Georgia County Government - September 2008 - (Page 25)

community a job base that constantly fuels economic prosperity. The presence of Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems and the proximal military installation, Dobbins Air Force Base, also give the state a high profi le in key economic growth corridors. The mix of new and diverse industries have practically rendered the area recession-proof. Besides Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems, other large-scale employers in Cobb County include its “hometown” business The Home Depot, the largest home improvement retailer in the world; GE Energy; Coca Cola Enterprises; The Weather Channel; Cobb County Public Schools; WellStar Health System; Cobb County Government; and the Publix chain of grocery stores. Manufactured goods produced here include computer soft ware and hardware, aerospace equipment, aircraft parts, medical devices, printing, construction products, chemicals, plastics, paper products, foodstuffs and telecommunications equipment. According to the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), construction is also one of the county’s top industries. New housing additions, shopping centers and office complexes abound, and the county’s own $145 million Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre is yet another example of the size and scope of facilities being built here. Olens is proud of the county’s emerging status as a leader among biomedical companies. The state’s top three pharmaceutical companies are here – UCB Pharmaceuticals, Solvet and Quentiles – and have experienced growth in recent years on the order of 30 percent. A significant contingent of Korean businesses have also “discovered” Cobb County, with six to eight major Korean firms having located here in the past few years. These include regional headquarters offices for automakers Kia and Hyundai, shipping conglomerate Hanjin, Columbia Chemical; OCI; and Nexen Tire Corp. County officials look forward to more Korean industries coming in, and have reason to anticipate them. Cobb County formed a “sister city” relationship with Seongdong-Gu, Korea, in the past year, the seat of democratic government in the Asian nation for which Lockheed retrofitted planes during the Korean War. In October 2007, a Cobb delegation of 15 governmental and business representatives traveled to Seoul, including Chairman Olens, County Manager Hankerson, Georgia Power’s economic development director, and and Cobb County School System’s chairman and superintendent. The county also hosted a delegation from Korea in April 2008, and another trip for Cobb officials to the Seongdong-Gu province is slated for fall 2009. As for other segments of the diverse Cobb business community, Olens also emphasizes the county’s positive environment for small businesses, and stresses the county’s support, and partnership in, all economic development initiatives undertaken by the Cobb County Development Authority. Groundbreaking Initiatives Handling growth hand-in-hand with its municipalities may enable the COBB COUNTY continued on page 26 Hardy Fleet Group Ford Chevrolet Pontiac GMC Buick “We love ya & we need ya” We would like to thank Cobb County Government for their continued business opportunities. Call today and let us bid your next vehicle purchase. Competitive • Competent • Compliant 1249 Charles Hardy Parkway • Dallas, GA 30157 770-445-9411 phone • 770-445-9659 fax scanup@hardychevy.com or dmiller@hardyfamilyford.com or tadkins@hardychevy.com Steve Canup • David Miller • Tina Adkins 388266_Hardy.indd 1 SEPTEMBER 2008 7/3/08 12:16:59 PM www.accg.org 25 http://www.hardychevy.com http://www.accg.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Georgia County Government - September 2008

Georgia County Government - September 2008 Contents President’s Message County Matters Cobb County: Quality of Life is Job No. 1 Innovative Transportation Financing in Georgia Drive Your Fleet into the Next Generation of Efficiency, Profits Spotlight: Georgia Technology Authority Media Productions GEMA News: Hurricane Season Could Cause Natural Gas Spike GDEcD News: Communities Receive Funds to Develop Tourism Assets Georgia’s Grand Old Courthouses: Upson County Extension News: Radon: Georgia’s Silent Danger Research Corner: Conserving Fuel Costs in Your County Staff News County Parade Index of Advertisers

Georgia County Government - September 2008

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