General Assembly and business leaders to unveil Georgia Access - a Section 1332 state relief and empowerment waiver to the Affordable Care Act.
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Small Business Wage Growth Gains Momentum, Job Growth Holds Steady in October
October 31, 2019
The tight labor market positively impacted wage growth in October, according to the latest Paychex | IHS Markit Small Business Employment Watch. Hourly earnings are on the rise, reaching 3.00 percent ($0.80) growth in October.
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Google Breaks Ground on New Midtown Atlanta Office, Commits $1M to Georgia Nonprofits
October 29, 2019
Representatives from Google were joined by Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan and other community leaders at a groundbreaking event for the tech company’s new offices in Midtown Atlanta. This new commitment is part of Google’s larger $13 billion investment in offices and data centers across the United States, which the company announced earlier this year.
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Deloitte: Retailers Can Expect Jolly Holiday Shopping Season
October 24, 2019
For the 34th year, Deloitte commissioned a national survey of 4,410 consumers to better understand spending for the upcoming holiday season. Conducted online, Sept. 6-13, by an independent research company, the survey provides key insights into consumer behavior and what retailers can expect from shoppers as they tackle their holiday shopping.
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Zell Miller Foundation Announces Leadership Institute Class Of 2020
October 23, 2019
The Zell Miller Foundation has announced the members of the Zell Miller Leadership Institute Class of 2020. The Leadership Institute is a year-long leadership development program designed to explore the life, legacy, and core values Zell Miller believed were essential to becoming a more effective leader.
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Lawmakers Hear Testimony on Casinos and Gambling
October 21, 2019
For the past two days, members of the House Special Committee on Economic Growth have listened to a long trail of speakers that included casino executives, sports betting operators and other key stakeholders — some speaking in favor of legalizing gambling in Georgia and others against the idea. The committee is charged with looking at the economic benefits of allowing gambling in the state.
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Facing Some Economic Uncertainty, US Executives Focus on Building Resiliency
October 21, 2019
US executives are taking action to futureproof their organizations amid economic, geopolitical and regulatory uncertainty. Supported by stable pipelines and deal-closing intentions, 83% of US executives say they expect the domestic M&A market to improve, though only 46% plan to actively pursue M&A in the next year, according to the EY 21st Capital Confidence Barometer (CCB).
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Georgia Sets Jobs Record in September
October 18, 2019
State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said that Georgia set a record again in September for total employed residents. The record came as Georgia continued to show improvement in other key measures like initial unemployment claims, labor force and the unemployment rate, according to preliminary numbers.
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Georgia Lottery Celebrates Record First Quarter Transfer; $291.6M Raised for HOPE and Pre-K
October 17, 2019
The Georgia Lottery Corp. announced record profits for education for the first quarter of fiscal year 2020. Profits transferred to the State Treasury’s Lottery for Education Account will amount to $291.61 million, surpassing last year’s record first quarter transfer by $6.32 million.
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Georgia’s Rural Center Aims To Improve Health Outcomes For Rural Georgians
October 16, 2019
Well before sunrise on a crisp spring morning in rural Indiana, a small hospital receives an alert that an ambulance is in route, carrying a pregnant woman whose pre-term baby will need to be delivered by and receive critical neonatal care from a skeleton night-shift crew. In a county with no practicing pediatrician, obstetrician or neonatal specialist, the outlook for mother and child does not seem promising.
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New Research Finds Public Investment in Trails, Walking and Biking Infrastructure Delivers Potential Economic Benefits of $138.5B Annually
October 16, 2019
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy released findings from "Active Transportation Transforms America," the nation's most comprehensive analysis of the quantifiable impact of trails, walking and biking on the places we live.
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Georgia Manufacturing Alliance Summit Agenda Speaks Volumes about Manufacturing Success in State
October 14, 2019
Georgia Manufacturing Alliance Founder and CEO, Jason Moss, punctuated the success of the state’s manufacturing segment at its fifth annual Summit with an agenda that recognized employer successes, hosted top tier keynoters and panelists, and spoke volumes about the organization itself.
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SBA Small Business Lending Reflects Strong Economic Trends
October 11, 2019
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced FY19 lending numbers showing that it guaranteed over $28 billion to entrepreneurs that otherwise would not have access to capital to start, grow, or expand their small businesses.
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Tim Lee and America’s Two Percent
October 10, 2019
America, home of the free – and the brave – remains so principally because of the sacrifice of the country’s two percent. A 2014 Pew Research Center report noted there were 90,107 government units in the U.S. — everything from county governments – more than 3,000 – to independent school district governments. While some serve in appointed positions, there are hundreds of thousands of Americans serving in elected office, mostly at the local level.
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Gas South Named Inaugural Recipient of goBeyondProfit Champion Award
October 09, 2019
Today Gas South was named the inaugural winner of the goBeyondProfit Champion Award. This honor is given to companies who exhibit exemplary efforts to benefit their community and company by cultivating company culture, deploying company resources and focusing on community empowerment.
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Georgia Chamber Hosted A Successful Rural Prosperity Summit
October 04, 2019
The Georgia Chamber of Commerce hosted a successful third annual Rural Prosperity Summit on Tuesday and Wednesday in Tifton. This year’s event hosted nearly 500 business leaders, community advocates and state elected officials, along with notable speakers who discussed vital topics centered around Georgia’s rural communities.
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“Health Connect South 2019” Conference Provides Hundreds of Partnership Opportunities for Health Care Leaders
October 03, 2019
A record number of over 900 top-tier health care leaders in the Southeast interacted with a cadre of 68 keynoters, other speakers and panelists who presented multiple partnership opportunities at the “Health Connect South 2019” (HCS) conference. The sixth annual event was held recently at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.
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More GOP Names Surface for U.S. Senate Appointment
October 03, 2019
Over 500 Republican names have been submitted to Gov. Brian Kemp for consideration to be appointed to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Johnny Isakson on Dec. 31.
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Georgia Power Named a Top U.S. Utility for Economic Development
October 01, 2019
For the 21st consecutive year, Georgia Power has been named a "Top U.S. Utility for Economic Development" by Site Selection magazine. Only 20 utilities were chosen for this honor out of more than 3,300 across the country.