Like the rest of the country, Georgia has faced many challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But there is at least one area where Georgia has exceeded other states — economic development and job creation.
“Even in the midst of a global pandemic, Georgia’s economic development numbers have shattered record after record,” said Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Thursday morning during his third State of the State address. “Since the start of Fiscal Year 2021, our Department of Economic Development has announced the creation of more than 16,000 new jobs and more than $6 billion in new investment, with more than half of those jobs going to communities outside the metro area.”
This accomplishment, Kemp said, has not gone unnoticed — especially in a year riddled with economic hardship. “Vice President Mike Pence said it best when he said ‘Georgia helped lead the way back to a prosperous American economy.’ And if the first half of the new fiscal year has been any indication, the Peach State is well-positioned to emerge from this dark period of economic crisis stronger and more prosperous than before.
Kemp credited partnerships of both state legislative chambers and the Georgia Department of Economic Development for the success and for “Georgia being able to hold its own.”.
“Whether it was Georgia-based Wincore Windows growing their operation by 100 jobs in Swainsboro; Nestle Purina doubling down on their investment in Hartwell by 130 jobs; or major brands like Papa Johns and Home Depot relocating their headquarters and expanding their footprint, creating thousands of jobs in the metro area; those numbers constitute a 40 percent increase in new jobs created and a 47 percent increase in new investments compared to the first six months of F.Y. 20,” Kemp said.
According to the governor, numbers from the first half of fiscal year 2021 also show a significant increase in economic development projects in areas outside of the Atlanta area, with 9,782 jobs delivered outside of the 10-county metro region.
Information released by Kemp’s office after the State of the State address shows that the state’s food processing, manufacturing, and logistics and distribution industries created nearly 70 percent of new jobs generated. Companies who already maintained a presence in the state prior to fiscal year 2021 – including Frito-Lay in Kathleen and VT Industries in Rome – added 7,493 jobs and $4.6 billion of the total investment as they expanded operations over the past six months. Foreign direct investment accounted for 28 percent of jobs created so far in fiscal year 2021, increasing by 46 percent when compared to the first half of the previous fiscal year.
Between March 1 and December 31, 2020, the Global Commerce division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development assisted in locating 252 new economic development projects, creating 25,512 jobs and $8.8 billion in investment.
During his State of the State address, Kemp pointed out that he faced criticism when he chose to “safely and methodically reopen the state.”
“That decision allowed Georgia’s small business community to live to fight another day and some of our largest companies – like Kia and Bridgestone – to have record success,” Kemp said. “It has never been clearer that we must honor our commitment to the job creators in this state. That commitment has held true these last 10 months, in communities rallying around local businesses who overhauled to adhere to public health guidelines and keep customers safe, and in the work done by leaders in both legislative chambers to make it easier to stay in business in the era of COVID-19.
“My message to those great Georgians has been the same every day since we announced our measured reopening: your state hears you, your Governor hears you, and we have your back.”
