A Stronger Future
As the temperatures drop this winter, you may find yourself turning up the heat a little each day, only to regret…
Author: Anna Bentley
Summer Magic
What do Emmy-winning actor Donald Glover, former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and celebrated jazz trombonist Wycliffe Gordon have in common? They’re all Georgians, for starters, but they’re also all alumni of the Governor’s Honors Program (GHP), a summer…
Decatur | Dekalb County: At Its Best
In the midst of a global pandemic, DeKalb County is having one of its best years yet. Some of it is thanks to proactive planning. DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond says he built the county’s 2019 annual budget on the…
Augusta | Richmond County: Betting on Augusta
In March 2020, business predictions were grim. “You had all these experts, the National Main Street Center and the Small Business Association, doing nationwide statistics and saying that 30% to 35% of small businesses would not survive the pandemic,” says…
The Tough Ask for Georgia’s Nonprofits
Just over a month ago, more than 40,000 participants laced up their running shoes and headed out for the AJC Peachtree Road Race, an Atlanta tradition dating back to 1970. But the 2020 version of the 10K – like a…
Above and Beyond: Aerospace Soars in Georgia
Aerospace products are the state’s No. 1 export, yet the sector seems to fly under the radar of public perception. “We’re in the top-tier rankings all the time, in the top five nationally usually, [and] people are sometimes surprised by…
Dallas | Paulding County: Realizing Possibilities
Quiet. Laid-back. Affordable. That’s typically how people describe Paulding County, in Northwest Metro Atlanta. You could add “underestimated,” according to Paulding Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Stacy Hamby. “I’ve always seen us kind of as a hidden gem or…
Georgia Trend’s 2020 40 Under 40
It’s been 24 years since Georgia Trend’s inaugural 40 Under 40, and each year the winners continue to leave us awed and inspired. That’s especially true during this troubling year, as many in this group of young leaders are working…
Georgia’s Legacy Leaders
This month Georgia Trend celebrates 35 years as the statewide magazine dedicated to business, politics and economic development. To mark this milestone, we wanted to recognize people from around the state who have contributed for many years to making Georgia…
Fundamentally Strong
By most measures, 2020 was shaping up to be a banner year for international trade in Georgia. The state was coming off another record-breaking year in trade and exports, celebrating an all-time high of $41.2 billion in exports and $143.3…
Four for the Future
From apprenticeships and downtown revitalization to leadership and student development, the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Public Service and Outreach (PSO) division has helped with projects in communities around the state that bring solutions to pressing problems, especially where local expertise…
Visionary Cities
Cities that are successful at luring residents and visitors all have one thing in common – a vision for making that happen. This year, the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) and Georgia Trend have teamed up to honor nine cities with…
100 Most Influential Georgians: Visionary Forces
“There are no secrets to success,” said former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. “It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.” His description could apply to the individuals included in Georgia Trend’s 22nd annual listing…
Banking on Breakthroughs
Labor Day weekend was a bit of a blur for Dr. Jorge Cortes. As the rest of the country celebrated the end of summer, he and his family trekked more than 900 miles for a new beginning, driving 14 hours…
Help Wanted
At a business summit in LaGrange earlier this year, Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler posed a question to the roughly 100 leaders in attendance: How many of you are currently hiring? About 90 percent of the group raised their hands,…
Strong Competition
In the mid-’90s, John McNair and his wife, Lisa, found themselves in a tough spot. They had just bought a business and had relocated from Delaware to Pennsylvania for the opportunity. Between their new business, their new house and their…
Creative Collaboration
Over the past 12 months, North Fulton County’s community improvement districts (CIDs) have accomplished some amazing things. They’ve revamped MARTA stations, turning cold concrete into vibrant, colorful spaces. They’ve overhauled major thoroughfares, making them safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. And…
Closing the Digital Divide
Internet access is a tale of the haves and the have-nots. For many, it has completely changed the way we live, instantly making just about any type of information available at our fingertips. However large parts of the country remain…
2018 Georgia’s Top 100 Public Companies
There’s a reason why Georgia has been consistently named the No. 1 place to do business in the country for five years in a row. A wealth of universities and tech colleges provide a pipeline of great talent. Flights from…
Georgia’s GEMS
If you don’t have a story to tell, then you have nothing to tell,” says Kendrick Ward, Main Street manager for the city of Greensboro. “Your history tells who you are, where you’ve been and where you can go.” History…
Deep Impact
I look at Tech Square as being the heart of innovation and technology in the state of Georgia,” says Jennifer Bonnett, “and ATDC is that heartbeat.” Bonnett, the Advanced Technology Development Center’s general manager, leads the technology incubator’s programs across…
Going Global
When it comes to sending goods made in Georgia out to the world, cargo planes at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport or the ports in Savannah and Brunswick probably come to mind. But the state’s exporting business is so much more…
Supply and Demand
There are more than 50 nursing programs in the state of Georgia, spanning associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and bridge programs. Currently, nearly 130,000 registered nurses have active licenses in the state, making Georgia 12th in the nation for actively licensed RNs.…
Healthy Banks, Healthy Communities
What’s one of the easiest ways to determine the economic viability of a community? Look at its banks, says Joe Brannen, president and CEO of the Georgia Bankers Association (GBA). “The banking industry is a direct reflection of the health…
Catalysts for Change
They’re cropping up in unexpected places across the state: along Georgia Power easements, on former sites of bus depots and in raised beds scattered throughout neighborhood yards. Urban farms – whether for commercial or mostly personal use – are bringing…
Within Reach
There’s something different about this year’s graduating seniors. Walking across high school graduation stages in Douglas, Dodge, Rabun and Bartow counties are 17 exceptional students – the first graduating class of the Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen (REACH) program, a…
Small Towns, Big impacts
As festival season starts in earnest throughout Georgia, many small towns are gearing up for an influx of visitors – and hopefully the tourism dollars they will bring with them. The tourism industry is a vital part of Georgia’s economy,…
The Game-Changers
It’s been a banner year for the city of Atlanta. In Midtown, 20 high-rise projects are currently under construction, with another 23 in review – the most new development in Midtown’s history. In Buckhead, Peachtree Street’s 17-year transformation is nearing…
Under the Microscope
There’s a multibillion-dollar industry growing in Georgia, but it’s been just under the radar so far. Bioscience – a massive sector encompassing pharmaceuticals, medical devices and equipment, diagnostics, biologics and the burgeoning area of digital health IT – generates more…
Squad Spirit
More than 100,000 people play soccer in Georgia through professional, youth and adult leagues. Now, our first MLS team is poised to make history – and have a major league impact on the state.
Actively Aging
Active adult communities – developments geared toward those 55 and older who want to retain an active, social lifestyle – are attracting more and more homeowners around the state with their appealing combination of low-maintenance homes, resort-style amenities and a…
Gaps in Care
How Georgia’s schools and the legislature are addressing the state’s looming healthcare workforce shortage.
Technically Speaking
It’s been a busy year for the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). Over the past 12 months, the TCSG and its 22 technical colleges kept their focus on increasing the state’s workforce by implementing initiatives to boost growth in…
In The Zone
Transform is a word we use a lot,” says Shawn Gillen, Doraville city manager. And for good reason: When General Motors built an automobile manufacturing facility inside Doraville city limits 70 years ago, the town that sprang up around it…
2015 Deals of the Year
Economic wins for Georgia come from all corners of the state.
Public-Private Progress
“What happens when you invest with vision?” ask banners slung across chain-link fences beside Cobb Parkway in northwest Atlanta. While the banners mask the construction along the busy roadway, the question serves to highlight an estimated half-billion dollars’ worth of…
The Peach Pass State
In the winter of 2014, commuters in Cherokee and Cobb counties began seeing a few changes. Cranes took up residence in the medians along the southern end of I-575. Support beams began popping up along I-75. And then bridges began…
A New Day
“In Georgia, it’s a time of opportunity, potential and challenges,” says Rob Braswell, president and CEO of the Community Bankers Association of Georgia. Braswell’s referring to the state’s banking industry, which has rebounded from the recession with gains in nearly…
Mission Possible
When a military base closes, there are plenty of unknowns. What will the economic impact be? How will the community respond? What will happen to the land? In Georgia, a Navy school and two Army bases shuttered by the 2005…
Masters Of Change
“If we go back 20 or 30 years ago, career prospects meant climbing the career ladder in one organization,” says Harley E. Ryan Jr., associate dean for curriculum and teaching at the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia…
Georgia’s Other Creative Industries
It’s hard living in the shadows of a great success – even more so when you’re a powerhouse in your own right. Just ask Georgia’s lesser-celebrated, yet equally booming animation, video game development and television commercial/support service industries. While a…
Engineered For Success
Georgia’s engineering programs are adapting to the changing technological environment and producing more engineers than ever.
2014 Family Business Awards
No one ever said mixing business and family was easy. That’s why the recipients of the 2014 Cox Family Business Awards are winners two times over. Not only do they run successful companies, they have found ways to successfully run…
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