Georgia will be announced as the Best State To Do Business by Area Development magazine. This is the state’s 13th year at the top. Augusta played a big part.
Magazine editor Andy Greiner said the full list is embargoed until the edition is published, but he had the green light to announce the number one position. He was the keynote speaker for the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Member Economic Luncheon.
The theme for the luncheon was “Why Georgia and Why Augusta.” Greiner looked at why the state is so good and why it maintains its ranking.
“After spending the last several months talking with site selectors and economic developers, manufacturers, aerospace executives, utilities, workforce experts, and all sorts of people across the country. I think something very profound is happening to the geography of American business. The rules are changing, and Georgia offers a useful window into what those new rules look like,” he explained.
Greiner said there has been a shift in the rules on attracting new businesses. In the past, the top questions companies asked were about the tax rate, incentives being offered, the cost of wages, and the price to purchase land.
“Those things still matter. But increasingly, it’s not the first question that people are asking,” he said. “The first questions are, ‘Can you actually get the things built? Do you have the power available? Do you have the water? Do you have the workers? Is there a site that can accommodate? Can you permit it? Can you get the equipment and materials there? Can the utility deliver what it says it can deliver? Can the local government make a decision? Can the state?”
Greiner said the dividing line between economic development and national security. With its large aerospace and defense ecosystem, Georgia sits at the intersection. It has major military installations, advanced manufacturing, and an engineering talent pool.
“And here in Augusta, it seems that convergence has become especially visible. You have manufacturing, you have energy, you have higher education, you have the Savannah River Site,” he said.
He added that another strength for Augusta was the decision by the U.S. Army to consolidate the Army Cyber Command and Cyber Center of Excellence.
“Around that decision, this region builds an extraordinary cyber ecosystem: the Georgia Cyber Center, Augusta University School of Computer and Cyber Sciences Cyber Institute. That matters because there are, by most recent counts, more than 200,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs in this country right now, and Augusta isn’t chasing that gap. It’s one of the few places positioned to close it.”
Augusta was recently named as the top metro area for career opportunities in the U.S. That honor was part of LinkedIn’s second annual Cities on the Rise.
In a videotaped greeting, Andrew Seaman, LinkedIn’s Senior Editor for Job Searches & Careers, said the ranking was based on job growth, hiring data, and the influx of workers relocating to the area.
“There’s no cooking the books. There’s no sort of putting a thumb on the scale when it comes to our favorite cities, Seaman said. “This is all based on what our members are telling us, and what they’re saying is that Augusta is one of the best places in the U.S. to be when it comes to growing your career, whether you’re starting out or you’re maybe looking toward retirement, it seems to be the place to be for professionals.”
Griner said the Southeast has been the dominant region for economic development and job creation because of lower costs. However, he cautioned that prices have been rising for land, construction, and employees’ salaries. He said increased competition from the so-called Rust Belt will change the priority from an area’s ability to attract a project to its ability to absorb the project.
The full list of the Best States to do Business will be published in the Sept. 18th edition of Area Development magazine. It is available online at www.areadevelopment.com
