2014 YEAR IN REVIEW Georgia Department of Economic Development number state in the U.S. for business. It is with great pride that we share some of Georgia's outstanding successes in economic development. Georgia has, for the 2nd year in a row, been named No. 1 in the nation for business, not just by Site Selection magazine, but also by CNBC and Area Development. FISCAL YEAR 2014 (JULY 1, 2013 JUNE 30, 2014) HAS BEEN AN EXCEPTIONAL YEAR FOR OUR ENTIRE TEAM AND IS A TESTAMENT TO THE COMMITMENT AND SUPPORT FROM OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS, COMMUNITIES AND THE CITIZENS OF GEORGIA. From the 374 company location announcements, grant funding for 80 organizations, assisting 4,000 companies with technical expertise and collaboration from our Centers of Innovation, a fourth consecutive year of recordbreaking exports, the film industry's $5.1 billion in economic impact and the record-breaking $53.6 billion generated by tourism in the state we have an exceptional team of partners and economic developers across Georgia's 159 counties who are actively promoting Georgia as a great place to invest, film a movie, grow a business, start a company, explore a city, and simply put, thrive. Our goal at the Georgia Department of Economic Development is to create jobs and investment opportunities in Georgia and we can't accomplish this without our partnerships. As we continue to tout our pro-business resources, highly skilled workforce, world-class transportation infrastructure and great quality of life, we will, together, keep Georgia a leader in the global marketplace. Sincerely, Chris Carr Commissioner BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 1ST - The Honorable Kevin Jackson 2ND - The Honorable Mark Glass 3RD - The Honorable Philip Tomlinson 4TH - The Honorable Paul Wood 5TH - The Honorable Jerome Russell 6TH - The Honorable Penn Hodge 7TH - The Honorable Ron Garrard 8TH - The Honorable Allen Gudenrath 9TH - The Honorable Randall Pugh 10TH - The Honorable Tom Griffith 11TH - The Honorable Craig Barrs 12TH - The Honorable Wayne Christian 13TH - The Honorable Felker Ward 14TH - The Honorable Robert Kinard MEMBERS - AT - LARGE The Honorable Kent Fountain The Honorable Rene Diaz The Honorable Gardiner W. Garrard The Honorable Sam A. Way The Honorable Charles K. Tarbutton (Chairman) The Honorable Mike Nixon The Honorable H. "Monty" Osteen (Secretary) The Honorable Jay Neely The Honorable Eric Johnson 365 DAYS, 8,760 HOURS, 159 COUNTIES - ONE EXCEPTIONAL YEAR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Economic development is more than jobs and investment - it is a joint endeavor between partners, our communities and the citizens of Georgia. Whether it is through our Global Commerce, Workforce, International Trade, Centers of Innovation, Tourism, Entertainment or Arts divisions it is a continuous effort that takes place day to day, month to month. Our FY14 year in review was designed to feature monthly highlights from July 1, 2013 June 30, 2014. GLOBAL COMMERCE 374 Company expansion or location announcements 28,404 Jobs $5B Investment 25% JOBS 57% INVESTMENT Aerospace 25 percent increase in jobs 57 percent increase in investment SECTOR INCREASES IN FY14 Logistics & Distribution 152% INVESTMENT 152 percent increase in investment over FY13 in projects announced 15% JOBS 149% INVESTMENT Automotive 15 percent increase in jobs 149 percent increase in investment EXISTING INDUSTRY AND NEW BUSINESS 69% EXPANSIONS 69 percent of the total projects in FY14 were expansions of existing businesses 31% NEW COMPANIES 31 percent of the projects were from companies investing in Georgia for the first time FEATURED PROJECTS Company Jobs Investment County Chime Solutions 1,120 n/a Clayton Toyo Tire NA Mfg., Inc. 650 $371M Bartow Keurig Green Mtn. 550 $337M Douglas Shaw Industries Group 500 $85M Bartow Fiserv, Inc. 500 $41M Fulton Mohawk Industries 420 $85M Whitfield, Floyd King's Hawaiian 400 $100M Hall Southwire 375 $95M Carroll Hyundai Dymos 350 $35M Troup SV Pittie Group 250 $75M Screven Bainbridge Mfg. LLC 240 4 $10M Decatur Georgia's international representation Canada U.S. A. Mexico Georgia Colombia Chile Brazil U.K. Germany Israel Korea China Japan INTERNATIONAL TRADE TOP INVESTOR NATIONS* 16% 19% 18% JAPAN KOREA GERMANY * percent of total international investment INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS International companies Domestically owned companies 5,860 Jobs $1.75B Investment 22,544 Jobs $3.25B Investment IMPORTING AND EXPORTING 11th LARGEST 11th largest exporting state in the U.S. (up from 12th in 2013) 8th LARGEST 8th largest importing state in the U.S. (up from 9th in 2013) $37.6B $37.6 billion in international exports THE GEORGIA CENTERS OF INNOVATION 400 400 media outlets featured MEDIA OUTLETS COIs 520M MEDIA VIEWS 520 million media views (monthly unique views and circulation) 4,000 COMPANIES 4,000 Georgia companies assisted in FY14 (30 percent increase from FY13) 5 TOURISM $53.6 billion in $53.6B business sales including direct, indirect and induced impact by BUSINESS tourism demand in SALES 2013 (Up 4.5 percent from 2012) $2.8B TAX REVENUE $2.8 billion generated by visitor spending in the form of state and local tax revenue in Georgia $770 SAVED $770 per Georgia household saved from state and local tax savings of as a result of the tourism industry's tax contribution 411,000 JOBS SUSTAINED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY FILM $5.1B $5.1 billion in economic impact 158 158 feature film and television productions $1.4B Productions spent $1.4 billion during filming in FY14 MOTION PICTURE AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY 11 GEORGIA FEATURE FILMS PREMIERED $3.8B IN TOTAL WAGES* 6 *According to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) FILM EMPLOYMENT The motion picture and television 77,900 industry is responsible for more than 77,900 JOBS* jobs and $3.8 billion in total wages, including indirect jobs and wages 100 100 filmrelated companies have FILM-RELATED moved to COMPANIES Georgia since 2008 *According to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) FILM DEVELOPMENT NEW TO THE SOUTHEAST The Home Depot Pop-Up Shop for Pinewood: A First of Its Kind In April, The Home Depot opened a 45,000-square-foot hardware store dedicated solely to Pinewood Atlanta, the British studio behind James Bond and the Harry Potter series and its associates. The store sells hardware and materials for production sets, such as lumber, doors and windows that, once used, can be torn down and recycled for future projects. The Home Depot store is the largest of the 20 vendors committed to Pinewood Atlanta and is the first of its kind. Over the past five years, more than eighty companies have located in Georgia to provide support for the burgeoning film industry. GEORGIA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS GEORGIA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS GRANT FUNDING JUST OVER $1M IN FUNDING 80 organizations awarded just over $1 million in funding Nine organizations 9 also received support for exceptional ORGANIZATIONS arts education programs Organizations throughout the state were collectively awarded funding for operating support (Partner Grant) or arts projects (Project Grant). Three performing arts entities were accepted into GCA's Tourist Artist Roster. SELECT PARTNER GRANTS SELECT PROJECT GRANTS Athens-Clarke County Unified Government Clarkston Community Center, Inc. Atlanta Ballet, Inc. Flux Projects, Inc. Atlanta Celebrates Photography Full Radius Dance Atlanta Contemporary Art Center Gainesville Theatre Alliance/University of North Georgia Atlanta Film Festival Georgia Shakespeare Festival The Atlanta Opera Georgia State University Rialto Center for the Arts Atlanta Shakespeare Company Georgia Symphony Orchestra, Inc. Atlanta Young Singers of Callanwolde, Inc. Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art Aurora Theatre, Inc. Gwinnett Council for the Arts-Hudgens Center for the Arts C4 Atlanta, Inc. Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences, Inc. 7 Stages Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Art Rise Savannah, Inc. Athens Folk Music and Dance Society, Inc. Atlanta Chinese Dance Company Beacon Dance Company Bent Frequency, Inc. Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta City of Toccoa Clayton State University Creative Arts Guild Greater Augusta Arts Council FILM-RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE INCREASES IN FY14 Props Atlanta The Rage Place Arri CSC Technicolor Video Equipment Resources Alpha Medical Equipment Warner Bros. GOVERNOR'S AWARDS FOR ARTS AND HUMANITIES 15 15 citizens recognized for their significant contributions to Georgia's civic and cultural vitality through service to humanities or excellence in the arts 9 14-month state art tour COMMUNITIES around nine communities Kay Beck, Atlanta Allan Vigil, Morrow Linda Crowe Chesnut, Athens The Center for Puppetry Arts, Atlanta Dr. John Ferling, Carrollton Melissa Fay Greene, Atlanta Tim Howard, Chatsworth Colquitt County Arts Center, Moultrie Fox Theatre Institute, Atlanta Marianne Lambert, Atlanta Chuck Leavell, Dry Branch Moving in the Spirit, Atlanta Frank Maloy, Tifton Merryll Penson, Athens United Shape Note Singers, Atlanta 7 A YEAR IN REVIEW 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 The Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) distributed just over $1 million in funding to organizations across Georgia. These entities and projects were chosen based on their meaningful economic impact and exceptional arts programs and arts operations. The GCA grant seeks to cultivate the state's growing arts scene and support quality of life for surrounding communities. GEORGIA COMPANIES SOUGHT TRADE OPPORTUNITIES AT SEUS-CANADA Georgia companies and state entities built strategic partnerships, established mutually beneficial relationships and discovered potential buyers, research collaborators and investors for business during SEUS (Southeastern-U.S.) Canada Alliance 2013 conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia. CENTERS OF INNOVATION FOR MANUFACTURING LAUNCHES INTERNSHIP PROGRAM The Internship Program, financially supported by the Centers of Innovation for Manufacturing, will enable students at West Georgia Technical College to work at the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute to refine manufacturing skills and learn best practices. THE GEORGIA CENTERS OF INNOVATION HELPS GUIDED SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGIES LAND FUTURE PROJECTS McDonough-based Guided Systems Technologies, provider of highly capable UAVs, sought to enter the agriculture sector with their advanced product. Through the Centers of Innovation for Aerospace and Agribusiness, the company was able to test fly its vehicles over Moultrie's research crops, further developing its technology for the high-growth agriculture industry. With this project, the COIs helped the company land future projects and gain significant media coverage. JULY 02 GCA awards grants to 80 organizations. 8 11 GDEcD names Page Siplon the Director of the Georgia Centers of Innovation. 30 Field Service Engineering creates 80 jobs with new Hart County headquarters. FILM DIVISION CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY AT THE FOX THEATRE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 GOVERNOR'S MISSION TO ASIA Governor Deal and Georgia business leaders visited Shanghai, Qingdao and Jinan in the People's Republic of China and celebrated the 40th anniversary of Georgia's oldest economic development office in Tokyo. The purpose of the visit was to explore business, trade and tourism opportunities, as well as promote Georgia as an ideal place to invest, visit and do business. ND THE GLOBE GEORGIA-COMPANIES EXHIBIT AT AIMEX (ASIA-PACIFIC'S INTERNATIONAL MINING EXHIBITION),THE LARGEST MINING EVENT IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION AROU AUGUST Six Georgia small businesses were recognized as "Small Business Rock Stars" for their uniqueness, innovation and significant impact on small businesses throughout the state. Companies with fewer than 50 employees were nominated in fields ranging from information technology and healthcare to racing and restaurants. 14 Tourism division's MarketGeorgia. org, a go-to source for the tourism industry, is launched. 14 Trident Seafoods creates 175 jobs in Carroll County. 19 Small businesses recognized as "Rock Stars." 22 The Tourism division wins a U.S. Travel Association Mercury award. 27 Chinabased TravelSky opens R&D center, creates 9 52 jobs. GDECD LAUNCHES NEW DIGITAL IMAGE LIBRARY, PICTUREGEORGIA.ORG 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 HYUNDAI DYMOS CREATES 350 JOBS IN WEST POINT Hyundai Dymos announced plans to open a plant that will produce seats for Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). The new jobs and investment underscore the growth of third party automotive suppliers. STATE ART COLLECTION TOUR BEGINS The exhibit, "Inspired Georgia: 28 Works from Georgia's State Art Collection," highlighted the diverse styles, media and techniques in the collection; and was the first of its kind in decades. The collection was on tour for more than 14 months in nine Georgia communities. ND THE 600 JOBS ANNOUNCED IN GEORGIA FROM COMPANIES BASED IN GERMANY AND SOUTH KOREA GLOBE GDECD PROMOTES GEORGIA AS A LEADER IN BIOPHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING DURING BIO TALK 2013 IN BERLIN, GERMANY AROU THE ARTS AND TOURISM DIVISIONS AWARD GRANTS TO 13 ENTITIES SEPTEMBER 10 More than 500 tourism industry professionals from Georgia's convention and visitor bureaus, attractions, hotels and other entities attended the Governor's Tourism Conference 10 at Stone Mountain Park where Governor Deal recognized several top tourism professionals. 11 The Arts and Tourism divisions award $178,730 in product development grants to 13 tourism and art entities across the state. 12 Chris Carr becomes commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 GOVERNOR DEAL RECOGNIZES 15 INDIVIDUALS FOR EXCELLENCE IN ARTS AND HUMANITIES Fifteen individuals and organizations were recognized for their significant contributions to Georgia's civic and cultural vitality through service to the humanities or excellence in the arts. The awards were presented in partnership with the Georgia Council for the Arts and the Georgia Humanities Council. SOUTHWIRE CREATES 350 JOBS IN CARROLL COUNTY Southwire expanded its Carroll County headquarters in Villa Rica, increasing its production of cable and wire solutions for commercial, industrial and OEM markets. The company also works with high school students through 12 For Life, a cooperative education program founded by Southwire that encourages students to finish 12 years of school while also offering on-the-job training and classroom instruction for its manufacturing facility. CATERPILLAR GRAND OPENING Caterpillar Inc. held a grand opening for its new manufacturing facility in Clarke and Oconee counties. The project will create 1,400 jobs. AROU ND THE GLOBE INDIA-BASED SHRIVALLABH PITTIE BUILDS FIRST U.S. FACILITY IN SCREVEN COUNTY, CREATES 250 JOBS TOP MEXICO IMPORTERS OF FOOD PRODUCTS, COMMODITIES AND FOOD PROCESSING EQUIPMENT MEET GEORGIA SUPPLIERS IN ATLANTA California-based King's Hawaiian expanded existing operations in Oakwood, adding to Georgia's $11.1 billion food processing industry. With this expansion, King's Hawaiian will utilize Georgia Quick Start, in conjunction with Lanier Technical College, to train workforce on its new production lines. OCTOBER 21 King's Hawaiian brings 400 jobs to Hall County, doubling operations. 27 Season premiere of Georgia Traveler airs on Georgia Public Broadcasting, in partnership with Georgia 11 tourism. THE LARGEST GEORGIAFILMED MOVIE FRANCHISE "THE HUNGER GAMES CATCHING FIRE" HITS THEATRES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 ANNUAL SEUS JAPAN CONFERENCE The GDEcD managing director in Tokyo, Yumiko Nakazono, as well as 26 other entities from Georgia, attended the SEUS (Southeast-U.S.) Japan Conference in Mississippi to foster business partnerships with the region. GEORGIA NAMED THE NO. 1 STATE FOR BUSINESS One of the nation's top economic development trade publications, Site Selection magazine, ranked Georgia's business climate the No. 1 in which to do business. The magazine releases its annual rankings each year, basing research on a survey by corporate real estate executives and in part by an index of tax burden criteria. CAESARSTONE BRINGS 180 JOBS TO BRYAN COUNTY Before the Israel-based company selected its location in Richmond Hill, the company consulted with the Georgia Centers of Innovation for Logistics to determine the best location for their business from a logistics standpoint. Upon choosing the Bryan County location, Caesarstone announced plans to invest $70-100 million into a new manufacturing facility that will engineer quartz countertops and surfaces. The company also announced plans to utilize Georgia Quick Start, a top-ranked workforce training program, to train new employees. ND THE GLOBE 580 NEW GEORGIA JOBS ANNOUNCED FROM COMPANIES BASED IN ISRAEL, INDIA AND SOUTH KOREA GEORGIA'S OFFICE IN JAPAN CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF OPERATION AROU NOVEMBER 01 EP American Footwear opens first footwear manufacturing facility in 12 Jeff Davis County, creating 250 jobs. 22 Georgia-filmed "Catching Fire," the fourthbiggest domestic opening on record, grossed $146.6 million from 63 foreign markets, 96 percent higher than "The Hunger Games" opened to in the same countries. 26 Explore Georgia was named the No. 4 most followed state on Pinterest. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 TOURISM SOCIAL MEDIA HITS RECORD HIGH Collectively, the Tourism division's social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram) gained close to 116,000 new followers in 2013. The Explore Georgia blog, launched mid-2013, is receiving nearly 123,000 page views. Being heavily influenced by recommendations both online and offline, the Tourism division has an enormous opportunity to bring visitors to Georgia via its 13 social media platforms. ND THE GLOBE MORE THAN 400 JOBS IN GEORGIA ANNOUNCED BY COMPANIES BASED IN THE NETHERLANDS AND JAPAN AROU Toyo Tire North America, Inc. announced plans to expand its first North American manufacturing plant in White, GA, creating 650 jobs and investing $371 million into the project within four years. The expansion will increase warehouse footprint by 30 percent to meet the growing demand for premium light truck and passenger car tires. DECEMBER 06 Toyo Tire creates 650 jobs with Bartow County 13 Georgia-filmed Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas debuts. expansion. 13 PINEWOOD ATLANTA STUDIOS OPENS UK-based Pinewood established its first U.S. presence in Fayetteville, GA. Pinewood Atlanta Studios has six soundstages, but will have a total of 31 when completed. Marvel's "Ant-Man" was the first film to begin shooting in the new facility. The lot will also house numerous entertainment industry support service companies including Atlantabased The Home Depot's first private store exclusively for the use of film and television productions. Other vendors include Animal Actors; C & S Film Concierge; Chiropractic Services; Enterprise Rent-ACar; FutureStaff; GDTS: Act Tactical for Film; Go2 Studios; Hanna Brothers Film & Event Catering Company; Hollywood Trucks Georgia; M&R Print Solutions; Makeup On Demand; MBS Equipment Co.; Movie Cars Unlimited; New Life Casting LLC; Open Rivers Pictures; ProHealth Physical Therapy; and Southeast Film Group. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 TOURISM AND ARTS DAY AT THE CAPITOL Representatives from the tourism, hospitality and arts industry presented Governor Deal with a check representing the $1.361 billion in state tax revenue generated from tourism-related expenditures in 2012. AROU ND THE JANUARY GLOBE FOURTEEN GEORGIA-BASED FLOOR COVERING COMPANIES AND GDECD PROMOTE THE STATE AT THE LARGEST INTERNATIONAL TRADE SHOW FOR FLOOR COVERING, DOMOTEX 2014, IN HANNOVER, GERMANY 06 Commissioner Chris Carr launches Fly Around, visiting 14 communities across the state. 17 "Ride Along" starring Ice Cube and Kevin Hart premieres. The film was the year's first blockbuster. 22 Ollie's locates new Southeast distribution center in Commerce, creates 175 jobs. 28 Georgia's 2014 Travel Guide unveiled at state Capitol, 700,000 distributed. GACIVILWAR.ORG GETS A FRESH LOOK AND NEW INTERACTIVE FEATURES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 TOURISM DIVISION CO-HOSTS THE FIRST CAMELLIA & GARDEN SYMPOSIUM The first Camellia & Garden Symposium, co-hosted by Destination Brooks and GDEcD, showcased nationally renowned speakers such as Walter Reeves, Hugh and Mary Palmer Dargan, and allowed attendees to experience other historic Quitman and South Georgia landscape highlights, as well as take part in tours of area gardens; including the Betty Sheffield Memorial Garden. FISERV CREATES 500 JOBS IN ALPHARETTA A leading global provider of financial services and technology solutions, Fiserv, which currently employs approximately 2,000 associates across six locations in the metro Atlanta area, will add 500 jobs over the next five years. The company will also make an estimated capital investment of $41 million. AROU ND THE GLOBE GEORGIA COMPANIES EXHIBITED WITH GDECD AT GULFOOD 2014,THE LARGEST GLOBAL TRADE SHOW FOR FOOD, BEVERAGE AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRIES, IN DUBAI, UAE Georgia grew from the nation's 12th to the 11th largest exporting state in 2013. The state also increased from the 9th largest importing state to the country's 8th largest importing state. Access the full report by visiting Georgia.org/Trade. FEBRUARY 17 Fourth record year for the International Trade division. 18 The International Trade division awards 53 companies with a GLOBE (Georgia Launching Opportunities by Exporting) award for entering a new international market in 2013. 27 HIMSS (Healthcare Information Management Systems Society) 2014 attracts 13 Georgia entities to meet with companies that are interested in doing business in Georgia. 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Hosted by the Centers of Innovation for Logistics, the sixth annual Logistics Summit attracted more than 2,000 attendees from 30 states and nine nations. As the largest state-led logistics conference in the nation, the event offered opportunities for attendees to hear leading brands such as Target, Walmart and Starbucks, discuss how they are managing global logistics trends. BAINBRIDGE MANUFACTURING CREATES 240 JOBS IN DECATUR The privately held automotive manufacturer will invest $100 million over the next 10 years in Bainbridge, exporting to more than 37 countries and supplying to Tier 1 companies such as CAT and GM. The company will also establish an R&D center and create a 2015 summer internship program to expose qualified high school students to robotics and product development. EAST GEORGIA ENTERTAINS A 26-COUNTRY CONSULAR CORPS In the effort to showcase Georgia's booming business climate, quality of life and overall culture in the state, GDEcD hosted a 26-country consular corps audience for a VIP tour of nine communities in east Georgia. The international VIP tour is the only event that brings the bulk of Atlanta's diplomatic community together with Georgians in these communities. CENTER OF INNOVATION FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY HELPS IMPROVE VITAL SIGNS OF MEDICAL-TECH FIRM Sensiotec's Virtual Medical Assistant product was nearly ready for commercialization, but it needed additional resources before entering the market. Through an existing relationship, the company connected to the Center of Innovation for Information Technology who assisted Sensiotec in providing additional research from Georgia Tech and helped them further develop their software platform. MARCH 04 SkiftIQ, a data travel ranking company, ranks 16 Georgia Tourism in Top 20. 18 Sixth annual Logistics Summit held in Atlanta. 31 State and local leaders break ground for the Georgia Bioscience Training Center in Covington. AALTO SCIENTIFIC CREATES 80 JOBS IN PUTNAM COUNTY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 INTERNATIONAL TRADE DIVISION RECEIVES E-STAR AWARD International trade division awarded the Presidential "E Star" award for excellence in providing export programs and services for the second time. The President's "E Star" and "E" awards are the nation's highest honor given to an export service or organization. GOVERNOR'S HIGH DEMAND CAREER INITIATIVE IS LAUNCHED Governor Deal created the High Demand Career Initiative (HDCI) to allow those involved in training Georgia's future workforce the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia to hear directly from the private sector about what specific workforce needs they have now and five years into the future. HDCI hosted 13 meetings around the state. AROU ND THE GLOBE GEORGIA COMPANIES AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE DIVISION EXHIBITED AT EXPO SEGURIDAD MEXICO 2014 IN MEXICO CITY THE CIVIL WAR TRUST AND THE TOURISM DIVISION LAUNCH THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN BATTLE APP TO GUIDE USERS THROUGH THE BATTLE OF ATLANTA APRIL 01 Governor's Office of Workforce Development 22 ComeTourGeorgia.com wins Internet Advertising moved under GDEcD as Competition (IAC) Award new Workforce division, for "Outstanding Website." 17 announced by Governor Deal. NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS WEEK INCLUDES FIRST ANNUAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SMALL BUSINESS UNIT VIRACON CREATES 125 JOBS IN BULLOCH COUNTY On the cusp of the High Demand Career Initiative meeting in Statesboro, Governor Deal announced that Viracon, a leading architectural glass fabricator, will expand its existing operations in the area, creating 125 jobs and investing $2 million. 06 Georgia named No. 1 Most Competitive State in the Nation by Site 18 Selection magazine. AROU 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 TOURISM ANNOUNCES $53.6 BILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT A RECORD HIGH Georgia tourism demand generated $53.6 billion in business sales including direct, indirect and induced impact in 2013, up 4.5 percent, according to the U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics. In 2013, visitor spending generated $2.8 billion in state and local tax revenue and every Georgia household benefited from state and local tax savings of $770 as a result of the tourism industry's tax contribution. GEORGIA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS RELEASES DATA FROM EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT The reports, Arts Education in the South Phase I: Public School Data and Principals' Perspectives and Arts Education in the South Phase II: Profiles of Quality, studies the quality and access to arts education in K-12 public schools in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee through quantitative and qualitative research and was the first of its kind in decades. ND THE GLOBE TOURISM DIVISION HOSTS UK-BASED MEDIA ON A TOUR OF ATLANTA AND GEORGIA'S COAST, IN CONJUNCTION WITH BRAND USA MAY 16 Premiere of Georgiafilmed "Million Dollar Arm" starring Jon Hamm. 20 GDEcD hosts Georgia on My Mind: A Night of Georgia Music in Nashville. CNBC RANKS GEORGIA BEST STATE FOR BUSINESS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 RECORD YEAR FOR GEORGIA CENTERS OF INNOVATION The Centers of Innovation (COI) connected and assisted nearly 4,000 Georgia companies during the state's 2014 fiscal year, up 30 percent from the previous fiscal year. The COIs helped companies commercialize revolutionary wireless health monitoring systems, created new business models for unmanned aerial vehicles in the agriculture industry, secured federal grants to support the floor covering industry, developed new waste-to-energy technologies and supported the startup of 40 new food businesses. MORE THAN 2,400 JOBS ANNOUNCED AROU TOURISM DIVISION VISITS COLQUITT-MILLER COUNTY The Tourism Product Development team met with community leaders to explore tourism potential in Colquitt-Miller County. This visit brought stakeholders together and enlightened them on the significant opportunities for cultural heritage tourism in the area. The team will create a report to support the community in developing product. ND THE TOURISM DIVISION HOSTED 47 NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA TOURS AROUND GEORGIA GLOBE SHANDONG-GEORGIA INVESTMENT COOPERATION SEMINAR PROMOTES COLLABORATION IN THE AREAS OF ENERGY PRODUCTION, FINANCE, TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND LOGISTICS Keurig Green Mountain's new manufacturing center will support the production of pods for the company's new Keurig Cold platform. Keurig Green Mountain will also partner with Georgia-based Coca-Cola to collaborate on the development and introduction of CocaCola's global brand portfolio for use in the Keurig Cold beverage system. JUNE 01 Expanded newsroom launched on Georgia.org. 15 Newly redesiged interactive vacation and travel planning site launched, ExploreGeorgia.org. 19 Keurig Green Mountain creates 550 jobs in Douglas County. 23 Eighteen Georgia companies, universities and organizations, including the CDC, exhibit at BIO 2014, a 19 global biotechnology event. Georgia Department of Economic Development 75 Fifth Street NW | Suite 1200 | Atlanta, GA 30308 - USA | +1.404.962.4000 | Georgia.org 20