February 2024 Features

  • Georgia Benefiting from Tailwinds of Domestic Migration, EV, & Manufacturing Investment, Offset by National Headwinds of Corporate Job Compression & Weak Global Growth

    February 29, 2024

    Georgia’s economy is benefiting from the tailwinds of people moving to the state from the rest of the nation, electric vehicle and supplier-related construction, and general manufacturing investments, while also being buffeted by the headwinds of national job market compression and global growth woes.

  • UGA SBDC Partners with Southeastern Universities to Bring Business Education Programs to Rural Communities with Support From SBA Grant

    February 28, 2024

    The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration to bring the popular Digital Marketing Bootcamp program to more rural towns across Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.

  • UGA Miracle Raises $1M for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

    February 27, 2024

    On Sunday afternoon, Feb. 25, UGA Miracle, the University of Georgia’s largest student-run philanthropy, announced they had raised $1,075,281.24 for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. More than 2,000 students representing more than 30 student organizations gathered in Tate Student Center Grand Hall overnight Feb. 24-25 for UGA Miracle’s annual Dance Marathon.

  • State Leaders Celebrate Hyundai Motor Group’s Historic Impact on Georgia

    February 27, 2024

    Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp joined President and Global COO of Hyundai Motor Company and President and CEO of Hyundai and Genesis Motor North America José Muñoz to celebrate Hyundai Motor Group’s historic and positive impact on the State of Georgia while providing an update on the progress of its Metaplant America.

  • Unveiling Georgia’s $1.3B Arts Impact

    February 26, 2024

    Nonprofit arts and culture have a powerful ability to attract and hold dollars within local communities. Now, for the first time, Georgia has a custom economic analysis of its nonprofit arts and culture sector – and the data from Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 from Americans for the Arts is impressive.

  • 2024 Georgia Grown Executive Chefs Announced

    February 23, 2024

    Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper and Georgia Restaurant Association President + CEO Stephanie Fischer announced six new Georgia Grown Executive Chefs at the 2024 Taste of Georgia Legislative Reception last night.

  • UGA Continues R&D Ascent with $571M in Expenditures in FY23

    February 21, 2024

    For the second consecutive year, the University of Georgia exceeded half a billion dollars in research and development expenditures. Its $570.9 million total in fiscal year 2023 represented another record high in R&D activity and marks the fifth consecutive year of growth for the university.

  • Farm Stress Summit to Spotlight Mental Health Challenges Among Georgia’s Farming Communities

    February 21, 2024

    The prevalence of mental health challenges experienced by farm families and farming communities in Georgia is staggering. Faced with unfavorable weather, unfriendly economic conditions, labor shortages and more, farmers of all types often cope with the pressures of their profession in unhealthy ways, including considering suicide.

  • Over $1.2M Raised in esp Big Hearts Masterpiece Weekend

    February 20, 2024

    esp (Extra Special People) successfully raised over $1.2M through their signature event - Big Hearts. Big Hearts is an annual fundraiser that helps fund esp’s mission to create transformative experiences for people with disabilities and their families, changing communities for the better.

  • "Call Before You Dig" Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary in Georgia

    February 20, 2024

    2024 marks Georgia 811’s 50th Anniversary. With the mission to promote safety and prevent utility damage, Georgia 811 will celebrate the occasion with various events, initiatives, and tributes to remind stakeholders and the general public of the importance of contacting 811 before digging.

  • Georgia Leading Nation in New Clean Energy Projects, 19 Projects Totalling 39k Jobs, $13B in Private Investments

    February 16, 2024

    Large-scale clean energy projects announced in Georgia in just the first year of the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are projected to create or support almost 39,000 jobs and generate tens of billions of dollars in new wages, tax revenue, and economic growth, according to a new economic analysis by BW Research for the national nonpartisan business group E2.

  • State of Georgia Breaks Export Records for Third Straight Year

    February 15, 2024

    Governor Kemp joined the Georgia Department of Economic Development in announcing that the state surpassed $49.7 billion in exports in 2023, eclipsing the record-setting $47 billion in 2022.

  • FirstNet Authority, AT&T Announce 10-Year Investment to Transform America’s Public Safety Broadband Network

    February 14, 2024

    The FirstNet Authority and its network partner, AT&T, are announcing a major investment in the future of public safety communications. The FirstNet Authority’s 10-year, $8 billion investment initiative will evolve and expand FirstNet — America’s public safety network.

  • Athens Tech Foundation to Celebrate Second Illuminate Gala April 18th

    February 13, 2024

    The Athens Tech Foundation is thrilled to announce the second annual Illuminate Gala, a vibrant celebration of Athens Technical College's profound impact on workforce development. Scheduled for April 18, 2024, at The Classic Center, this event promises to build upon the success of the previous year, where an impressive $80,000 was raised.

  • Michael Hertz Promoted to President of United Distributors, Inc.

    February 13, 2024

    United Distributors, Inc., the largest beverage alcohol distributor in Georgia and Alabama, announced two leadership changes, effective February 1st, with the promotion of Michael Hertz to President and the appointment of Pete Moraitakis as Vice Chairman.

  • Nurturing Dreams, Growing Futures: Small Business Assistance that Builds Your Community

    February 13, 2024

    Every year America's entrepreneurs take their dreams and ideas and start thriving small businesses with the help of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs). Through cutting-edge training programs and advising strategies, SBDCs aren't just helping create new businesses; they are helping thousands of others grow.

  • Georgia Chamber Foundation Releases 2024 State of Housing Report

    February 12, 2024

    The Georgia Chamber of Commerce Foundation released its 2024 State of Housing Report highlighting opportunities for Georgia’s leaders to implement strategic policies that encourage housing development and address the current workforce housing shortage.

  • CEO Confidence Improved in Q1 2024

    February 12, 2024

    The Conference Board Measure of CEO Confidence in collaboration with The Business Council improved to 53 in Q1 2024, up from 46 in the fourth quarter of 2023. The Measure is now above 50, a reading that suggests CEOs have become optimistic about what's ahead for the economy.

  • Georgia Chamber Hosts Business Prospects for 35th Annual ‘Georgia Quail Hunt’ in Albany

    February 09, 2024

    This week, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual Georgia Quail Hunt in Albany, as business leaders representing state recruitment and expansion prospects joined local and state economic developers and officials, including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, to learn about the competitive advantages of doing business in Georgia.

  • Atlanta Fed Opening Remarks: Uneven Outcomes in the Labor Market

    February 09, 2024

    At the Atlanta Fed, our tagline is "an economy that works for everyone." Such an economy will feature a labor market in which everyone can maximize their human capital and potential and find work commensurate with that full potential. The appeal of having this kind of economy is that it will be more resilient, more innovative, and more prosperous.

  • Georgia Historical Society’s New Georgia Day Video to Explore the Thirteenth Colony’s Founding

    February 08, 2024

    The Georgia Historical Society will premiere an all-new Georgia Day video on February 12, 2024—Georgia Day—in recognition of the 291st anniversary of Georgia’s founding on February 12, 1733.

  • Georgia ALICE - Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed - Report Releases

    February 07, 2024

    Out of the 3.95 million households in Georgia, 34% are hardworking families who are living under the threshold of financial survival based on the state’s 2021 cost of living data, according to the ALICE Report released today by the United Ways of Georgia State Association.

  • Georgia Leaders Selected for 2024 GeorgiaForward Young Gamechangers Cohort

    February 06, 2024

    GeorgiaForward has selected 45 promising professionals to serve the organization’s 2024 Young Gamechangers (YG) program. YG is a unique leadership action program hosted by GeorgiaForward, a non-profit organization administrated by the Georgia Municipal Association. Young Gamechangers brings professionals from across the state to work on the persistent challenges of one Georgia community.

  • FIFA Announces World Cup 2026 Schedule, Atlanta to Host Eight Matches, Including Semifinal Match

    February 05, 2024

    In front of a global television audience, FIFA unveiled the Match Schedule for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and Atlanta has been selected to host eight matches – including five group stage matches, a round of 32 match, a round of 16 match and a semifinal match – at Mercedes-Benz Stadium during the summer of 2026.

  • Completion of Plant Vogtle Nuclear Expansion Delayed Until Second Quarter

    February 05, 2024

    A malfunction within the cooling system at the second of two additional nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle is forcing Georgia Power to delay the unit’s in-service date until the second quarter of this year.