ATLANTA –Georgia State Representative Bruce Williamson (R-Monroe) commended Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and the state of Georgia for being named the No. 1 state in the nation in which to do business by Site Selection Magazine for the fifth straight year in a row. This was done on Oct. 30 when the governor announced the ranking.
“I commend Governor Deal, the Georgia Department of Economic Development and all of our state’s leaders for their continuous work to make Georgia the No. 1 state in the county to do business,” Williamson said. “Our state made history by receiving this prestigious ranking for the fifth consecutive year. I look forward to helping our state carry on this legacy by continuing to support business friendly legislation in the upcoming legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly.”
According to Site Selection, Georgia is the first state to hold this ranking for five consecutive years under the same governor.
“For the fifth year in a row, Georgia has been named the No. 1 state in the nation in which to do business, highlighting the value of our business-friendly environment and the success of our economic development initiatives,” Deal said in making the announcement. “I’d like to thank Site Selection for this recognition. I’m also deeply grateful for the hard work of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), and for the strong foundation laid by our community partners. We are so proud to be ranked No. 1 for business, because behind this ranking is a new job opportunity for a parent, a new business for a community and more economic opportunity for all Georgians.
“By emphasizing strong partnerships on both the state and local levels, we have cultivated an economic environment that produces greater opportunities for hardworking people, generates investment in local communities and improves the overall quality of life for Georgia families. Our low tax burden and economic assets, including a robust workforce and unparalleled connectivity, lead the nation in attracting industry leaders from across the country and around the world. As we continue building upon our strategic resources by investing in workforce development initiatives such as the HOPE Career Grant, we are ensuring that industry leaders remain connected to a skilled labor pool capable of meeting the challenges of today, tomorrow and beyond.
“I am confident that the efforts of state industry leaders, community partners and the people of Georgia will help us maintain this momentum for many years to come.”
Each November, Site Selection releases rankings for the top states in which to do business. Georgia has been ranked among the top 10 states in Site Selection’s business climate rankings throughout the last decade and has held the top spot for the last four years. Site Selection is a leading economic development trade magazine whose editorial mission is to publish information for expansion planning decision-makers. Site Selection, published by Conway Data Inc., delivers expansion planning information to 48,000 executives of fast-growing firms.
“Our Conway Projects Database of new and expanding facilities is the basis of much of this ranking,” Site Selection Editor-in-Chief Mark Arend said in the press release. “It tracks private capital projects involving $1 million or more of investment, 20 or more new jobs or 20,000 or more square feet of new construction. Georgia finished in the top five of most of the ranking criteria that are based on those projects, and site selectors ranked Georgia third in the nation in the executive survey component. This makes Georgia the state to beat for the fifth consecutive year, and it signals to our readers and to the broader capital investment community that Georgia competes to win.”
Deal also announced the addition of five new strategic industry programs to the HOPE Career Grant that will begin in January. The new fields include Construction, Aviation, Electrical Line Work, Logistics and Automotive Technology through the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). The addition of the programs bring the total number of HOPE Career Grant areas of study to 17.
Representative Bruce Williamson represents the citizens of District 115, which includes portions of Walton County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2010, and currently serves as the Secretary/Treasurer of the House Republican Caucus and on the Banks & Banking, Energy, Utilities, & Telecommunications, Governmental Affairs, Insurance, and Ways & Means committees.
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