The Port of Savannah was recently designed a top exporter for containerized goods.
Area Development award is the seventh consecutive honor for state
Gov. Brian Kemp recently announced that Area Development Magazine named Georgia the “Top State for Doing Business” for the seventh year in a row.
“This seventh consecutive Top State award is a powerful testament to the fundamental strength of Georgia’s economy, even in these challenging times,” Kemp said. “After all of these years, it’s abundantly clear that Georgia remains the epicenter for job growth, economic development, and investment because of strong, conservative leadership.”
The publication assessed 13 categories for the annual award, including logistics and infrastructure, site readiness programs, workforce development programs, cooperative and responsive state government, and overall cost of doing business. Georgia ranked No. 1 for 10 of the categories and placed in the top five for the remaining ones.
This recognition comes after the Port of Savannah’s recent designation as the top port for U.S. exports from January through June of this year. In 2019, total trade between Georgia and the world exceeded $143.3 billion and exports surpassed $41.2 billion. In the past decade, Georgia exports have grown by 43 percent.
“The Georgia Ports Authority is proud to support farms and factories from across the state and nation,” said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch. “By providing superior links to land and sea connections, Georgia makes it easier to do business with the world.”
Kemp also revealed a strong start to the first month of fiscal year 2021. Georgia economic development projects attracted roughly $574 million in new investments, and 3,629 new jobs were created in nearly every region of the state in July.
Georgia is home to 17 Fortune 500 headquarters and has become a magnet for some of the world’s top companies. Earlier this month, Amazon announced it was adding 1,000 new jobs to a 640,000 square-foot fulfillment center in Gwinnett County.
