Co-Sponsor
For almost a century, Georgia Power has been helping hometowns across the state grow and prosper. We understand that growing a business or a community is a big job. To companies and communities navigate the journey from where they are to where they want to be, our team of seasoned experts provides free consultation and innovative services. Our experienced business recruitment and community development teams, highly-skilled engineers and nationally recognized research analysts support them at every stage of growth. From site selection to business expansion, we've worked with 915 companies, helping to create or retain almost 136,500 jobs in the last decade alone.
Chairman's Club
Accrisoft Corporation provides a finely tuned blend of technology and services that empower your economic development organization to accomplish your goals and better serve investors. Accrisoft Freedom™ is a comprehensive software solution that spans across your organization's operations, finance, marketing, and sales departments, allowing your entire team to work together harmoniously on a single platform.
Chmura Economics & Analytics is an applied economic consulting firm specializing in delivering advanced economic analysis. Our core competencies include economic consulting, economic development, workforce development, economic impact studies, custom publications, and data and software solutions. Chmura has the experience and expertise to transform data into information that drives effective strategy and business solutions. Our premier technology platforms - JobsEQ®, and LaborEQ® - are in widespread use across the United States. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Chmura was founded in 1999 and operates regional offices in Cleveland, Ohio and Spokane, Washington.
DCI is "The Leader in Marketing Places." Since 1960, we have worked with more than 450 cities, regions, states, provinces and countries, helping them to attract both investors and visitors. We specialize exclusively in all phases of economic development and tourism marketing including branding, websites, public relations, social/digital media, talent attraction, prospect development, travel trade, and special events. Current clients include a range of states (California, Iowa, North Dakota, Texas, and New Jersey), cities/regions (Charleston, Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Columbus, Denver, Houston, Research Triangle Region, and Louisville) and countries (Netherlands, Thailand, Scotland and Peru), to name a few. DCI is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Denver, Los Angeles and Toronto.
EMSI provides economic developers with the industry, workforce, and educational analytics necessary to understand their comparative regional strengths and use them to drive economic prosperity. Our labor market data tools and consulting services play an integral role in our clients' strategic planning, regional intelligence, and business retention and expansion efforts. We've been in business for 15 years, additionally leveraging our presence in higher education and our partnership with CareerBuilder, our parent company, to bring unique insight and data services to the table.
Founded in 1957, ICSC is the global trade association of the shopping center industry, with more than 70,000 members in over 100 countries. The shopping center industry is essential to economic development and opportunity, serving as job creators, drivers of GDP, and a critical revenue source for the communities they serve through the collection of sales taxes and the payment of property taxes. In addition to being fiscal engines, they are integral to the social fabric of their communities by providing a central place to congregate and participate in philanthropic endeavors. For the latest news from ICSC and the industry see www.thecenterofshopping.com.
ROI Research on Investment is an award winning global authority on lead generation and investment attraction for economic development organizations. Since 2003, ROI has worked with over 350 clients from around the world to attract job-creating, capital intensive, expansion projects. ROI's core areas of expertise include benchmarking/target industry analysis, lead generation, BR&E strategies, representation services, and customized training covering best practices in modern BR&E and investment attraction.
Following two years of R&D, ROI is pleased to announce the launch of Gazelle; the first-of-its-kind data platform. Gazelle is a powerful one-stop business intelligence platform deploying machine-learning algorithms, human curated intelligence and big data to forecast company growth. Gazelle profiles millions of companies and features over 900 industry profiles that include heat maps illustrating 14 economic indicators at the State and County levels, including: establishment and employment growth, revenues, gross profit, average salary growth, etc. ROI released a Beta version of Gazelle in the first quarter of 2017.
StateBook is the first online marketplace for site selection and economic growth and development. Explore reliable information required for site selection decisions for every community in the country, from demographics, taxes and utility costs to quality of life data like museums and golf courses. Connect with economic developers from each location to learn more about their communities, and use our robust tools to search, create meaningful reports, and more. Welcome to the new online meeting place for site selection consultants, EDO'S, business, academia and government.
Signature Sponsors
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, aligning workforce education and training with in-demand jobs, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a destination for arts and location for film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development.
Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, office papers, cellulose, specialty fibers, nonwoven fabrics, building products and related chemicals. Our familiar consumer brands include Quilted Northern®, Angel Soft®, Brawny®, Dixie®, enMotion®, Sparkle®, Mardi Gras®, Vanity Fair®, and STAINMASTER™ household cleaning products. Georgia-Pacific has long been a leading supplier of building products to lumber and building materials dealers and large do-it-yourself warehouse retailers. Its GP Harmon Recycling subsidiary is among the world’s largest recyclers of paper, metal and plastics. The company operates approximately 200 facilities and employs approximately 35,000 people directly, and creates nearly 92,000 jobs indirectly. For more information, visit: GP.com.
Diamond Sponsors
The Atlanta Aerotropolis Alliance promotes the economic development and corporate investment in the Aerotropolis - the area surrounding the world's busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The Aerotropolis is an area of explosive growth and the Alliance joins together leaders from public and private sectors to improve the area's workforce talent pool, promote educational opportunities and leverage investment to promote awareness of the region as a world-class economic powerhouse.
BNSF Railway is one of North America's leading freight transportation companies. BNSF operates approximately 32,500 route miles of track in 28 states and also operates in three Canadian provinces. BNSF is one of the top transporters of consumer goods, grain and agricultural products, low-sulfur coal, and industrial goods such as petroleum, chemicals, housing materials, food and beverages. BNSF's shipments help feed, clothe, supply, and power American homes and businesses every day. BNSF and its employees have developed one of the most technologically advanced, and efficient railroads in the industry. We work continuously to improve the value of the safety, service, energy, and environmental benefits we provide to our customers and the communities we serve. You can learn more about BNSF at www.BNSF.com.
Decide DeKalb serves as the primary economic development driving force to attract, expand and retain businesses in DeKalb County, Georgia. Established in 1974 as the Development Authority of DeKalb County, Decide DeKalb works with partners, stakeholders and the business community at-large to spur capital investments, encourage job growth and create business sustainability within our target industries as well as the burgeoning Entertainment sector. For more information please visit, www.decidedekalb.com.
The Development Authority of Fulton County is among the preeminent development authorities in the southeastern United States. It has issued more than $16 billion in bonds and helped well over 400 businesses and institutions build, renovate, expand or relocate in Fulton County, Georgia. Its jurisdiction encompasses all unincorporated Fulton County and its municipalities, including the City of Atlanta. The Authority works closely with other state and local development organizations including area chambers of commerce, local economic development professionals and industry experts. It serves clients of all sizes, from small, entrepreneurial enterprises to major corporations and iconic institutions such as UPS, Newell Rubbermaid, Mercedes Benz, Invesco, Morehouse College, Hewlett Packard, Cox Enterprises, Turner Broadcasting, and Georgia Tech. Funded projects have endowed everything from logistics to education, from modern communications to health care and transportation to arts and culture.
GIS WebTech provides innovative technology solutions engineered specifically for economic development and site selection. The company's solutions help economic development organizations attract, retain, and expand businesses within their communities and help corporate site selectors identify and analyze ideal locations. GIS WebTech's solutions are built natively on the Esri ArcGIS platform, the world's most powerful mapping software, and include the most accurate demographic and workforce data available. For more information, please see www.giswebtech.com.
As the official economic development agency for the City of Atlanta, Invest Atlanta works to strengthen Atlanta's economy and global competitiveness to create increased opportunity and prosperity for the people of Atlanta. Chaired by the Mayor of Atlanta, and governed by a nine-member board of directors, Invest Atlanta's programs and initiatives focus on developing and fostering public/private partnerships to create jobs, grow the economy, revitalize neighborhoods, attract investment, spur innovation and encourage entrepreneurship. To achieve these goals, Invest Atlanta leverages the benefits of bond financing, revolving loan funds, housing financing, tax increment financing and tax credits.
Ryan, an award-winning global tax services and software provider, is the largest Firm in the world dedicated exclusively to business taxes. The Firm provides an integrated suite of federal, state, local, and international tax services, including tax recovery, consulting, advocacy, compliance, and technology services. Ryan’s multi-disciplinary team of more than 2,200 professionals and associates serves over 14,000 clients in more than 50 countries, including many of the world’s most prominent Global 5000 companies.
Platinum Sponsors
Celebrating its 50th Anniversary, Business Facilities is a leading full-service media brand specializing in the site selection marketplace. Through a bi-monthly magazine, eNewsletters, its industry-leading website, and LiveXchange event, Business Facilities has created a dynamic community for corporate site selectors and economic development organizations.
Business Facilities magazine is read by 40,000 C-level executives, corporate real estate executives and other site selection decision-makers. Published six times a year, each issue profiles state, regional and international locations. Also, the full range of the site selection experience is covered, from "how-to" information on comparing the financial incentives offered by different communities around the world, to profiles of the latest relocations undertaken by major corporations.
BusinessFacilities.com is the share of market leader among all site selection websites. With an enhanced mobile-ready design, BusinessFacilities.com provides up-to-the-minute site selection news, and industry-specific features. Resources for site selectors include a 50-state Incentives Guide, the Online Site Seekers' Guide directory, Location Spotlights and more.
Business Facilities LiveXchange is an invitation-only matchmaking event that connects corporate executives and site consultants that have active projects with economic development organizations from across North America. Representatives from Fortune 500 and mid-sized growth companies, plus leading site consultants meet with EDOs to discuss their relocation or expansion projects in prescheduled and confidential one-on-one meetings.
From some of the fastest growing entrepreneurial enterprises to the headquarters of Fortune 500 companies, businesses of every size and industry move to Cobb County - and they stay and grow here, too. With an ideal location, progressive leadership, and a diverse, vibrant workforce, there’s a place for you in Cobb. Less than 20 miles from the world’s most connected airport and just minutes from Atlanta, the hub of the Southeast and one of the most exciting cities in the world, Cobb is ideally located. With plenty of prime sites to choose from, you’ll easily find the right one for your business.
Comcast is an American global telecommunications conglomerate headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Greenberg Traurig is an international, multi-practice law firm with approximately 2000 attorneys serving clients from 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm’s attorneys help clients bridge diverse legal systems and cultures, with a focus on efficient, effective strategic advice and legal services. Greenberg Traurig’s multidisciplinary team includes senior lawyers who have served as chief legal officers at major multinational companies and have spent years solving real-world problems in the business, political and legal environments of major commercial centers. The firm recognizes that clients expect and are entitled to high quality legal work and, equally important, superior client service. Greenberg Traurig has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and is among the Top 20 on the 2017 Am Law Global 100.
Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) is the world's busiest and most efficient airport, serving nearly 104 million passengers annually with nonstop service to more than 150 U.S. destinations and 70 international destinations in more than 50 countries. ATL boasts a direct economic impact of $34.8 billion in metro Atlanta and a total direct economic impact of $70.9 billion in Georgia. The Airport is the largest employer in Georgia, with more than 63,000 individuals working on-site. The Airport is a frequent recipient of awards of excellence for concessions, operations, sustainability, architectural engineering and construction. In 2016, ATL set in motion a multibillion-dollar capital improvement program, ATLNext, which will modernize the Domestic Terminal, extend two concourses, construct several parking decks, add a sixth runway, expand cargo facilities and pave the way for a 440-room InterContinental Hotel with Class A office space.
The race is on...for jobs, talent and capital investment. Is your organization ready? We can help. Founded in 2010, POWER 10 is a boutique capital campaign management firm specializing in campaigns to fund economic and community development programs at the city, county, region, and state levels. Our staff has managed more than 100 campaigns coast to coast and raised hundreds of millions of dollars. We are equally adept at managing first-time campaigns and "renewal" campaigns to fund second and subsequent programs. Founder and CEO Sean Mikula leads the firm together with Executive Vice President Amity Farrar, Vice President of Operations Laura Lilly, and a team of professional Development Directors and Planners. We play the role of "quarterback" in the capital campaigns we manage, provide on-site management of day-to-day campaign operations, and "make the Ask." What distinguishes POWER 10 in the marketplace? We believe it is the strength of our team, the new and innovative ideas we bring to each client, and our tenacious execution. We do not believe in "light touch" dispassionate counsel. When working side-by-side with our clients, we are in it to win it!
Resource Development Group (RDG) was established in 1995 to provide experienced fundraising counsel to economic and community development organizations. RDG has worked with a wide variety of clients including Chambers of Commerce, Economic Development Corporations, Community Improvement Corporations, and Regional Partnerships in communities of all sizes. Our specific expertise includes managing multi-faceted fundraising initiatives in complex regions comprised of multiple political jurisdictions. With more than a century of collective experience, our team provides customized fundraising solutions for a diversity of purposes centered on economic and community development. We have managed more than 200 economic/community development funding projects generating close to $1.5 billion in operating revenue for our clients. RDG offers a variety of services designed to help you maximize revenue for your economic development organization. We build organizations that build communities. In addition to revenue generation solutions, we also consult in areas designed to improve your organization's ability to provide crucial solutions for your communities – organizational design, best practice work, performance benchmarking, and board restructuring to name a few. Our products range from "turn-key" capital campaigns to specific consulting solutions, all designed with your unique challenges and opportunities in mind. We take a holistic approach to all of our engagements. Our job is to make you better!
Gold Sponsors
Fourth Economy Consulting is an economic development consulting firm that is leading the way in facilitating communities needs to go from planning to implementation. Their ability to bring in forward looking quantitative analysis and engage communities in broad qualitative input is unique in the field. Fourth Economy has pioneered the Investable Story model of plan development that activates community stakeholders and builds new capacity. This approach is the next generation in comprehensive planning and development strategies. Their work in community and economic resiliency is allowing communities to proactively address shocks and stresses. Combine this with their focus on community and network building through their Agents of Change series and you will find more that a consulting group - but a partner for success.
Hunton Andrews Kurth is a global law firm of more than 1,000 lawyers handling transactional, litigation and regulatory matters for clients in a myriad of industries including energy, financial services, real estate, retail and consumer products and technology. Areas of practice focus include capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, P3, public finance and infrastructure, and privacy and cybersecurity. With offices across the United States and in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, we're aligned with our clients' businesses and committed to delivering exceptional service. Visit HuntonAK.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
For over 15 years, OCO has been delivering the full spectrum of economic development services including FDI strategy consulting & training, market & business intelligence and lead generation & representation services. Clients include the DIT (UK), Missouri DED, JobsOhio, Enterprise Florida, JETRO, Saudi Arabia, UNCTAD and WAIPA. We also work with consulting firms such as PwC and E&Y in support of delivery as well as many private sector companies that we assist on their internationalization journey.
OCO developed OCO Monitor and OCO Benchmark – tools that were acquired by the Financial Times in 2008 and re-branded as fDi Markets and Benchmark. Our latest product Velociti was developed in 2014 and has been strongly supported by Invest Northern Ireland. It employs:
- Advanced data mining techniques to narrow focus on the most influential domestic and internationalization factors
- Investment readiness calculation using AI & Machine learning algorithms to rate the best investment prospects for individual countries
- Export readiness calculation for companies and signposting to best markets
Headquartered in Northern Ireland with offices in London, Paris, Frankfurt, New York, Dubai, Bogota and Tokyo, we employ a multilingual staff of over 80 full time consultants. For further information, please see www.ocoglobal.com.
The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. is one of the nation's largest diversified financial services organizations providing retail and business banking; residential mortgage banking; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For more than 160 years, we have been committed to providing our clients with great service and powerful financial expertise to help them meet their financial goals. We are proud of our longstanding history of supporting not only our customers but also our communities, employees and shareholders.
Based in Montreal, Research Consultants International is a specialized market research firm that provides customized lead generation and business intelligence services for economic development organizations and regional promotion agencies, intended to identify and capture FDI and direct investment opportunities. We position Economic Developers in front of corporate decision makers that are seeking to expand or relocate their businesses to new geographic locations. We are focused on helping our clients create important business relationships that will serve to grow awareness of their region, promote its economic strengths and increase the likelihood of attracting direct investment. Leading Economic Development professionals rely on our work every day. We simply deliver results.
WAVTEQ provides Lead Generation Services to EDOs with key focus on helping EDOs attract FDI from Asia and Europe. WAVTEQ's team of 50 FDI experts located in our 10 offices have attracted over $10 billion of greenfield FDI projects to the US and Canada since 2014. We specialize in lead generation, road shows, trade shows, seminars, events, and in-market representation. WAVTEQ also provides the leading North America database of incentives deals (IncentivesMonitor) and corporate location advisors (FDI Professionals) as well as custom CRM systems for EDOs to track inward investment and measure ROI.
Established in 1995, TIP Strategies, Inc. has worked with communities throughout the country to develop innovative, publicly supported economic development strategies. Our team members have experience with a variety of clients across the United States, including cities, counties, chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, regional planning organizations, and workforce development boards. While our demographic and industry analyses serve as the foundation for our strategic plans, we pride ourselves on our ability to think creatively-we develop a vision that is supported by the data, but not driven by it. Our approach places a premium on well-informed decision-making, sound planning practices, and a commitment to the future.
Silver Sponsors
ACT is a nonprofit, mission-based organization that provides insights to unlock potential with a continuum of integrated solutions helping people achieve education and workplace success.
The Advantage Capital provides financing to established and emerging companies located in communities underserved by conventional sources of capital. Since 1992, the firm has invested more than $2.6 billion in companies from a diverse array of industry sectors, and has helped to create more than 48,000 jobs. Learn more at www.advantagecap.com.
The Atlanta University Center Consortium, Inc. seeks to promote collaboration and involvement among the Atlanta University Center campuses, and other stakeholders, to advance the academic mission of its institutions, while also enhancing the quality of life within the neighboring Westside community. The Consortium strives to leverage the resources of the community, and of member institutions, to maximize opportunities for citizens to live, learn, work, play and thrive.
The Carter is a leading national real estate investment, development and advisory firm headquartered in Atlanta. With a 60-year history, Carter is one of the most experienced, proven, and recognized development firms in the country. Today, Carter has active development around the country, including major mixed-use, multi-family, and office developments. Carter’s focus is on urban infill developments that will stand the test of time. One of our core competencies is the development and program management of public-private partnership (PPP) projects. Carter is a strengths-based organization with a culture based on trust and candor. We leverage our innate entrepreneurial spirit to deliver superior value and results for our partners, clients and the communities where we invest.
Coastal Cloud, a Salesforce.com Platinum Level Partner, is a disruptive IT consulting company that delivers innovative business solutions built upon leading edge cloud computing technologies. Our team of experienced business technology consultants are 100% Salesforce Certified and 100% On-Shore. We have enjoyed significant market success from our headquarters in Palm Coast, Florida and are embarking on our next US expansion with new solution centers serving the country from Louisville, Kentucky and Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Our focus on nimble, innovative, citizen-focused technology solutions for state & local government organizations could help you accelerate your Economic Development success immediately. Please contact our team to learn more about our Economic Development Customer Relationship Management Quickstart Platform today. See us at www.coastalcloud.us.
Houston County, Georgia is strategically located 75 miles south of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and 165 miles from the Port of Savannah. The county lies directly along Interstate 75 and within a short distance of Interstate 16. The area is home to Robins Air Force Base (RAFB), the economic engine of Middle Georgia, which is the largest industrial complex in the State of Georgia. Other logistical attributes include: a 12,001-foot runway at Robins Air Force Base, a 6,500-foot runway at Middle Georgia Regional Airport and a 5,002-foot runway at the Perry-Houston Airport. Both Norfolk Southern and CSX Railroad traverse the region with quick access to the largest rail switching center on the East Coast. The region has a growing population, which is young, diverse, educated and upwardly mobile. An area population of more than 300,000 presents a strong and stable labor pool for new and expanding companies.
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.
Founded in Atlanta in 1993, The Integral Group LLC ("Integral") is a fully integrated community and commercial real estate development and management company. The firm is headquartered in Atlanta, with offices in Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Dallas with approximately 300 employees nationwide. Since inception, Integral has been committed to its mission "to create value in cities and (re)build the fabric of communities." Pursuit of that mission has made the company a premier provider of community development, real estate and infrastructure solutions. Integral and its principals have completed billions of dollars of development, creating urban master-planned communities, transit oriented development and urban mixed-use projects nationwide. The company also has extensive experience working in public-private partnerships with redevelopment agencies, public housing authorities, federal, state and local governments, transit authorities and other quasi-public agencies. Integral continues to set the stage for better performance in the areas of urban revitalization, infill development, smart growth, and public/private partnerships.
LOIS is a national online location analysis tool designed for communities and economic development organizations to promote available site and building inventory. With its integrated GIS component, the tool uses customizable layers with market information, demographics, workforce, infrastructure, housing, business and industry. A simple LOIS search can yield a quick directory of properties matching specified location preferences with a list of up-to-date site contacts for easy deal flow facilitation. Users can also filter sites and buildings by industry, or even demographic indicators. For economic developers, LOIS seamlessly prepares site and building data for easy RFP aggregation. LOIS easily plugs into subscriber websites and is mobile friendly, so users have complete access to all features and functionality on any device, including smartphones. Set your sites higher with LOIS.
National Community Development Services (NCDS) has conducted over 700 campaigns for community and economic development organizations in 46 states, raising over $1.7 billion. More than 100 of these campaigns have been return engagements to generate fresh capital to renew previous programs. NCDS is known as a fast track campaign company, specializing in on-time, over goal campaigns. The firm introduced the strategic initiative concept to economic development organizations in 1977, which enabled hundreds of communities to gain major funding increases for new multi-year development programs, especially from the private sector.
Headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD, the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is a public/private partnership that works with small and midsized U.S. manufacturers to create and retain jobs, increase profits, save time and money, develop new customers, and expand into new markets. Founded in 1988, the nationwide network consists of more than 1,300 technical experts located in every state. For every dollar of federal investment, the MEP generates $27.20 in new sales growth and $27.30 in new client investments, and creates or retains one manufacturing job for every $1,291 of federal investment. The MEP National Network comprises the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP), 51 MEP Centers located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Ohio University serves more than 23,000 students at its main Athens Campus and more than 40,000 learners worldwide. With a growing reputation for innovation, in 2015 OHIO earned the designation of Innovation and Economic Prosperity University by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. The Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs is a catalyst for regional, state and national collective impact in entrepreneurship, the environment, and public and social engagement. Ranked as 39th of the Top 50 Most Innovative Public Service Schools in the country, the Voinovich School was also recently elevated to the top 100 U.S. News and World Report Best Public Affairs Grad Schools. Partnerships with nonprofit organizations, government and the private sector create public value by leveraging the expertise of 11 faculty members and 60 professional staff. Home to the Master of Public Administration and Environmental Studies programs, the Voinovich School engages nearly 200 students in a combination of unique, hands-on learning opportunities and networking to bring their ideas to life.
Trade & Industry Development serves executives within specific vertical industries. Our mission is to help companies perpetuate success by providing clear and crucial insight into the challenge of site selection and facility planning. By working with thought leaders and experts in various fields, Trade & Industry Development provides actionable content that is both innovative and forward-looking. We are committed to being a valuable and trusted partner for C-suite executives, corporate real estate professionals and site consultants, enabling them to make the best possible decisions - for themselves, their companies and their shareholders.
Bronze Sponsors
For over 12 years, Amazon Web Services has been the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. AWS offers over 125 fully featured services for compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and more. AWS CloudStart helps support Economic Development Organizations by providing resources to educate, train, and embrace the cost-effective options that AWS cloud computing services can offer for government, education, and nonprofits. To learn more, visit AWS at aws.amazon.com, or CloudStart at aws.amazon.com/cloudstart.
Arnall Golden Gregory (AGG), an Am Law 200 law firm with 165 attorneys in Atlanta and Washington, DC, takes a "business sensibility" approach when advising clients. AGG provides industry knowledge, attention to detail, transparency and value to help businesses and individuals achieve their definition of success. AGG’s transaction, litigation, regulatory and privacy counselors serve clients in healthcare, real estate, litigation, business transactions, fintech, global commerce, government investigations and logistics and transportation. AGG subscribes to the belief "not if, but how."
With information on over 280 million companies, Bureau van Dijk is the resource for company data. We offer a global view of companies - and how they are connected. Our company information solutions help the public sector improve efficiency, develop regions and revenue, provide local library and research services, look at companies and their peers in detail and mitigate both financial and reputational risk. Our information includes:
- What companies do – including business activities and how they're performing
- Decision makers, persons of influence and their affiliations
- Financial strength indicators and other financial data
- Legal entity details
- FDI and M&A activity and news
Access our information via a range of interfaces, designed to help different business challenges and streamline workflows. Or blend our information with your own internal data for greater insight. Register for your free trial at bvdinfo.com.
The Cherokee Office of Economic Development (COED) is one of North Atlanta’s leading economic development organizations. Cherokee County is predicted to lead the Metro Atlanta region in job growth with 166% increase by 2040, including a 94% increase in population. Cherokee is being recognized internationally, especially with the recent opening of adidas first U.S. Speedfactory.
The Fulton Industrial (District) is known as the largest industrial district in the Eastern United States-with over 550 industrial buildings, 50 million square feet of industrial inventory, 4800 acres of land, 25,000 workers and close to $1.8 billion in annual payroll. The district is strategically located close to key access points including the I-20 and I-285 Interchanges, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, downtown Atlanta and two intermodal rail facilities. The District’s sheer size and location has made it an employment and economic development engine for metro Atlanta for many decades. The Fulton Industrial Boulevard Improvement District (BCID) is a self-taxing organization tasked with revitalizing the district. The organization is a public-private partnership between the district’s property owners, Fulton County government, City of Atlanta and the new City of South Fulton to fund services not currently being provided by local or state government and to lead the revitalization of the Fulton Industrial District
The Douglas County Economic Development Authority is an independent agency charged with economic development for Douglas County, Georgia including the City of Douglasville and sections of the cities of Austell and Villa Rica within the county. The goals of the organization are straight-forward: increase and diversify the local tax base, increase the number of quality job, and improve the quality of life through increased economic opportunity. Over $3 billion in new investments have been made in Douglas County in the past five years through the efforts of the Development Authority. Douglas County is in the Atlanta MSA and is one of the fastest growing areas in the country with a current population is 136,379 and a projected growth to 216,756 by 2025. Twenty-five international companies have a presence in the community and the workforce in the region exceeds 1,098,000.
Eagle Environmental Construction is a privately owned development, general contracting, engineering and hazardous remediation firm founded by mechanical engineer Ronald Batiste and with its corporate office located in San Francisco. EEC has 14 + years of corporate experience in design/build development, general construction and environmental remediation services. Our highly regarded environmental and construction services can help you address a wide variety of business challenges.
For over 100 years the Georgia Chamber of Commerce has worked to keep, grow and create jobs to make Georgia a better state for business. Our advocacy, policy and thought leadership help us ensure Georgia's economic competitiveness, attract new investments as well as promote growth and prosperity for all business. As the state's largest business advocacy organization, the size of our network matters and is impactful. We represent investors in every county of our state with a diverse cross section of over 500 industry sectors. Our membership includes small storefronts and large corporations-no matter the size or type of business. We provide proactive policy, aggressive advocacy and meaningful investor services that impact your bottom line. In 2017, the Georgia Chamber's Tifton Office opened as a hub for rural prosperity, with the ultimate goal of working with South Georgia partners to successfully improve rural efforts. Along with the opening of this new office, the Chamber launched new initiatives focused on South Georgia.
The Georgia Economic Developers Association (GEDA) is a non-profit association of about 660 professionals and volunteers who are involved with the economic development of the cities and counties of Georgia. GEDA was organized to increase the effectiveness of individuals involved in the practice of economic development in Georgia by encouraging cooperation, exchange of information, and upgrading of professional skills. GEDA strives to achieve a closer working relationship among professionals and volunteers engaged in economic development in Georgia. These ideals are encompassed in the mission of GEDA which is "… to serve as the resource for networking, professional development and public policy for Georgia’s Economic Development community."
The Henry County Development Authority (HCDA) works to strengthen Henry County, Georgia’s economy by retaining and expanding existing companies and creating opportunities for new companies to locate in the County. Focusing on building a diverse economy, Henry County has proven to be a competitive destination for Advanced Manufacturing, Healthcare, Logistics, and Professional Services organizations. Henry County’s proximity to the Port of Savannah and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, as well as the County’s access to a talented workforce, makes it a global destination for business. Luxottica, The Home Depot, Tory Burch, PVH, Wayfair, Ken’s Foods, Nestle, Alpla, KL Outdoors, and many other companies call Henry County home. Visit www.choosehenry.com to find out why we are a good fit for your organization.
Hunden Strategic Partners is a full service real estate development advisory practice. Our professionals provide a variety of services for all stages of destination development. Market and financial feasibility studies, economic impact analyses, RFP processes and owner’s representation, mixed-use and destination districts, hotels, and convention and conference centers are some of the primary areas in which we specialize. Over sixty percent of our clients are public entities empowered to conduct real estate, economic development, and tourism activities.
The IMPLAN is a regional economic model and impact assessment software system that allows the use of economic impact data to make strategic decisions, prioritize projects based on tax and employment returns to the economy, and quantify the economic benefits for program evaluation. IMPLAN combines a set of extensive databases concerning economic factors, multipliers, and demographic statistics with a highly refined and detailed system of modeling software. IMPLAN allows the user to develop local-level input-output models that can estimate the economic impact of changes to an economy. The model accomplishes this by identifying direct impacts by sector, then developing a set of indirect and induced impacts by sector. Visit www.IMPLAN.com to learn more or contact IMPLAN today at sales@IMPLAN.com for a no-obligation consultation to evaluate your research and analysis needs.
Founded in 1997, Market Street is a trusted partner in facilitating community, workforce, and economic development strategies, helping communities proactively shape their own future. Supported by insightful research, analysis, and community input, the holistic strategies we deliver recognize the intersection of economic opportunity and quality of life. We guide our clients to innovation and implementation, because tomorrow's great communities challenge today's status quo. Over the last 20 years, our team has worked in more than 165 communities in 34 states and abroad. While each project is very different from the next, the cornerstone of our work is the belief that economic development is about improving the lives of all individuals.
The Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) serves as a catalyst for a more prosperous and vibrant region. To advance economic growth and improve metro Atlanta's quality of place, MAC is focused on starting, growing and recruiting companies to the 29-county metro Atlanta region. The Chamber is also focused on expanding the region's innovation economy by promoting and strengthening connections to drive Atlanta's innovation and entrepreneurial culture. MAC is committed to being an active voice for the business community, serving as an advocate for a competitive business climate and promoting Atlanta's story. For more information, visit www.MetroAtlantaChamber.com.
Neon Cloud Productions has led the Economic Development Video Marketing industry by producing over 500+ videos focusing on economic development in the past 5 years. Our expertise lies within our Video Strategy to help our clients overcome their prospective client's objectives to close more deals. Our products range from drone filmography, animation, storytelling, interviews, photography, customized marketing video collateral, motion graphics, 360 video, 360 photo and content marketing. Neon Cloud Productions can do it all. The Neon Cloud Productions team is made up of passionate individuals who see creativity as a means to production so that storytelling can be exciting, compelling and innovative. At Neon Cloud Productions, we are passionate about doing business well and taking care of people. This passion is evident considering our growth each year since our open and we plan to continue on that path.
NextSite provides customized research, marketing and proactive retail recruitment solutions to help maximize the commercial development opportunities in your community. Our goal is to affect positive change in the communities we serve by connecting these opportunities to developers, tenant reps and retailers. Beyond retail development, NextSite works with a group of strategic partners to connect opportunities for mixed-use, multi-family, senior housing and healthcare development.
Portman Holdings is a vertically integrated real estate development company with over sixty five years of experience, an extensive global network, and a proven track record with leading financial institutions. Since Portman was founded in 1953, we have achieved success by delivering distinctive urban real estate developments that produce strong financial returns. Globally, we have developed more than 60 million square feet of office, hotel, trade mart, residential and mixed-use real estate across three continents, having raised and deployed in excess of $7 billion in actual costs of construction unadjusted for time or current values. Portman Holdings is part of the Portman group of companies, which also includes John Portman & Associates, AmericasMart, and Atlanta Decorative Arts Center. Various Portman entities own, independently and in conjunction with partners, a diversified portfolio of high-quality real estate assets with an aggregate value in excess of $3 billion.
Founded in 1981, RKG Associates, Inc. provides private, public and institutional clients, nationwide, a comprehensive range of advisory, planning, and strategic consulting services related to real estate, land use, and economic development. We are proud that most of our efforts result in projects that happen… projects that are built… projects that work… projects with tangible results measured in terms of new jobs, new investments, expanded tax bases, or new master plans based on strong community consensus.
Our firm has successfully blended the in-house expertise of professionals who have backgrounds in market research, economics, finance, real estate development, and planning. We also call upon an extensive network of other professionals to provide complementary technical expertise in such areas as architecture, engineering, land use planning, legal services and environmental science. Whether it is a large-scale project or a smaller undertaking, we have extensive experience in guiding our clients from vision to action.
Tote Bag Sponsor
Founded in 2005 as a full-service law firm providing high-quality legal services for optimal value, Taylor English has more than 150 attorneys, making our Firm one of the largest law firms in Georgia. Our Real Estate group has extensive experience representing all types of clients in every aspect of the sale, acquisition, financing, development, leasing and disposition of real estate. As part of this work, we assist individual, joint-venture and corporate borrowers in obtaining, negotiating and closing of commercial, industrial and multi-family loans. Additionally, we work with national, regional and community banks and lending institutions on all types of loan transactions, including bond financing and workouts. Because real estate overlaps with other areas of business and legal practice, we work closely with our tax, corporate and environmental groups, enabling us to provide the comprehensive practical advice our clients need to get their deals closed and to run their businesses effectively.
Media Partners
American City & County magazine analyzes and concisely explains important issues facing cities, counties and states. Sign up for your free subscription and get the latest information on government trends, policies, best practices, case studies and a broad scope of local and state government news.
For 21 years, BXJ magazine has delivered insightful, educational and other useful information to assist companies and their legal representatives with the expansion and relocation process. This process is complicated with so many variables, tangibles and intangibles. BXJ offers comprehensive tools to help understand incentives, workforce development, real estate, education, job training, transportation and much more. Each issue of the print and digital magazine, newsletter and complementing social media tackles geography state by state, industry by industry, along with the myriad of tax, legal and intellectual property issues that follow these decisions. Their writers get to the heart of economic development coverage and understand the categories of information and insight and executives need in making informed relocation decisions.
Expansion Solutions is one of the fastest-growing publications and websites in the economic development field. Since 2002, Expansion Solutions has provided economic developers with effective ways to reach high-value prospects with targeted media -- in both print and online formats. Published bi-monthly, the magazine features content focused on geographic and industry-specific articles from thought leaders in site location consulting, business, and government. Many economic developers rely on its proven formula for generating qualified contacts directly from potential prospect companies in the industries most EDOs target. Find out why more EDOs get more ROI with Expansion Solutions. Contact us at 205-314-7665 or Publisher@ExpansionSolutionsMagazine.com for more information.
Conway is the world's only full-service agency in the global corporate investment and FDI industries. Conway has published the award-winning Site Selection magazine since 1954, and through offices all over the world we maintain an industry-best network of corporate expansion planners. Our suite of services includes:
LEAD GENERATION – connecting clients with decision-makers responsible for hundreds of billions in new investment projects each year
EVENTS – Conway has managed events across the globe, including the annual World Forum for Foreign Direct Management
FDI TRAINING SEMINARS – Site Consultants and corporate leaders teach economic developers the best strategies for connecting with their target audience
CONWAY ANALYTICS – a web portal and monthly reports featuring global project announcements and exclusive Lead Signals
PR & MARKETING – from brand development to media placement, we deliver your message to the world
CUSTOM CONTENT – Creating editorial excellence for more than 200 global clients
IAMC – Conway has managed the Industrial Asset Management Council since its inception.
fDi Intelligence, a service from the Financial Times, is the largest FDI centre of excellence globally. Specialising in all areas relating to foreign direct investment and investment promotion, the full suite of services includes: location advertising to generate brand awareness; industry-leading intelligence tools to develop FDI strategies and identify potential investors; and tailored FDI events and investor roundtables to meet target companies and generate business leads. To find out how these services could be of benefit, contact us on fDi@ft.com.
Event Sponsors
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta is part of the central bank of the United States. The Federal Reserve System consists of twelve Reserve Banks located around the country and the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C. The Atlanta Fed territory covers the Sixth Federal Reserve District, which includes Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, and portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The Atlanta Fed and the 11 other Reserve Banks and Board of Governors play an important part in all five of the Fed's functions:
- conducting monetary policy
- promoting the stability of the financial system
- promoting the safety and soundness of individual financial systems
- fostering payment and settlement system safety and efficiency
- promoting consumer protection and community development
The Community and Economic Development (CED) program of the Atlanta Fed works to activate financial, human, and social capital to foster the conditions that facilitate economic growth in the Federal Reserve System's Sixth District. Through action-oriented research, conferences, and expanding networks on these topics and others, we aim to be a valuable resource to foster economic growth and opportunity in low- and moderate-income communities.
Select Fulton is the economic development organization for Fulton County and was formed in 2016 by combining the Development Authority of Fulton County with the Fulton County Economic Development Division. With the merger of the two organizations, Select Fulton offers a comprehensive suite of services and improved customer service.
Partnering in Economic Recovery and Resilience
IEDC thanks Southwest Airlines for their support of volunteers going to Texas, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Florida to assist in economic recovery.
In its 47th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 56,000 Employees to a Customer base topping 120 million passengers annually, in recent years. Southwest became the nation's largest domestic air carrier in 2003 and maintains that ranking based on the U.S. Department of Transportation's most recent reporting of domestic originating passengers boarded. During peak travel seasons, Southwest operates more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 100 destinations in the United States and 10 additional countries.