ATLANTA — Georgia was ranked the number one state to do business by Area Development magazine for the tenth year in a row, Governor Brian Kemp announced Tuesday at a press conference at the Governor’s Mansion. 

Flanked by local and state economic development leaders, former Governor Nathan Deal, Attorney General Chris Carr, several state agency heads and more than a dozen state legislators, Kemp said, “Economic development is a team sport … and we’re proud to have the best team in the world here in the Peach State that includes people actually in the community working hard to bring opportunities to their area.”

Kemp noted that Georgia got the top ranking in seven of the 14 categories the trade magazine  used to evaluate states, including logistics and infrastructure, energy availability, pro-business approach, workforce development programs and competitive labor market. The rankings are based on scores provided by 50 leading site consulting firms from across the U.S.

“Georgia sits atop the list of states with the best workforce training opportunities,” noted Area Development, a magazine for site developers. “At the heart is the state’s Quick Start program. It’s offered through the Technical College System of Georgia and delivers customized training targeted at new and expanding businesses. Companies in manufacturing, biotechnology, information technology, and other sectors need tech-savvy workers with specific skills, and this program has helped attract those businesses to Georgia.”

Kemp joked that 10 years ago, “the Atlanta [news]paper would make fun of this award, saying it came from a small niche outlet that no one’s ever heard of. I will tell you that the proof is in the numbers,” he said, noting that 343,650 new state-created jobs have come to Georgia since then.

With $24 billion in investments and 38,400 new jobs created in Fiscal Year 2023, Economic Development department Commissioner Pat Wilson said, “Georgia provides the whole package for a healthy business climate, thanks to our legislators, state agency partners, economic developers and the predecessors who came before us.”

Wilson credited Deal and other past governors for investing in key resources, including “our acclaimed logistics network and higher education systems,” noting that Kemp has continued to do so. 

“Thanks to our competitive advantage in logistics, with the nation’s fastest growing container port, the world’s busiest airport, and a robust road and rail network, Georgia leads in moving people and goods across the state and around the globe,” said Speaker of the House Jon Burns in a written statement. 

Wilson praised Kemp for helping to land global trade deals, including over 1,700 projects creating 163,000 jobs and $69 billion in investments.

Asked by reporters about the economic development challenges posed by the state’s ongoing workforce shortage in many industries, Wilson noted that workforce development is the biggest challenge to economies in the U.S. and worldwide. 

“The great thing about us is that we have a track record in training our workers for the jobs that are available,” Wilson said.

Kemp said that his office will be hosting an inaugural workforce summit later this week. 

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