May 2023 Features

• Blue Bird Celebrates Grand Opening of Electric Vehicle Build-up Center in Fort Valley

  May 31, 2023

  Blue Bird Corporation celebrated the grand opening of its Electric Vehicle Build-up Center on the grounds of the company’s main U.S. manufacturing plant in Fort Valley. The opening marks an important milestone as the company continues to expand its electric school bus production capacity from 4 to 20 vehicles a day.

• Newest “Columbus Museum on Tour” Exhibition Opens at the Bo Bartlett Center

  May 30, 2023

  The Columbus Museum’s newest “on tour” exhibition opened this week at the Bo Bartlett Center in uptown Columbus, Georgia. Facts & Figures: Contemporary Realism from The Columbus Museum presents the very best of the style's paintings from the holdings of the Museum's permanent collection.

• Vogtle Unit 3 Reaches 100% Energy Output for 1st Time

  May 30, 2023

  Georgia Power announced Monday Vogtle Unit 3 has safely reached 100 percent power, marking a major milestone towards commercial operation and service for customers. This milestone marks the maximum energy the unit is licensed to produce in the reactor core and is the first time the unit has reached its expected output.

• Hyundai & LG Plan $4.3 Billion Battery Plant in Savannah

  May 30, 2023

  LG Energy Solution and Hyundai Motor Group announced an EV battery cell manufacturing joint venture in the U.S.

• AAA: 1.3M Georgians Expected to Travel Memorial Day Weekend

  May 25, 2023

  AAA Travel expects there will be a significant number of Georgians planning to travel this Memorial Day holiday weekend.

• PSC Commissioner Tim Echols: Cleaner Air is Not Free

  May 25, 2023

  Electricity generation is no longer the leading source of carbon emissions in our state, this according to Drawdown Georgia, a group of scientists and researchers from multiple universities led by Georgia Tech’s Dr. Marilyn Brown.

• Jekyll Island Authority Board Selects New Executive Director

  May 24, 2023

  The Jekyll Island Authority Board of Directors has selected Mark Williams to serve as the new Executive Director of the JIA, succeeding current Executive Director Jones Hooks, who will retire June 30th. Williams is the current Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and a JIA Board member.

• Vinson Institute Creates Workforce Planning Guide to Help Communities Tackle Challenges

  May 23, 2023

  Experts at the University of Georgia’s Vinson Institute of Government have partnered with Georgia Power to provide communities across the state with a comprehensive and accessible resource to address the growth opportunities provided by new industries.

• Gen Z Surpasses Baby Boomers in Small Business Workforce Participation

  May 23, 2023

  According to a new report from Paychex, Inc., Generation Z (born 1997-2012) participation in the small business workforce has surpassed Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) and is the only segment in the labor market showing growth.

• 2023 GLOBE Awards Celebrate Georgia Exporters Across Diverse Industries

  May 19, 2023

  The Georgia Department of Economic Development announced 27 Georgia business recipients of the 2023 GLOBE Award. Managed by the Department’s International Trade team, this state-led awards program highlights Georgia companies that expanded sales to new international markets in the previous year.

• Governor Kemp Announces $225M in Grant Awards for Georgia Communities

  May 19, 2023

  Governor Brian Kemp announced preliminary grant awards totaling more than $225 million for 142 qualified projects that improve neighborhood assets like parks, recreation facilities, sidewalks, and healthy food access in communities all across the state disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Georgia's Legal Community Provides 3.2M Meals to State’s Regional Food Banks

  May 17, 2023

  Attorney General Chris Carr announced that attorneys across Georgia raised a total of $829,239 during the 12th Annual Georgia Legal Food Frenzy fundraising competition. This is the equivalent of 3.2 million meals for the state’s regional food banks to then distribute to Georgia children, seniors and families in need.

• AAA: Georgian's Summer Travel Surging

  May 17, 2023

  If you haven’t booked your summer travel plans yet, AAA says you better do it soon. The Auto Club Group is seeing very strong bookings for cruises, tours, hotels, and flights.

• Secretary Raffensperger Builds Coalition of Influential State and Community Leaders to Take on Licensing Reform

  May 16, 2023

  Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is announcing the creation of the GA WORKS Licensing Commission. The commission seeks to evaluate the Professional Licensing Board’s future ability to meet the demands of a rapidly growing Georgia workforce, and pay specific attention to the regulatory burdens that impact the agency’s ability to get Georgians to work quickly and efficiently.

• Companies Find Global Growth Opportunities with Georgia’s International Trade Team

  May 12, 2023

  Georgia’s status as a global gateway is a result of decades of strategic planning by Georgia leaders, starting when the state opened its first international trade offices 50 years ago this year.

• Survey: US Job Satisfaction Hits All-Time High

  May 12, 2023

  American workers are more content than ever, according to The Conference Board Job Satisfaction 2023. The report finds improved satisfaction across nearly all 26 components—with gains in non-compensation factors like work-life balance outpacing even those from improved pay and benefits.

• Technology Association of Georgia Announces 2023 Top 40 Innovative Companies

  May 11, 2023

  The Technology Association of Georgia recently announced the 2023 Top 40 Innovative Technology Companies in Georgia.

• Georgia City Solutions to Host Inaugural Community Impact Awards

  May 10, 2023

  Georgia City Solutions, the Georgia Municipal Association’s non-profit, will hold its inaugural Community Impact Awards event at the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta on May 18. The event will showcase the impactful and innovative work GCS is doing to help Georgia cities thrive and provide all residents with opportunities to reach their full potential.

• Nominations Now Open for New Youth LEAD Georgia Leadership Program

  May 10, 2023

  A new University of Georgia-run statewide youth leadership program is now accepting nominations for its inaugural class after a $1.5 million pledge from Chick-fil-A, Inc. to support the development of Youth LEAD Georgia

• Georgia Is the Worst State for Identity Theft in the U.S.

  May 09, 2023

  Data breaches are on the rise, both throughout the U.S. and globally. Anyone and everyone is at risk of falling victim to a data breach or cyber attack, and hackers and cybercriminals come up with new ways to steal sensitive information and personal data every day.

• Small Businesses Struggle to Retain and Engage Employees in Post-Pandemic Economy

  May 09, 2023

  Small business owners are facing a "nightmare" scenario in finding, hiring and retaining employees, according to new survey data from SCORE, mentors to America's small businesses and a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

• Gov. Kemp Signs FY24 Budget to Invest in Public Safety, Healthcare, the Workforce, and More

  May 08, 2023

  Governor Brian Kemp, joined by First Lady Marty Kemp, Hyundai Motor Group representatives, members of the General Assembly, state and local elected officials, and economic development partners from around the state, signed the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget at a signing ceremony on the site of the Hyundai Metaplant in Bryan County.

• Muscogee Educational Excellence Foundation Names Tasha Morman 2023 MCSD Teacher of the Year

  May 05, 2023

  The Muscogee Educational Excellence Foundation named Tasha Morman, a 5th Grade Science and Social Studies teacher at St. Mary’s Magnet Academy, the 2023 MCSD Teacher of the Year.

• CEO Confidence Ticked Down Slightly in Q2

  May 05, 2023

  The Conference Board Measure of CEO Confidence in collaboration with The Business Council declined slightly to 42 in Q2 2023, down from 43 in the first quarter of the year. The Measure is still below a reading of 50, which suggests CEOs remain largely pessimistic about what's ahead in the economy.

• Representatives From Georgia’s 12 International Offices Convene for 2023 Visit

  May 04, 2023

  The Georgia Department of Economic Development welcomed its representatives from the state’s international offices abroad for a weeklong visit to Georgia during the last week of April.