With a robust advanced manufacturing industry, Georgia-produced products are found on shelves and in customers’ everyday lives across the world. Take a look at five thriving companies that call Georgia home. 

One of a Kind: Verescence North America in Covington 
The only specialized manufacturer of glass perfume bottles in the United States, Verescence North America is a unique addition to Georgia’s advanced manufacturing community. Intricate designs and limited quantities of designer perfume bottles means production occurs in small batches that few companies are equipped to handle. The result? Many of the product lines produced by Verescence in Georgia are only produced in Georgia and nowhere else in the world.   

Choosing Georgia 
A French company with more than 120 years of industry experience, Verescence became one of the first glassmakers to establish production facilities in the U.S. in 1996. The company selected Georgia for both of its North American production facilities, locating its glass bottle manufacturing facility in Covington and its decorative and printing facility in nearby Sparta, Georgia.

Verescence partnered with Georgia Quick Start to develop customized training materials that equipped new employees with the technical knowledge required to safely operate equipment and man the production line while working with molten glass.

Global Health Solutions: Takeda in Covington; Ethicon in Athens 
Located at the GRAD (Georgia Ready Accelerated Development) certified Stanton Springs industrial park to the east of Atlanta, Takeda’s $1.7 billion, more than 1 million-square-foot facility manufactures two types of plasma-derived therapies used to combat more than 400 kinds of primary immune deficiency diseases. The company co-founded the global CoVIg-19 Plasma Alliance and manufactured CoVIg-19, the Alliance’s investigational hyperimmune globulin (H-Ig) medicine, at the facility.

Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, is a worldwide leader in the manufacture of surgical sutures and wound closures. The company’s medical device facility in Cornelia, Georgia, was founded in 1946 as a Johnson & Johnson plant and co-located on a campus with fellow Johnson & Johnson company Janssen. The company has since expanded its footprint to include the facility in Athens. Johnson & Johnson attributed the decision to expand in Georgia to two vital elements: a business-friendly environment and the available, skilled workforce. 

 Choosing Georgia 
Communities in and around metro Atlanta are investing in workforce and talent solutions such as Georgia Quick Start’s Georgia BioScience Training Center and opportunities for collaboration. Nearby, the University of Georgia (UGA) broke ground in April 2024 on its new independent School of Medicine, expanding the existing talent pipelines and research for companies.

UGA President Jere W. Morehead shared, “As a land-grant and sea-grant research university, our commitment to Georgia is unwavering, and the new University of Georgia School of Medicine will expand our positive impact on Georgians in many critical ways. The School of Medicine will significantly expand the pool of medical professionals in Georgia, attract more top-tier scientists and researchers to the state, and produce more physicians to serve underserved and rural Georgia communities.”

Smiles with Every Sip: Creature Comforts Brewing Co. in Athens; Starbucks in Augusta

Founded in Athens in 2014, Creature Comforts is a craft brewery that many may recognize from its cameo in “Avengers: Endgame.” In addition to expanding to its market reach, Creature Comforts is dedicated to being an active community member. All three of Creature Comforts’ production facilities are revitalized industrial spaces, including the original location at the old Snow Tire Building and the second facility at the historic Southern Mill property in Athens. Their philanthropic arm, Get Comfortable, is collaborating with community partners to increase reading comprehension in nearby elementary schools.

How did a Seattle-based coffee giant land in Georgia? As Starbucks’ at-home ground blends, K-Cup pods, and cold brew concentrates gained popularity, the company saw an opportunity in locating additional production facilities closer to new markets. In Augusta, they found reliable partners, power and utilities, and a trained workforce.

Choosing Georgia 
Georgia products are enjoyed in homes across the country, and delivering products to neighborhood retailers is key to business success. Georgia offers more rail miles than any other state in the Southeast at 5,000 miles – enough rail line to make the trip from New York City to Los Angeles and back. Together with 20,000 miles of federal and state highways, companies in every corner of the state are connected to some of the top-ranked logistics assets in the nation. Georgia’s connectivity through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and two deepwater ports makes Georgia a global gateway capable of moving more than $186 billion in U.S. trade in 2023. 

Bottle Makers to Coffee Makers
From start to finish, Georgia’s resources support manufacturers along every step of the way: selecting a site, developing a workforce, and moving products to market. This has led to a robust, diverse advanced manufacturing base in the Peach State. Learn more reasons why companies are choosing Georgia.

Besides manufacturing products, all of the above companies share two traits: an international presence and welcoming esteemed guests from the 2024 International VIP Tour. Organized by the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s International Relations team, this year’s tour stopped in Athens, Augusta, Covington, Oconee, and Monroe. Learn more about how the tour engages the Consular Corps with existing industries, local communities, and tourism attractions in last year’s tour through South Georgia.