Companies looking to move their headquarters should look to Georgia as a destination. In fiscal year 2009, Fortune 500 Technology company NCR did just that when they announced  three major locations resulting in over 3,000 new jobs. In June 2009 the company announced it was re-locating its headquarters to Georgia.  

Combine a labor force of 4.7 million with low cost of production (chart) and low cost of living (chart), the end result of moving to Georgia can make for a welcomed bottom line.  

Labor: Young and Educated
According to a recent Metro Atlanta Area Chamber of Commerce “Young & Restless” study, Atlanta ranks No. 1 in the nation for attracting highly educated 25-34 year-olds and almost 36 percent of the city’s population has at least a bachelor’s degree. While nearly 70 percent of Georgia’s high-school grads are college-bound, the University System of Georgia reports some 47,000 students graduate annually from four-year, two-year and technical colleges and universities. Not only does Atlanta attract top students from all over the Southeast and the world, but Forbes ranks Georgia sixth on its list of Best Place for Business & Careers.

More than 2,900 international businesses have a presence in Georgia, backed by 650,000-plus foreign born residents (U.S. Census, 2003). With Metro Atlanta leading the nation in population growth from 2000-2007 (one million people) the city and state are prime locations for establishing or re-locating a company HQ.

Pro-Business

In 2009 Forbes ranked Georgia at the top of its list for regulatory climate, the sixth best to do business overall and seventh for labor while the 2008 Lauffer Report called Georgia the best in fiscal policy. Atlanta is doing its part in attracting top companies and talent. It’s the second Most Wired City and third for Top Cities for Regional Headquarters (Fdi Magazine, Feb. /March 2009). With an AAA bond rating, Georgia continues to enhance its standing as a “pro-business” state.

As a right to work and employment-at-will state, Georgia also boasts a low corporate income tax (6 percent), low unemployment insurance rate and low Franchise Tax ($5,000 maximum annually).  It has the nation’s top workforce training thanks to Quick Start, a nationally-acclaimed program that provides customized workforce training free of charge to qualified businesses.

Global Access
For a company to be successful, air travel and access to the world’s top business markets has to be a top priority. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport fills that need, and more. As the world’s busiest facility in passenger volume, 80 percent of the U.S. market is within a two-hour flight making Atlanta the most connected city to the domestic market. In addition, Hartsfield-Jackson is the second most connected city to international locations. With 32 passenger carriers and 2,700 daily flights (1,400 passenger flights) to 165 domestic cities and 85 international locations serving 49 countries, Atlanta and Georgia are your main connections to the business world. 

To find out more about what Georgia can do to help you, please contact Valerie Gannon at 404-962-4034 or vgannon@georgia.org.