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Dear GDEcD partners,
During the 2011 fiscal year, our team here in Georgia and around the world worked diligently to live up to our commitment to seek out the best opportunities for the people of Georgia. At the Department, we take very seriously our charge to lead the statewide effort to market Georgia as the best place to do business. And even in light of these tough global economic times, our team and our partners have managed to secure some very positive results for the people and communities of Georgia, and the businesses that make a home in our state.
Through a network of partnerships and valuable statewide collaborations, we successfully managed 360 economic development projects through GDEcD’s Global Commerce Division in FY11, an increase of 7 percent over the previous fiscal year. These projects created more than 22,000 jobs, representing a 12 percent increase.
All told, GDEcD-assisted companies invested $4.39 billion in communities throughout the state, an increase of 17 percent from FY10.
GDEcD’s tourism professionals work every day to create strategic opportunities for Georgia’s communities and bring visitors to our state. Tourism remains one of Georgia’s top economic engines, with this industry employing almost 234,000 Georgians, accounting for $6.8 billion in payroll in 2010. Domestic and international visitors spent $21 billion in Georgia in 2010, an 8.3 percent increase from 2009. This increase in visitor spending contributed $1.56 billion in state and local tax revenue in our state.
Georgia continues to reap the benefits of the 2008 Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act, and is now among the top five states in the nation for film and television production, with more than 327 productions shot in Georgia during the 2011 fiscal year. These productions brought in more than $689.3 million in investment to Georgia, and generated an economic impact of $2.4 billion. The state’s Camera Ready Community Program, launched in October 2010, motivated 86 counties across the state to ready themselves to host a film or television production.
We understand that the work set before us would not be possible, or nearly as successful, without the support we receive from our partners in our mission to do the best job for Georgia. I believe the 2011 fiscal year is only the beginning of more positive things to come for our state as the world economy continues to mend. Our entire team is dedicated to ensuring that Georgia is at the leading edge of this rebound, and that our citizens have plentiful opportunities to benefit from new jobs and investment in Georgia.
Sincerely,
Chris Cummiskey
Commissioner |