August 2023 Features

• New Coalition Takes Aim at Tort Reform in Georgia

  August 31, 2023

  A new nonprofit founded by three high-power lobbying firms is setting its sites on tort reform in Georgia. Competitive Georgia announced its formation Tuesday, the latest sign that business leaders are preparing a major push for the General Assembly to curb what they see as frivolous lawsuits that drive up the cost of doing business.

• Georgia DOT Celebrates Connected Vehicle Technology Integration

  August 29, 2023

  Georgia Department of Transportation recently held a ribbon cutting to celebrate Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything waivers granted by the Federal Communications Commission allowing Georgia DOT to integrate C-V2X technology across the state.

• Charlie Harper: Preparing For The Last Season Of College Football As We Know it

  August 28, 2023

  The weather says summer, but the calendar says fall. We know this because the University of Georgia Bulldogs are ready to suit up between the hedges in Athens to defend their National Championship. Or better said, Championships. Plural.

• ABAC Kicks Off Fall Semester with Increase in Enrollment

  August 25, 2023

  Fall semester is under way at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College with its largest enrollment increase in five years. Over 3,700 students are enrolled, a total which reflects an increase of over 3.5 percent from last fall.

• Georgia Named the Best State for Business Growth, According to New Research

  August 23, 2023

  New research has revealed the best states for business growth, with Georgia taking the top spot. Business consulting firm Venture Smarter analyzed data from the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics to discover the business growth rate in each state based on the number of establishments in December 2021 compared to December 2022.

• Georgia Ranks Sixth for States that Dine Out the Most, with Chick-Fil-A Their Favorite Restaurant

  August 21, 2023

  Dining out is often seen as something to do when celebrating an event or seeking a fast meal after a long day, that’s why a new study has investigated which states enjoy dining out the most.

• Georgia Chamber CEO Chris Clark -The Coming Crisis in Healthcare: Workforce

  August 18, 2023

  Across Georgia and the country, we are experiencing a serious need for healthcare staff. Hospitals, senior care facilities, urgent care centers, local health clinics, and even imaging centers are facing long-term problems providing access to care for our citizens.

• Georgia’s Unemployment Rate Holds Firm, Remains Below National Average

  August 17, 2023

  Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson announced today that Georgia's July unemployment rate remained steady at 3.2 percent, unchanged from a revised 3.2 percent in June. The unemployment rate is also three-tenths lower than the national average.

• Revitalizing its Legacy, UGA-Tifton Invests in the Next Century of Research and Innovation

  August 16, 2023

  To meet the needs of a rapidly changing agricultural landscape and a growing campus population, the University of Georgia Tifton campus is undergoing crucial infrastructure upgrades to bring its more than century-old facilities up to 21st-century standards.

• Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson Returns Millions in Unremitted Funds to the Georgia State Treasury

  August 16, 2023

  Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson hosted a press conference yesterday to reveal the findings of a comprehensive internal audit, which uncovered $105,170,178.20 in unremitted funds that began accumulating in fiscal year 2014.

• The Average Georgia Credit Score Increased 12 Points During COVID

  August 15, 2023

  When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the United States at the beginning of 2020, quarantine and social distancing regulations caused consumer behaviors to change dramatically. As a result, many Americans were able to save money during the pandemic and able to improve their financial situations by increasing savings and paying down debt.

• Georgia Voted #12 Best State for Franchising; What Does This Mean for Small Business Throughout State?

  August 14, 2023

  This month, we are taking at the “Rich States, Poor States” Economic Competitiveness Index and how it can be useful to franchisors as they expand their footprints. For the state of Georgia, these rankings reveal a lot about where the state economy is going and where there is opportunity for their economy to grow.

• Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Georgia Serves Grants $6.6M in AmeriCorps Funding for Georgia

  August 11, 2023

  Georgia Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Christopher Nunn announced that Georgia Serves is granting $6,600,668 in federal AmeriCorps funding to 20 organizations across the state.

• Jekyll Island, Helen & Dahlonega Voted Among the Top Budget-Friendly Honeymoon Destinations in America

  August 11, 2023

  As the wedding bells start ringing across the country, the euphoria of newlywed bliss is closely shadowed by the daunting expenses that weddings and honeymoons entail. Living the high life in 2023 isn't exactly a cakewalk, with that pesky thing we call inflation still sticking around and most couples starting their wedded adventure with a 'something borrowed' bank balance.

• USG’s Economic Impact Grows to $20.1B as Graduates Earn $1+ Million More with Their College Degrees

  August 10, 2023

  The University System of Georgia contributed a total of $20.1 billion to Georgia’s economy between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, a $800 million or 4.14% increase over the previous year, a new study shows.

• ABAC President Addresses Faculty, Staff Prior to New Academic Year

  August 09, 2023

  A little more than one year ago, Dr. Tracy Brundage officially began her tenure as the 11th president in the 115-year history of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Monday, she addressed the college’s faculty and staff during the annual State of the College meeting and recounted what a busy year her first one has been.

• Georgia Breaks Economic Development Records for Third Year in a Row

  August 09, 2023

  Governor Brian Kemp, in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, yesterday announced that for the third year in a row the state broke records for economic development during Fiscal Year 2023.

• New Survey Finds Employees Ask for Community Outreach Reboot

  August 08, 2023

  In the 2023 Business Generosity Report by goBeyondProfit and Georgia CEO, Georgia employees clearly indicated their shifting priorities regarding the most important demonstrations of generosity to the community.

• Georgia Center of Innovation Hosts Successful 2023 Georgia AgTech Summit

  August 07, 2023

  On June 7th, the Georgia Center of Innovation hosted the second annual Georgia AgTech Summit at the Robert F. Hatcher Sr. Conference Center on the campus of Middle Georgia State University. Similar to the first Georgia AgTech Summit held in 2022, this goal of this year’s Summit’s was to bring together industry, academia, and government partners who are players in the Georgia AgTech ecosystem to collaborate and share ideas.

• Charlie Harper: Debt Downgrade A Too Subtle Warning Of What Is To Come

  August 07, 2023

  The research firm Fitch Ratings downgraded the quality of the United States debt last week. They’re arguably the lesser known of the three main agencies that assign letter grades to denote the likelihood a bond issuer will repay their debt.

• Clearwave Fiber's Internship Program Empowers Future Talent with Hands-On Experience and Community Involvement

  August 04, 2023

  Clearwave Fiber recently concluded its Summer Internship Program. Held at the company headquarters in Savannah, the program included a diverse group of young talent from various universities who gained invaluable experience while making a positive impact on the company and the community.

• Georgia Ranks #4 in U.S. for Resident Support of Small Businesses

  August 04, 2023

  Georgia residents' search interest in small businesses has spiked more than 92% of other states since 2019. Across the nation, small business support has increased by 267% in that same period.

• CEO Confidence Improves in Q3

  August 04, 2023

  The Conference Board Measure of CEO Confidence in collaboration with The Business Council improved to 48 in Q3 2023, up from 42 in the second quarter.

• City Officials Learn New Skills at Georgia Municipal Association Conference

  August 03, 2023

  City officials from across Georgia updated their governing skills through continuing education classes presented by University of Georgia Institute of Government faculty and other experts at the 90th Georgia Municipal Association Annual Convention, held in June at the Savannah Convention Conference Center.

• ECG and the Gas Authority Announce Partnership Forming the Georgia Energy Cities

  August 02, 2023

  Electric Cities of Georgia and the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia have created a new force for economic development in Georgia.