July 2025 Features

• Port of Savannah Sees Second Busiest Year on Record

  July 30, 2025

  The Georgia Ports Authority moved 5.7 million twenty-foot equivalent container units in fiscal year, an increase of 8.6 percent or 450,000 TEUs compared to the previous fiscal year. FY2025 was the Port of Savannah’s second busiest year on record, and the rate of growth shows continuing strength in Georgia’s logistics trajectory.

• Union Pacific Acquires Georgia-Based Norfolk Southern to Create America’s First Transcontinental Railroad

  July 30, 2025

  Union Pacific Corporation and Norfolk Southern Corporation announced an agreement to create America’s first transcontinental railroad, connecting over 50,000 route miles across 43 states from the East Coast to the West Coast. This combination will transform the U.S. supply chain and create new sources of economic growth and workforce opportunity that preserves union jobs.

• From Vision to Action: 2025 Young Gamechangers Embark on Athens-Clarke County

  July 28, 2025

  GeorgiaForward kicked off its 2025 session of its Young Gamechangers program in Athens-Clarke County, welcoming 48 bright and driven young professionals from across the state. The cohort begins an eight-month journey aimed at tackling some of Athens-Clarke County’s most pressing challenges through fresh perspectives, collaboration, and civic innovation.

• GACCE Awards Grants for Innovative Programs

  July 28, 2025

  The Georgia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives awarded their 2025 Innovative Program Grants at the Executive Leadership Conference held in Jekyll Island.

• Survey: Some SMBs See AI as a Tool, Not a Threat to Jobs

  July 28, 2025

  New research from Bluevine–the largest small business banking platform in the U.S*.–shows that small business owners see AI's potential to shake up how they manage their finances–but unlike corporations making headlines for AI-driven layoffs, most SMBs say they're not planning to cut jobs because of it.

• Pinnacle Financial Partners & Synovus to Merge in $8.6B Deal

  July 25, 2025

  Pinnacle Financial Partners and Synovus Financial Corp.today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock transaction valued at $8.6 billion.

• Georgia Welcomes the World: Cities Gear Up for FIFA World Cup

  July 25, 2025

  The world’s largest sporting event is coming to Georgia, creating unprecedented opportunities for communities statewide to showcase southern hospitality on a global stage.

• Clean Energy Tour Powers Through Georgia with New Tech and Fleet Solutions

  July 25, 2025

  The 15th annual Georgia Clean Energy Roadshow hosted by PSC Commissioner Tim Echols and produced by Event Energy Partners kicks off August 12th with three consecutive tour-stops in Savannah, Macon, and Lawrenceville.

• New Research from Generation Underscores The Importance of Remote Work for US Rural Communities

  July 24, 2025

  New data from Generation, the global economic mobility nonprofit, reveals how midcareer workers are navigating economic uncertainty and employment challenges in rural America. The report, Rural America Is Ready for Remote Work, is based on a study commissioned by Generation and conducted by YouGov across rural counties in the 17 states that make up the Appalachian and Delta regions of the United States.

• Development Authority Donates $100,000 to Columbus Technical College for New VECTR Center

  July 23, 2025

  Columbus Technical College is proud to announce a generous $100,000 donation from the Development Authority of Columbus in support of its upcoming Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. Veterans Education Career Transition Resource (VECTR) Workforce Development Center.

• Technical College System of Georgia Launches Podcast: Talent Pipeline Georgia

  July 23, 2025

  The Technical College System of Georgia announces the launch of Talent Pipeline Georgia, a new monthly podcast spotlighting the people, programs, and partnerships fueling Georgia’s position as the #1 state for business.

• Bringing Art Home: How One Rural Town Transformed Access to the Arts with Georgia Council for the Arts’ Traveling Exhibit

  July 23, 2025

  For the Euharlee Welcome Center and History Museum, the opportunity to host a traveling art exhibit in partnership with Georgia Council for the Arts was one they seized with enthusiasm – and their hard work paid off.

• Piedmont’s Community Impact Report Highlights Local Efforts to Improve Health Outcomes

  July 22, 2025

  Piedmont Columbus Regional is proud to share highlights from Piedmont Healthcare’s 2024 Community Impact Report, which outlines the organization’s ongoing efforts to improve health outcomes. Piedmont Columbus is committed to delivering high-quality, accessible care and supporting initiatives that address the most pressing health needs in Muscogee County and surrounding areas.

• Meet Eryka: A Story of Strength, Art, and Hope

  July 22, 2025

  Eryka, a senior at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), has always dreamed of becoming an artist. But at 15, she was homeless, and soon after, placed in Georgia’s foster care system—separated from her younger brother with special needs.

• More Changes May Be Coming For Georgia’s Voting System

  July 21, 2025

  Georgia will benefit from a portion of another $27.5 million agreed to by the owner of a defunct medial lab accused of Medicaid fraud, the U.S. Justice Department announced Thursday.

• Georgia Makes History as Jobs Top 5 Million

  July 18, 2025

  The Georgia Department of Labor announced that Georgia’s June unemployment rate was 3.5%, unchanged from May. The unemployment rate was six-tenths lower than the national unemployment rate.

• Georgia’s Aerospace Industry Keeps Climbing

  July 17, 2025

  In Georgia, the future of aerospace is already taking off. From cutting-edge startups to global defense contractors, the state’s aviation and aerospace ecosystem is growing faster and flying higher than ever before. A recent Site Selection feature, “An Open Door to the Skies,” highlights how Georgia’s unmatched combination of talent, infrastructure, and industry partnerships is driving growth and innovation at every altitude.

• Georgia's AAA Bond Rating Reaffirmed by Rating Agencies

  July 16, 2025

  Governor Brian Kemp announced that Georgia has again had the highest ratings of AAA reaffirmed with a stable outlook by each of the three main credit rating agencies: FitchRatings, Moody’s Investors Service, and S&P Global Ratings. This follows last week's release of Moody's reaffirmation of this coveted level of financial trustworthiness.

• Sigma Stretch Film of Georgia to Invest $39 Million in Columbus, Creating 100 New Jobs

  July 15, 2025

  Columbus and Development Authority of Columbus announced that Sigma Stretch Film of Georgia, a global leader in high-performance film manufacturing, plans to invest $39 million and create 100 jobs in a new location in Columbus. The company will break ground on the project in late July.

• Georgia Council for the Arts: More Than $1.3M in Grants Announced Across 49 Counties

  July 15, 2025

  The Georgia Department of Economic Development team specialized in supporting arts and culture, Georgia Council for the Arts, announced that more than $1.3 million in competitive grant funding will be distributed to recipients in 49 counties across the state through its General Operating Support, Project, and Arts Education Program grants.

• Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership at Georgia Tech Celebrates 65 Years of Service

  July 14, 2025

  The Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a program of the Enterprise Innovation Institute at Georgia Tech, received recognition by Gov. Brian Kemp for 65 years of service to the manufacturing industry at the Georgia State Capitol.

• Campaigns for Statewide Offices Take Shape After First Major Financial Filings

  July 11, 2025

  People who want to influence Georgia’s next elections have already poured millions of dollars into the 2026 governor’s race and other statewide campaigns.

• New Report Published on How A.I., STEM Careers, & New Technologies Will Impact Georgia’s Economy

  July 10, 2025

  On Wednesday, the Georgia Chamber Foundation announced the publication of its Q2 Quarterly Report, Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which provides timely insight into how Research & Development and cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence will impact Georgia’s future economy.

• Apprentice Georgia Awarded Largest Federal Apprenticeship Grant in State History

  July 10, 2025

  The U.S. Department of Labor on Tuesday announced the award of $6.1 million in apprenticeship funding to the Technical College System of Georgia’s Apprentice Georgia program.

• Georgia Life Sciences Partners with U.S. Chamber Foundation to Bring Real-World Innovation to Georgia Classrooms

  July 09, 2025

  Georgia Life Sciences has successfully completed its first collaboration with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Employer Provided Innovation Challenges program, bringing hands-on, real-world learning into Georgia classrooms and spotlighting the state’s growing leadership in workforce innovation.