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Peach State Sprouts
Rural Economic Roots
Much of the economic development within Georgia has happened in the greater metropolitan Atlanta area. However, the Peach State has seen business development expand into many of the state's smaller metro areas within the last few years. The Legislature has initiated two new programs to spur economic development throughout the state, particularly in parts of rural Georgia that have seen a continued exodus due to lack of jobs.
These two programs, The One-Georgia Fund and the Rural Development Council will encourage business development in areas that have not recently enjoyed economic prosperity. The OneGeorgia Fund will take $10 million from the tobacco settlement fund, and use it specifically for economic development deal-closing funds in Tier One and Tier Two communities. The Rural Development Council, headed by Georgia's Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor, seeks to improve broad policy issues such as telecommunications and healthcare in many of the state's rural areas.
Rome, Georgia, located 65 miles northwest of Atlanta, has for many years been a small college town. Recently the city of more than 35,000 has seen several major business relocations. Suzuki of America announced a $30 million manufacturing facility. The company will produce ATV's for U.S. sale and will employ more than 300 once the plant is open. Pirelli Tire is locating their U.S. Headquarters and R&D facility to the Rome area. Pirelli will produce high-end tires at the $141 million facility and will use a new robotic system known as MIRS. Two Honda suppliers, Neaton Rome Inc. and F&P Georgia Manufacturing, have also recently located in the Rome area.
Small metropolitan areas also offer the advantage of immediate T1 or fiber optic service. The OneGeorgia Fund will aid rural communities with telecommunications infrastructure installation. Multicast Media Net-works recently located its technology headquarters to La Grange, located an hour southwest of Atlanta. La Grange is one of the first cities in the nation to offer free Internet access to its citizens via cable television.
"It takes 90 days to 120 days to get T1 service in Atlanta," said Lou Schwartz, Multicast's Chairman and CEO. "In La Grange, advanced telecom access is ready and waiting. And the turnaround time for special needs is extraordinary."
Laurens County in southeast Georgia, is the new site for Best Buy's $40 million distribution warehouse. Located in Dublin, the 700,000 sq.-ft. (65,000 sq.-m.) warehouse will employee 211 employees. South Georgia is also the location for Crider Poultry's new $19 million processing plant. The plant is located in rural Emanuel County and hopes to bring needed jobs to the area.
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