Business Facilities - November 2007 - (Page 11)

BUSINESS REPORT Georgia By Pearl Gabel Georgia’s Pursuit of Industry Investments by international and domestic companies in an array of industries have helped fuel Georgia’s economic momentum in 2007. F rom high-tech to manufacturing, this year foreign and domestic firms alike have been making significant capital investments in the state of Georgia. In November, Portuguese power plant designer EFACEC Group revealed plans to invest $100 million to build its first U.S. plant in Effingham County, GA, creating 600 jobs. The new facility, located at the Effingham County Industrial Park near Rincon, GA, will make core form, shell form, and mobile substations for the U.S. market. EFACEC officials expect to break ground this winter on the facility. “We are extremely excited to have been chosen as the best location by such a distinguished company,” says Martin Wilkins, chairman of the Eff- ingham County Industrial Development Authority. “A project of this magnitude will have long lasting positive implications for our community and the entire region for years to come. Having EFACEC’s base of Augusta is a perfect match with T-Mobile’s values. —John Birrer, Group Vice President of Customer Service, T-Mobile USA “ The service mentality of ” U.S. operations here is certainly a testament to the viability and allure of our industrial market.” A few months before EFACEC’s announcement, another foreign firm unveiled plans to invest in the state: Wipro Technologies of India will open a software development center in Atlanta, GA—with intentions of hiring upwards of 200 employees. The company anticipates having more than 500 employees by its third year of operations. The center will help Wipro hire skilled workers and domain experts who will be critical to Wipro’s business growth plans in the United States; Wipro currently has 14 offices in the United States. Wipro will also set up a training center in Atlanta to provide technical and soft-skills training to its employees in Georgia, and plans to sponsor higher education degrees for up to 40% of its employees to further their training and development. GEORGIA FAST FACTS Population (2006): 9,363,941 Largest Cities (2006): Atlanta, 486,411; Augusta, 194,398; Columbus, 188,660; Savannah, 127,889; Athens, 112,787 EMPLOYMENT BY NAICS SUPERSECTOR (2006 Averages) Trade, Transportation, & Utilities: 867,600 Professional & Business Services:550,000 1,000 Natural Resources & Mining: 12,200 THOUSANDS OF WORKERS 800 Manufacturing: 448,800 Other Services: 159,300 600 Leisure & Hospitality: 382,600 Construction: 219,100 Government: 662,700 Information: 115,600 Targeted Industries: Advanced manufacturing, advanced communications, healthcare, IT, energy, agribusiness, logistics, financial services Key Incentives: Single Factor Apportionment, workforce training, Strategic Industries Tax Credit, Entertainment Industry Tax Credit, Small Business tax relief, Job Tax Credits 400 200 SOURCE: BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, JULY 2007 BUSINESS FACILITIES 11

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Business Facilities - November 2007 Contents First Words Snapshots Metro Spotlight: Indianapolis Region, Indiana Georgia's Pursuit of Industry Extreme Technology Sites A Tennessee Trifecta A Watershed Moment for Philly Metro Spotlight: Mexico-Texas Border Region High Tech and Aerospace Heat up in Arizona Meeting the Information Technology Challenge IEDC Announces 2007 Winners Corporate Moves: Alabama Northeast Arkansas Scores Major Investments Corporate Moves: Virginia Metro Spotlight: Martinsville-Henry County, VA Renewable Michigan Advertiser Index Ask the Expert

Business Facilities - November 2007

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