(L-R) Phil Kent, Michael Hightower, Tharon Johnson
If you look back at the past 5 or so years in Georgia politics, there is one buzzword that keeps popping up.
“Economic development.”
Governor Nathan Deal built his legacy on the back of the phrase, growing the state’s economy into the number one business climate in the country, attracting the film industry en masse, and luring dozens of major corporations with the promise of a healthy and strong economic infrastructure. The South Metro, comprised of the myriad of communities in the Atlanta Metro’s southern half, (think south of I-20) is no exception to this trend. A constellation of development authorities, Community Improvement Districts, chambers of commerce and business associations form a loose netting that blankets the entire region, fostering that same economic development that Atlanta’s more visible northern reaches have experienced in recent years.
On Thursday South Atlanta’s business community came together at the 17th annual South Metro Development Outlook Conference to offer an opportunity for local business and community leaders to come together and highlight some of their accomplishments as well as learn about what’s next for the booming region.
InsiderAdvantage CEO Phil Kent teamed up with fellow Georgia Gang panelist Tharon Johnson to moderate the event, which featured some of Atlanta’s most prominent names including Hartsfield-Jackson GM John Selden, KSU economist Roger Tutterow, ATL Authority Director Chris Tomlinson and many more over a series of talks and panels that covered a variety of economic and political topics.
Bill Edwards, mayor of the new city of South Fulton, (the third most populated and second largest of the Atlanta municipalities) discussed the degree of cooperation between local leaders that has created a rising tide of sorts for the South Metro. Longtime College Park Mayor Jack Longino received the South Metro Development Outlook Award and helped Atlanta Hawks CEO Steve Koonin announce the name of the organization’s new G-League team – the Skyhawks – that will begin play in College Park this November.
Selden discussed the symbiotic relationship between the airport and the surrounding community, calling it “an airport that is in the business of serving the region.” He notably did not mention Sen. Burt Jones’ SB-131, which seeks to hand over control of the airport from the City of Atlanta to a state-run authority – an issue which will no doubt be at the forefront of the legislative session for the remainder of the year.
Aerotropolis CID Dir. Gerald McDowell introduces the “Smart Cities” panel
One panel highlighted the rise of ‘Smart Cities,’ including Siemens’ Denise Quarles, (look for her article in the upcoming issue of James Magazine!) while another examined some of the past year’s successes in Clayton, Douglas, and Henry Counties. Small business owners had the opportunity to learn about resources available to them from some of the many economic development experts in attendance, and of course the ever-present issue of transit had its time in the spotlight during a panel that featured MARTA GM Jeff Parker and several Atlanta City Councilmembers.
The South Metro is so appealing to businesses in part because it is less developed than Atlanta’s northern reaches. Land is cheaper, (for now) transportation is readily accessible, and the wide array of economic development groups and local officials hungry to grow their cities and counties make it the perfect breeding ground for innovation and progress. Major companies like Chick-fil-A, Porsche, and Delta already call the region home, while others including Home Depot, Amazon, and Wal-Mart have major manufacturing and fulfillment centers that employ thousands.
Atlanta’s “southern crescent” has undergone massive change since the first iteration of the SMDO in 2002, and if its capable leaders keep it on its current trajectory there’s no telling what the region will look like after another 17 years.
