Columbus: Muscogee County | The Envy of The South

“The city changes almost day by day,” says Mayor Skip Henderson. “It’s such an incredible group of people that live in this community. My job description is pretty short; I get to take bows for other people’s great work.”

A deeply ingrained culture of collaboration in the community makes Columbus the “envy of the South,” says Henderson, whose term ends in December. He has served as mayor since 2019. “There are so many things that I’m proud of, but again, it starts and ends with the people who live in this community.”

With the welcome mat out, the city is experiencing significant job growth. In September, JS Link America Inc. announced an investment of $496 million to build a 130,000-square-foot rare-earth permanent magnet manufacturing facility in Columbus’ Muscogee Technology Park. The biotech company based in Seoul will produce permanent magnets that are quite strong due to their atomic structure, allowing them to store immense energy. These magnets are used in appliances, cars, robotics, defense systems and more. The facility will produce 5,000 tons of magnets annually for vehicles and renewable energy and create more than 520 jobs. Production is expected to begin late next year.

“We’ve seen quite a bit of economic development success in the last year,” says Jansen Tidmore, president and CEO of the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to landing the magnet factory, several existing companies have recently expanded, including BioTouch and Pratt & Whitney.

New Jobs: Missy Kendrick, president and CEO of Choose Columbus. Photo credit: Nathan LeDuc

“When existing companies expand, it’s a testament that we’re doing something right as a community,” he says.

In December, BioTouch, a global healthcare logistics company, announced it’s investing $12.5 million to expand two existing facilities, creating 480 jobs over the next four years. The company currently has about 390 employees. The expansion, which is underway, will boost manufacturing of medical testing kits at its facilities at Corporate Ridge Business Park and Columbus East Industrial Park. Full operations are anticipated by 2028.

Meanwhile, in February, Pratt & Whitney announced it is investing $200 million to expand its operations in Columbus. Initially the expansion will create 15 new jobs, with more jobs to follow. Alongside the announcement of the new investment, company officials and local leaders celebrated the completion of a prior expansion that was announced in 2023. The recently completed expansion added nearly 400 new jobs and 81,000 square feet to the company’s Columbus Engine Center. Pratt & Whitney’s Columbus site includes the engine center and Columbus Forge. Each operation manufactures and overhauls engine parts for military and commercial aircraft.

Also making headlines: A more than $120 million expansion at J.M. Smucker that will create at least 48 new jobs.

“They were closing operations around the country, but they chose to expand in Columbus,” says Missy Kendrick of Choose Columbus, the city’s new economic development entity. Kendrick became the organization’s inaugural president and CEO last May. “In addition to the new jobs that were created, we were able to retain the 361 existing jobs that were there,” she says.

Economic Success: Jansen Tidmore, president and CEO of the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Photo credit: Contributed

J.M. Smucker makes Hostess Twinkies in the Fountain City. Construction to support the expanded capacity is expected to be completed by early 2027.

Additionally, Kendrick says a $3 million expansion at NVH Automotive Co., which manufactures floor/cargo mats for Kia and General Motors, created 35 new jobs. And a $74 million expansion at Tremco, a company that specializes in sealants and insulated concrete forms, created 95 new jobs.

Tidmore, who took the helm at the chamber last July, says under his leadership the chamber is focused on “getting back to the basics.”

“For a chamber and communities to be successful we know we have to build around three pillars: connections, resources and advocacy, and those are the basics we’re getting back to,” he says.

As for the pillar of advocacy, Tidmore says the chamber works to ensure policies provide opportunities for businesses therefore providing economic opportunities for residents.

“We believe the cornerstone of a healthy community is access to quality jobs,” Tidmore says, “and we’re ensuring that those opportunities can continue to exist for our residents.”

It was Columbus’ long history of “way outkicking its coverage,” that attracted Tidmore to the chamber’s top job, he says, noting that Coca-Cola developed its original formula there, Aflac was founded in the city and several Fortune 500 companies have called Columbus home for decades.

“By the numbers, it’s amazing we have one of [those companies] but in fact we have several,” he says. “The skill and talent of those individuals that created those Fortune 500 companies continues to drive the ambition and goals of the next generation. Having that generation of leaders as mentors with business acumen, coupled with their extreme passion for Columbus, makes this a dream job for a chamber of commerce executive.”

Bigger Footprint: Gov. Brian Kemp, third from left, and Pat Wilson, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, center, with government and aviation officials at the 2023 Paris Air Show announcement of Pratt Whitney’s Columbus expansion. Photo credit: Contributed

Thriving by the River

Braving the Rapids: RushSouth Whitewater Park is the world’s largest urban whitewater rafting course. Photo credit: Contributed

As Columbus grows, the restaurant and retail sectors in Uptown and Midtown thrive, too, says Tidmore. Some examples of success: Mabella is serving up Italian cuisine at two locations in the city and is part of a family of five dining concepts in the area. The Animal Farm, a hyper-seasonal, chef-driven restaurant, brought communal dining to Uptown and then was followed by sister restaurant Gabagool, an Italian American-inspired sandwich shop. Country’s Barbecue celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.

While the Blue Door Boutique retail location is in Columbus, the women’s apparel and accessories shop also offers online shopping, including a “Chat with the Stylist” feature.

“What’s happening in Uptown and Midtown is unique and special and something we really shouldn’t take for granted,” Tidmore says. “Having that local flair in your everyday consumer spending is the true identity of a community.”

Attractive Destination: Stephen Morse, president and CEO of both the Uptown Columbus Business Improvement District and Uptown Columbus Inc. Photo credit: Nathan LeDuc

Other assets unique to Columbus are RushSouth Whitewater Park, the world’s largest urban whitewater rafting course; the Dragonfly Trails Network, which is one of the largest connected trail systems in the Southeast; and Fort Benning, a premier training center for the U.S. Army.

During warm weather months, whitewater rafters and kayakers flock to the banks of the Chattahoochee River to navigate the 2.5-mile course that stretches between downtown Columbus and Phenix City, Alabama. The river features rapids from Class 1 to Class V.

Thrill Seeking: During warmer months, whitewater rafters and kayakars navigate the 2.5 mile course on the Chattahoochee River that stretches between Columbus and Phenix City, Alabama. Photo credit: Contributed

“The weather and the river help get everybody outside,” says Stephen Morse, president and CEO of both the Uptown Columbus Business Improvement District and Uptown Columbus Inc., an organization responsible for the management and coordination of revitalization initiatives throughout the area. “There were 100 people on the river today [March 24]. The rafters put in about a mile and a half upriver, and it’s exciting to see all those boats drive by the office.”

Last year, 38,000 people went down the river, according to Morse, about 80% of whom came from an hour and a half outside of Columbus. Those numbers will look very different, however, when the city once again brings elite international kayakers to the Columbus rapids when it hosts the ICF Canoe Freestyle World Cup in 2028 and the ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championship in 2029. The city previously hosted these events in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Making Upgrades: The Chattahoochee RiverWalk is getting landscape improvements, updated signage and beautification enhancements. Photo credit: Contributed

“We’re very fortunate our river runs straight through Uptown,” Morse says. “There are a lot of activities right on the river. It made it very attractive to everyone that has visited our river to come back.”

Uptown Columbus is already working closely with the city on upgrades to the Chattahoochee RiverWalk, a 15-mile linear park offering a paved trail for walking, running and biking along the riverfront. Upgrades will include landscape improvements, updated signage and beautification enhancements, Morse says. Another attraction that draws plenty of visitors is Blue Heron Adventure Park, which has the only dual zip line in the country that connects two states.

“We bring these folks into our city directly on Bay Avenue to get them suited up or on the zip line, and we want to make sure that area looks good,” Morse says. “We’ll be making sure we’re red carpet ready.”

Connecting the RiverWalk to the Fall Line Trace is Dragonfly Trails, a nonprofit that entered a public/private partnership with the city of Columbus in 2015. Described as the reimagination of an abandoned railroad route, the 34 miles of interconnected trails provide a 12-foot-wide asphalt path for recreational bikers, joggers and walkers.

Scenic View: Flat Rock Park has a 9.2-mile trail near waterfalls and trees. Photo credit: Contributed

“Our community goal is that by 2030 Dragonfly Trails will be the longest connected trail system in the Southeast,” says Ashley Woitena, president and CEO of VisitColumbusGA. “The current goal is to have more than 62 miles of trails. It’s a great trail system, and it’s just a nice way to take in the city.”

In addition to the Dragonfly Trails, there are another 30 miles of hiking and biking trails at Standing Boy Trails and a 9.2-mile circuit at Flat Rock Park.

“The cool part of the trails is it’s more than recreation, it’s also transportation,” she says. “The trails help people get to work, school or any other destination they need to go.”

Not only does the Dragonfly Trails system make transportation a little easier and greener, Woitena says it helped the city nab the sixth spot on Travel + Leisure’s 2026 ranking of the “8 Best Places to Live in the U.S. for Young Adults.”

“There are so many trails and opportunities to get outside, and the cost of living is really affordable,” she says.

In FY25, the city hosted 3.1 million visitors, who spent more than $650 million. Year-over-year visitation was up 3.6%, and visitor spending was up 4.9%, according to Woitena. Direct jobs supported by tourism employed 6,269 people, an increase of 1.9% from the previous year, she says.

Recreational Connector: The Dragonfl y Trails system links the Chattahoochee RiverWalk to the Fall Line
Trace. Photo credit: Contributed

The Base Effect

The presence of Fort Benning in the community was also cited among the reasons for Columbus’ inclusion in the Travel + Leisure ranking.

“For over a century, the story of Columbus and the story of Fort Benning have been completely linked,” Maj. Gen. Colin Tuley said in his State of Fort Benning address at a chamber event in March. “This is more of a relationship of proximity, and it’s a true partnership forged in shared values, mutual respect and common purpose.”

Meeting Future Challenges: Fort Benning Maj. Gen. Colin Tuley. Photo credit: Contributed

Tuley, who serves as commanding general, U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning, underscored the fact that the soldiers under his command are an integral part of the community. They don’t just work at the base, they buy homes in Columbus, their children go to local schools, and their spouses are the community’s colleagues, business partners and civic leaders.

“This community is the bedrock of our strength and our readiness, and for that, we are profoundly grateful,” he said. “As we build our future, we do so upon the foundation of values that we are prouder than ever to represent.”

According to Tuley, the nature of warfare is changing “at a breathtaking pace,” and Fort Benning, as the Maneuver Center of Excellence, is the epicenter of helping the Army become faster, more resilient and more technologically advanced to meet future challenges. He said the base produces about 1,600 Ranger-qualified leaders every year, 12,000 parachutists, 3,000 infantry and armor officers and more than 30,000 infantry and armored soldiers. Recent changes in Army policy have resulted in the leadership at Fort Benning taking on more responsibility for decisions affecting Army purchases, military equipment and training, Tuley says. Fort Benning is now responsible for developing, acquiring and fielding everything from what a soldier wears to Abrams tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles.

This summer, Fort Benning’s Crook Soldier Performance Readiness Center will become the installation hub for the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness, or H2F, program. H2F is designed to increase soldier readiness by providing comprehensive support across physical, mental, nutritional, sleep and spiritual health.

As momentum continues to grow across public and private sectors and more people choose to call Columbus home, this once hidden gem is hidden no more.