May 2018 Features

  • Georgia Department of Economic Development Tourism Product Development Resource Team to Present Tourism Report to Athens

    May 31, 2018

    The Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau will host the Georgia Department of Economic Development Tourism Product Development Resource Team at the Hyatt Place on Thursday, June 7, at 6:00 p.m. to present findings and recommendations. The CVB encourages tourism partners and media to attend the presentation to hear the team’s report that will provide guidance for future tourism product development in Athens.

  • Connecting Georgia’s Communities to Spur Economic Development: RuralWorks

    May 31, 2018

    The newest division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Rural Georgia Initiatives, has one primary focus in mind: to help rural Georgia communities become more competitive for economic development projects and identify new strategies for attracting jobs and investment.

  • Georgia Department of Transportation Heads into 2018 Summer Construction Season

    May 30, 2018

    With Memorial Day in the rear view mirror, the unofficial start of summer has begun. For Georgia Department of Transportation, summer road construction is gearing up across Georgia. The Department announced plans for an active 2018 summer construction season, with hundreds of construction and maintenance projects along interstates and state routes across Georgia.

  • Athens Breaks Jobs Records in April

    May 29, 2018

    Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Athens prospered even as the state saw generally down numbers in April for several cities. In April, the Athens unemployment rate fell sharply, the number of employed residents continued to grow and total jobs climbed to a record-setting number.

  • Delta Offering More Trans-Atlantic Flying Than Ever

    May 29, 2018

    Memorial Day weekend marked the start of Delta's biggest ever summer on the trans-Atlantic. Some 11 routes – both new and old favorites – will begin over the next couple of days connecting the U.S. and nine countries in Europe.

  • U.S. CEOs' Confidence Soars As Hunt For Sustained Growth Continues

    May 29, 2018

    U.S. chief executives are highly confident in the growth prospects for their companies over the next three years and will focus on M&A and collaborative efforts such as accelerator or incubator programs for startup firms to achieve sustained growth, according to a study released today by KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax, and advisory firm.

  • Georgia Banks & Industry Groups Applaud Dodd-Frank Rollback

    May 24, 2018

    Georgia-based community banks, regional banks, and industry groups are applauding the significant rollback of Dodd-Frank Act regulations. As a member of the Senate Banking Committee, U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) helped craft the bipartisan rollback plan, which included three of his provisions. The rollback plan now heads to President Trump’s desk to become law.

  • Georgia DOT Restricts Construction-Related Closures Statewide During Memorial Day Holiday Weekend

    May 24, 2018

    To ease Memorial Day weekend traffic congestion, the Georgia Department of Transportation is suspending construction-related lane closures from Friday, May 25th through Tuesday, May 29th on Interstate Highways, and limiting lane closures on state routes that directly serve major tourist and recreation centers.

  • Barberitos Sets Sales Record on Cinco De Mayo

    May 23, 2018

    Barberitos, a fast-growing restaurant franchise specializing in burritos, tacos and quesadillas, had its two best sales days ever during this year's Cinco de Mayo celebration. Gross sales on Saturday, May 5, broke the previous storewide sales record that was set only the day before.

  • Walk, Run or Ride the Firefly Trail on May 24th

    May 22, 2018

    Everyone is invited to explore the new Firefly Trail at a free event Thursday, May 24th, from 6:30-8 p.m. on the new trail in East Athens. All parts of the nearly 1-mile first segment of the trail are open and in use, from East Broad Street to Old Winterville Road. Participants in Thursday's event are invited to start at any point and go at their own pace for as much of the trail as they wish.

  • Zillow: Federal Tax Cut Will Inject Nearly $40B into the Housing Market

    May 21, 2018

    The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted at the end of last year could result in tens of billions of dollars being reinvested into the housing market, according to the Zillow Housing Aspirations Report. This is despite the fact that legislation expressly limited a number of longstanding tax benefits for homeowners.

  • Financial Technology Report Shows Georgia Leads as Global FinTech Hub

    May 17, 2018

    The Technology Association of Georgia, the state's leading association dedicated to the promotion and economic advancement of Georgia's technology industry, has unveiled its 2018 State of Georgia's FinTech Ecosystem Report.

  • GDOT Commissioner: Georgia Well-Positioned for Infrastructure Plan

    May 15, 2018

    This week is National Infrastructure Week. There will be events across the nation to bring awareness to the criticality of infrastructure conditions and the need for investment. The Georgia Department of Transportation is focused on improving both the state of good repair of our infrastructure and investing in mobility enhancements to our transportation network in order to facilitate growth and improve the quality of life for all Georgians.

  • ACG Atlanta Announces 40 Fastest-­Growing Companies in Georgia

    May 14, 2018

    The Atlanta Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, a global professional organization with the mission of Driving Middle-­Market Growth, announced the 2018 Georgia Fast 40, recognizing the top 40 fastest-­growing middle-­market companies in Georgia.

  • Georgia’s 2017 Tourism Economic Impact Tops $63M, Breaks Records

    May 08, 2018

    Gov. Nathan Deal announced that the state’s tourism industry generated a record-breaking $63.1 billion in economic impact in 2017, for an increase of 3.8 percent over last year, according to the U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics.

  • The Home Depot Co-founder: Profits are Not the Only Measure of Success

    May 07, 2018

    American businesses are giving and doing more than ever before, like the hundreds of companies that have pledged bonuses, raises, new or expanded benefits, or price reductions since December, when Congress retooled the federal tax code for the first time in 30 years. Those responses are tremendous—they could mean a family’s first vacation or provide hope of paying down medical expenses or debt—but understand that business need not rely on unexpected windfalls before realizing the benefits of giving back.

  • Governor Signs $26 Billion State Budget

    May 03, 2018

    Gov. Nathan Deal held budget signing ceremonies in Atlanta, Acworth, Blue Ridge, Statesboro and Tifton for next year’s $26 billion state budget. HB 684, the FY 2019 budget, continues Deal’s efforts to invest in Georgia’s citizens and its economy through education and transportation initiatives.

  • Georgia's Credit Unions Finish 2017 with Strong Loan Growth

    May 02, 2018

    Georgia credit unions finished 2017 with strong loan growth aided by near cyclical highs in U.S. consumer confidence. Lending at Georgia credit unions grew by 1.8 percent in the fourth quarter – eclipsing the third quarter’s 1.5 percent rate but landing short of the 3.2 percent rate in the fourth quarter of 2016, according to data collected by the Credit Union National Association.

  • Billy Payne’s Olympian Triumph

    May 01, 2018

    The story of Atlanta’s emergence as an international city began, as unlikely triumphs often do, with one man’s improbable dream. And yet, William Porter “Billy” Payne was not known as a dreamer. In fact, before 1987—when he resolved to bring the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games to Atlanta, in defiance of all odds—the then-middle-aged real estate lawyer wasn’t widely known at all.