MERCEDES-BENZ USA TO RELOCATE hEADQUARTERS

METRO ATLANTA
Economic Briefing
FEBrUary 2015 | ISSUE 20
MERCEDES-BENZ USA TO
02 RELOCATE HEADQUARTERS
IN THIS ISSUE
METRO ATLANTA COMPANY
ANNOUNCEMENTS
GEORGIA INVESTS FOR A SKILLED
BIOSCIENCE WORKFORCE
TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
HIGHLIGHTS
MAC HONORED WITH SMART
CITY INITIATIVE AWARD
GREEN LIGHT RECEIVED FOR
PORT DEEPENING
METRO ATLANTA UNITES TO
BOOST EXPORTS
2014 FORTUNE
500 / 1000 headquarters
04
05
06
07
08
09
#1 State for Doing Business
Area Development magazine, Q3 2014
#1 State for Business Climate
Site Selection magazine, November 2014
#1 State for Business
CNBC, June 2014
#1 State for Lowest Cost
of Doing Business
Business Facilities magazine, August 2014
After months of evaluating several states,
German automotive manufacturer MercedesBenz USA (MBUSA) selected metro Atlanta for
its new corporate headquarters. MBUSA, which
is responsible for the distribution, marketing
and customer service for all Mercedes-Benz
products in the United States, will begin
relocating executives and staff from its New
Jersey headquarters to metro Atlanta in July
2015. The company plans to create at least
800 new jobs and invest $74 million to build
a new headquarters facility, expected to
be operational in 2017. MBUSA will keep a
parts distribution center and regional office in
New Jersey.
“Atlanta is a premier city which places us
closer to our ever-growing Southeast customer
base, our port in Brunswick, Georgia, and to
Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, our Alabama
manufacturing facility, which accounts for half
of the vehicles we sell here in the U.S.,” said
MBUSA President and CEO Stephen Cannon in a
statement. “For our employees, Atlanta offers a
strong quality of life, terrific schools and wonderful
cultural and recreational opportunities.”
“With its international name recognition and
unmatched reputation for quality, MercedesBenz USA’s decision to move to Georgia is simply
a home run for the state,” said Gov. Nathan
Deal. “I look forward to building upon this new
partnership and adding Mercedes-Benz to the
state’s already impressive automotive sector.
Georgia is home to many growing, globally
connected businesses, due in part to our topranked economic environment that has made us
the No. 1 state for business three times over.
Mercedes-Benz will find in Georgia a state that
will help its bottom line, and a people who will
welcome its team and their families with open
arms. Welcome to Georgia, Mercedes-Benz.”
For our employees, Atlanta offers a strong quality
of life, terrific schools and wonderful cultural and
recreational opportunities.
- MBUSA President and CEO Stephen Cannon
Metro Atlanta Company Announcements (2014)
NEW LOCATIONS
(minimum of 5 projected new jobs)
Company
Facility Type
Business Type
Location
Chime Solutions
Keurig Green Mountain
Call Center
Manufacturing
Customer Service & Technical Support
Beverage Systems Manufacturing
Clayton County
Douglas County
Projected Number
of New Jobs1
1,120
550
Cricket Wireless
Corporate Headquarters
Wireless Telecommunications
City of Atlanta
500
Beaulieu International Group
Castellini Group of Companies
Global Ministries of the United
Methodist Church
Gordon Food Service
Star2Star
Marketo
Haso USA
United Arab Shipping Company
Dasan Machineries
Lead Forensics
The Kroger Co.
mBlox
BMC
Toppan Printing
ResMed
Total Quality Logistics
Niagara Bottling
Salude
Interfor
AKESOgen
DRAX Biomass
Star & Shield Group
Netsolace
Spancrete
Otsuka Chemical
ASH Projects
Citim AM
AVICS USA
Jinny Software
Validation and Engineering Group
Prince Global Sports
AppRiver
EnablePath
Impact Cryotherapy
Bank of the West (BNP Paribas)
Emirates SkyCargo
Gotham Sound & Communications
JOYDIVISION
PrimeStone
Sketchin
Boplan bvba
Tecme/Neumovent
Platinum Medical
Endava
Jones Global Sports (Bobby Jones)
Groundfloor
Hailo
Myriad Devices
U.S. Headquarters / Manufacturing
Food Processing / Distribution Center
Floor Coverings Manufacturing
Produce Distribution
Bartow County
Clayton County
350
300
Global Headquarters
Religious Organization
City of Atlanta
250
Distribution Center
Center of Excellence
Branch Office
Manufacturing
U.S. Headquarters
U.S. Headquarters / Manufacturing
Corporate Headquarters
Distribution Center
Branch Office
Corporate Headquarters
Manufacturing
Distribution Center
Branch Office
Manufacturing
Rehabilitation Center
Regional Headquarters
R&D Center
U.S. Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters
Branch Office
Manufacturing
North American Headquarters / Manufacturing
U.S. Headquarters
Manufacturing
U.S. Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters
Regional Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters
Branch Office
Corporate Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters / Manufacturing
Branch Office
Air Cargo
Branch Office / Studio
U.S. Headquarters / Distribution Center
U.S. Headquarters
Branch Office
Distribution Center
Manufacturing
Training Center
Branch Office
Corporate Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters
Branch Office
Branch Office
Broadline Foodservice Distribution
Cloud Communications Solutions
Marketing Automation Software
Cleaning Products Manufacturing
Global Cargo Shipping
Steel Parts & Components Manufacturing
Website Lead Generation Solution
Grocery Retailer
Mobile Software Developer
Building Materials & Construction Services
Packaging /Transparent Barrier Film Manufacturing
Medical Device Manufacturing & Supply
Freight Brokerage
Bottled Water Supplier
Medical Care
Lumber Production
Genomics Contract Research
Wood Pellet Manufacturing
Insurance Services
Franchise Software Developer
Precast Concrete Products Manufacturing
Chemicals & Automotive Materials Manufacturing
IT Installation
Additive Manufacturing for Metal Parts
LED Lighting Products Manufacturing
Mobile Software Developer
Validation & Engineering Services
Tennis Equipment & Apparel Manufacturing
Internet Security Software
Software Consulting
Whole Body Cryotherapy
Financial Institution
Air Cargo Carrier
Sound Production & Equipment
Personal Products Manufacturing
Smart Grid Technology
Digital Media
Industrial Safety Barriers Manufacturing
Medical Device Manufacturing
Medical Training
IT Consulting
Golf Apparel & Equipment Manufacturing
Real Estate Crowdfunding
Mobile Taxi-Service Applications
Mobile Applications Development
Douglas County
City of Atlanta
City of Atlanta
Gwinnett County
Gwinnett County
Gwinnett County
City of Atlanta
Clayton County
Fulton County (North)
Fulton County (North)
Spalding County
Douglas County
City of Atlanta
Coweta County
Gwinnett County
Fayette County
Gwinnett County
Fulton County (North)
Fulton County (North)
City of Atlanta
Coweta County
Spalding County
Gwinnett County
Cobb County
Clayton County
Fulton County (North)
Gwinnett County
City of Atlanta
City of Atlanta
City of Atlanta
Fulton County (North)
City of Atlanta
City of Atlanta
City of Atlanta
DeKalb County
Fulton County (North)
City of Atlanta
DeKalb County
Gwinnett County
City of Atlanta
City of Atlanta
City of Atlanta
City of Atlanta
City of Atlanta
DeKalb County
225
200
200
170
160
150
125
120
100
80
80
78
75
75
70
70
50
50
45
40
40
32
30
30
25
25
25
24
20
20
20
15
15
15
15
15
15
12
10
8
7
5
5
5
5
1
Projected number of new jobs generally are to be created over three years. This list shows all known and confirmed companies that have made metro Atlanta location announcements in the
29-county MSA. If you would like to inform us of other company announcements, please email [email protected]. Sources: Atlanta Business Chronicle; Atlanta Journal-Constitution; company
websites; Metro Atlanta Chamber; Georgia Department of Economic Development; Georgia Power Community & Economic Development; 29-county metro Atlanta economic development partners.
2 | Metro Atlanta Chamber
Local Expansions
(minimum of 15 projected new jobs)
Projected Number
of New Jobs1
2,000
1,300
Company
Facility Type
Business Type
Location
The Kroger Co.
AT&T
Multiple Locations
Multiple Locations
Engineering & Technology Center
Corporate Headquarters
U.S. Headquarters
Branch Office
Global Headquarters
Call Center
Call Center
Technology Development Center (iLab)
Medical Center
E-Commerce Distribution Center
Clinical Testing Laboratory
Corporate Headquarters
Hospital
Manufacturing / Distribution Center
Corporate Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters / Distribution Center
Technology Development Center
Distribution Center
Manufacturing
Grocery Retailer
Telecommunications Services
Georgia2
Georgia3
DeKalb County
Rockdale County
City of Atlanta
Fulton County (North)
City of Atlanta
Henry County
Fulton County (North)
City of Atlanta
Cobb County
Fulton County (South)
City of Atlanta
DeKalb County
Coweta County
Morgan County
Fulton County (North)
Bartow County
Cobb County
Fulton County (South)
Rockdale County
Corporate Headquarters
Medical Device & Surgical Products Manufacturing Fulton County (North)
150
Corporate Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters
Regional Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters
Manufacturing
Call Center
Corporate Headquarters
Manufacturing
Corporate Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters
Healthcare Social Media Platform
Financial Services Software
Business Intelligence Software
Payment Processing
Marketing Automation Software
Automotive Roof Systems
Health IT
Social Media Marketing Software
Digital Currency
Yarn, Plastics & Polymer Products Manufacturing
Consumer Goods Exporter
Marketing Automation Financial Software
Industrial Bakery Equipment Manufacturing
Architectural Design
Cloud Technology
Point-of-Sale (POS) Beverage
Technology Development
Refrigeration Systems & Display Equipment
Manufacturing
Information Security
Industrial Mat Manufacturing
Collaboration Software Development
Cloud Software
Advertising & Marketing
Meat Processing
Education Entertainment & Digital Media
Gaming / Lottery Ticket Manufacturing
Email Marketing Services
Software Developer for Trade Associations
Financial Services
Online Game Developer
Fleet Management & Tracking Software
Thermoplastic Elastomer Manufacturing
Architectural Design
150
100
100
100
100
100
100
75
70
70
70
50
65
60
50
Acuity Brands
Worldpay
Fiserv
Novelis
TSYS
Verizon Wireless
Deloitte
Northside Hospital
Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Atlanta Center for Medical Research
Verizon Telematics
Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Mannington Mills
N3
Surya
Greenway Health
Ivy Linen Services
Lexicon Technologies
Halyard Health
(Kimberly-Clark Health Care)
Sharecare
eVestment
Izenda
Priority Payment Systems
Salesfusion
Inalfa Roof Systems
QGenda
Insightpool
BitPay
Aquafil USA
China Shipping (North America) Agency
Bridge2 Solutions
AMF BakeTech
tvsdesign
Cloud Sherpas
DraftServ Technologies
North American Headquarters
Hussmann
Manufacturing
Ionic Security
Millennium Mat
PGi
Red Book Connect
Luckie & Company
Charlie & Sons
How Stuff Works
Scientific Games
MailChimp
MemberSuite
Kabbage
Hi-Rez Studios
Isotrak
Krailburg TPE
The SLAM Collaborative
Corporate Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters / Manufacturing
Corporate Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters
Branch Office
Food Processing / Manufacturing
Corporate Headquarters
Manufacturing
Corporate Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters
U.S. Headquarters
Manufacturing
Regional Headquarters
Lighting Products Manufacturing
Payment Processing
Payment Processing
Aluminum Products Manufacturing & Recycling
Payment Processing
Wireless Telecommunications
Professional Services
Medical Care
Consumer Goods Retailer
Medical Research & Clinical Trials
Wireless Automotive Communications
Cancer Treatment Services
Floor Coverings Manufacturing
Marketing Automation Software
Floor Coverings & Home Accessories Manufacturing
Health IT
Commercial Linen Services
Electronic Device Repair Services
City of Atlanta
Cobb County
Fulton County (North)
Fulton County (North)
City of Atlanta
Cherokee County
City of Atlanta
City of Atlanta
City of Atlanta
Bartow County
Cobb County
Fulton County (North)
Gwinnett County
City of Atlanta
City of Atlanta
700
595
500
500
450
435
400
400
400
300
250
227
200
200
200
150
150
150
Gwinnett County
50
Gwinnett County
50
City of Atlanta
Gwinnett County
City of Atlanta
Fulton County (North)
Gwinnett County
Fulton County (South)
City of Atlanta
Forsyth County
City of Atlanta
Fulton County (North)
City of Atlanta
Fulton County (North)
City of Atlanta
Gwinnett County
City of Atlanta
50
50
50
50
43
40
40
40
40
36
30
30
30
20
15
Projected number of new jobs generally are to be created over three years. 2 Kroger plans to create 2,000 new jobs in its Atlanta Division (Georgia, eastern Alabama, South Carolina).
AT&T created more than 1,300 new jobs in Georgia in 2014. This list shows all known and confirmed companies that have made metro Atlanta expansion announcements in the 29-county MSA.
If you would like to inform us of other company announcements, please email [email protected]. Sources: Atlanta Business Chronicle; Atlanta Journal-Constitution; company websites; Metro
Atlanta Chamber; Georgia Department of Economic Development; Georgia Power Community & Economic Development; 29-county metro Atlanta economic development partners.
1
3
Metro Atlanta Chamber | 3
Bioscience & health IT
ATLANTA
SCIENCE FESTIVAL
March 21-28, 2015
The second annual Atlanta Science
Festival is a weeklong celebration of local
science and technology that culminates
with an all-day interactive Exploration Expo
at Centennial Olympic Park. More than
100 events across 30 venues will host an
expected 30,000 participants throughout
the week. Scientists, experts and educators
from local schools, colleges, universities,
museums and corporations will uncover
mysteries and explain discoveries in handson activities, facility tours, stimulating
presentations, and riveting performances
at venues across the city. The purpose is
to celebrate the essential role of science
and technology in our everyday lives and
support a strong educational foundation.
The Festival is produced by a collaboration
of science, cultural, and educational
institutions, led by Emory University,
Georgia Institute of Technology and the
Metro Atlanta Chamber. To learn more,
visit AtlantaScienceFestival.org
4 | Metro Atlanta Chamber
The Atlanta Center for Medical
Research (ACMR), a national leader in research studies to help bring
new, safe medications to patients,
celebrated the grand opening of
its new research facility in southwest Atlanta (City of Atlanta/
Fulton County) on Oct. 23, 2014.
The 150,000-square-foot facility is
a state-of-the-art research facility for conducting outpatient and
inpatient clinical trials – Phase I,
first-in-humans, through Phase IV,
industry-sponsored pharmaceutical
trials. The Center is open-sourced, allowing other medical leaders to conduct research. ACMR projects
to create up to 300 new jobs.
“This research center is a game changer and the first of its kind. The concept is novel and will help
assure faster, more accurate data to get good medications and devices to the market sooner,” said Eric
J. Riesenberg, director of operations at ACMR.
“The opening of this state-of-the-art research facility is more proof that Atlanta is on its way to
becoming the health technology capital of the southeast,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “The ACMR complex will bring revitalization and hundreds of well-paying jobs to the southwest Atlanta community.”
Photo courtesy of ACMR
On Nov. 20, 2014 at the 2014 Health
IT Leadership Summit, Atlanta hosted a
record 1,300 business leaders, healthcare
providers and public and private organizations to discuss how the health IT
industry can drive innovation. Save the
date for Nov. 3, 2015 and learn more at
HealthITLeadershipSummit.com
Atlanta-based Greenway Health
LLC, one of the nation’s top 100
revenue-producing health IT companies,
announced a new technology development
center in the Cumberland/Galleria area
(Cobb County). The company’s new facility,
projected to open in early 2015, will be
home to 150 new jobs.
Atlanta-based Sharecare, Inc., a
comprehensive online health and wellness
engagement platform created by WebMD
founder Jeff Arnold and Dr. Mehmet Oz,
host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” is expanding in
Buckhead (City of Atlanta/Fulton County).
The company, with founding partners
Oprah Winfrey, Sony Pictures Television
and Discovery Communications, plans to
add 150 new jobs to advance its predictive analytics technology.
MEDICAL RESEARCH LEADER
OPENS NEW RESEARCH FACILITY
GEORGIA INVESTS FOR A SKILLED
BIOSCIENCE WORKFORCE
Photo courtesy of the State of Georgia Office of the Governor
2014 HEALTH IT
HIGHLIGHTS
Gov. Nathan Deal broke ground on March 31, 2014 on the new Georgia BioScience Training Center
– a 52,000 square-foot facility in Covington (Newton County) where employees for Baxter International
Inc. and other new biosciences companies that locate in Georgia will be trained. The facility, expected
to be operational in 2015, will be operated by Georgia QuickStart, Georgia’s internationally acclaimed
workforce development program.
“This facility is designated solely to providing customized workforce training as an incentive to
attract new biotech jobs,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Chris
Carr. “It gives us one of the most effective tools we can have in economic development to recruit more
life science and health IT companies to Georgia.”
TECHNOLOGY
2014 TECHNOLOGY CO.
HIGHLIGHTS
Dallas-based AT&T, one of metro
Atlanta’s largest employers, created more
than 1,300 new jobs in Georgia in 2014
and continues to hire for more positions.
The company’s growth has resulted from
Project Velocity, an investment plan to
expand and enhance IP broadband networks. AT&T Mobility is headquartered in
metro Atlanta.
London-based Worldpay, a leading
global provider of payments technology
and services to merchants, partners and
developers, announced relocating and
expanding its U.S. headquarters in metro
Atlanta. Worldpay conducted a national
search and determined that Atlanta continues to provide the best access to talent,
infrastructure and creative business. The
company will relocate 671 employees and
create 595 new jobs at the new location
which will be in Atlantic Station located in
Midtown (City of Atlanta/Fulton County).
Brookfield, Wis.-based Fiserv, Inc., a
leading global provider of financial services
technology solutions, selected a new metro
Atlanta location to consolidate approximately 2,000 employees and add 500 new
jobs. The new campus in Alpharetta will be
occupied in phases during 2015 and 2016.
Columbus, Ga.-based TSYS, a global
payment solutions provider, chose metro
Atlanta for a new contact center that will
provide back-up capabilities. Up to 450 new
jobs are projected at the new center in
McDonough (Henry County). TSYS has eight
additional contact centers around the world.
New York-based Deloitte selected
metro Atlanta for its new iLab technology development center, where it will
develop software and analytics products
for clients. The professional services firm
projects approximately 400 new jobs at
the Atlanta center in downtown (City of
Atlanta/Fulton County) – the first of four
Deloitte centers across the country.
Sarasota, Fla.-based Star2Star
Communications, developers of
the World’s Most Scalable Cloud
Communications Solution, chose metro
Atlanta for its new Center of Excellence.
Approximately 200 new jobs are projected at Star2Star’s office at the Centergy
building located in Technology Square of
Midtown (City of Atlanta/Fulton County).
San Mateo, Calif.-based Marketo,
Inc., the leader in digital marketing software and solutions, opened its new East
Coast hub in Buckhead (City of Atlanta/
Fulton County) where it projects up to 200
new jobs. Marketo also has offices in
Europe, Australia and Japan.
METRO ATLANTA: A DYNAMIC
acquisition MARKET
Top 10 Metro Areas for Private Tech Co. Acquisition Targets (2013)
Seattle
Boston
Chicago
New York
Silicon Valley
Los Angeles
San Diego
ATLANTA
Austin Houston
According to PrivCo’s “2014 Private Tech Company M&A Report,” metro Atlanta is a top 10 market for
private tech company acquisitions based on total number of U.S. private tech companies acquired in
2013. Ranked eighth nationally, metro Atlanta is the leader for private tech company acquisitions in
the Southeast region.
Select Metro Atlanta Technology M&A Deals (2014)
Atlanta-based FleetCor Technologies,
Inc., a leading global provider of fuel cards
and workforce payment products to businesses,
completed its acquisition of Comdata Inc.
from Ceridian LLC for $3.45 billion in Nov.
2014. Comdata, based in Tennessee, is a leading business-to-business provider of innovative
electronic payment solutions.
Atlanta-based NCR Corporation, the
global leader in consumer transaction technologies, completed its acquisition of Digital
Insight Corporation from Thoma Bravo, LLC
for $1.65 billion in Jan. 2014. Digital Insight, a
leader in online and mobile banking solutions,
is headquartered in California.
Atlanta-based AirWatch, the leading provider of enterprise mobile management and
security solutions, was acquired by Silicon
Valley’s VMware, Inc. for $1.54 billion in
Feb. 2014. AirWatch by VMware remains based
in metro Atlanta as the center of VMWare’s
mobile operations.
Atlanta-based Southwire Company, one
of North America’s largest wire and cable
producers, acquired Coleman Cable, Inc. for
$482 million in Feb. 2014. Southwire expects
to maintain a significant presence in Coleman’s
home state of Illinois.
Atlanta-based Global Payments Inc., one
of the largest worldwide providers of payment
solutions, acquired Payment Processing,
Inc. (PayPros), based in California, for $420
million in March 2014 and subsequently
acquired Ezi Holdings Pty Ltd (Ezidebit),
based in Australia, for approximately $268
million in Oct. 2014.
Atlanta-based technology and communications equipment provider Cbeyond Inc. was
acquired by Birch Communications, also
based in Atlanta, for $323 million in July
2014. Birch will maintain its headquarters
in Atlanta and Cbeyond’s headquarters will
become Birch’s newest operations center.
IBM acquired Atlanta-based Silverpop, a
cloud-based digital marketing software company, in May 2014 under undisclosed financial
terms. More than 5,000 brands around the
globe utilize Silverpop’s email marketing and
marketing automation tools.
Metro Atlanta Chamber | 5
MOBILITY
2014 MOBILE
TECHNOLOGY CO.
HIGHLIGHTS
Cricket Wireless LLC, a subsidiary of
AT&T Inc., is expanding its new headquarters and no-contract wireless service with 500 new jobs. Now based at
Lindbergh Center (City of Atlanta/Fulton
County), Cricket offers a nationwide 4G
LTE network that covers more than 300
million people.
Verizon Wireless, based in New
Jersey, announced it is expanding its
metro Atlanta presence. The largest
wireless company in the U.S. projects
435 new jobs in Georgia to support
the company’s rapid growth. Most
of the jobs will be created at the
company’s call center operations in
North Fulton County.
Verizon Telematics, the wireless
carrier’s automotive business based
in Atlanta (DeKalb County), plans to
create up to 250 new jobs to develop
its “connected car” services. Verizon
Telematics provides emergency services, navigation and remote vehicle
diagnostics for Mercedes-Benz, State
Farm and Volkswagen.
Mblox, the largest independent
application-to-person (A2P) mobile
messaging provider in the world,
chose metro Atlanta for its East Coast
location. Approximately 100 new jobs
in finance, IT and customer service
are projected at the California-based
company’s Sandy Springs (North Fulton
County) office.
MOBILE TECHNOLOGY LEADERS
CONVENE FOR MOBILITY LIVE!
Mobile technology’s key thought
leaders produced a sell-out crowd of
more than 900 attendees for the 2014
Mobility LIVE! event Sept. 23-24, 2014
in Atlanta. The day and a half mobile
experience for leading-edge mobile
technology developers, startups and
decision makers featured some of
the biggest names in technology and
included demonstrations of the latest mobile technology products.
The conference offered nearly 30 industry sessions covering
five tracks: the Internet of Things; Humanizing Mobility; Social
Hacking; Technology & Business Evolution; and Over the Horizon.
“Mobility LIVE! has brought together the biggest thought leaders in the mobility space from around the country, many of which
are based here in Atlanta, to be a part of this extraordinary event,”
said Michael Zeto, director, corporate development, M&A, AT&T
Mobility Strategy and co-chair of the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s
(MAC) Mobility Task Force. “Mobility LIVE! demonstrates that
Atlanta has one of the richest mobility ecosystems anywhere.
This event has helped to pull together the technology leaders and
implementers of mobility solutions that drive real-world impact
and highlights Atlanta’s strengths as a global hub for mobile
technology innovation.”
Headline speakers included:
Tom Daly, group director of global
connections at The Coca-Cola Company
Josh Waddell, vice president of mobile
solution management & innovation at SAP
Rhonda Crawford, vice president of
eCommerce at Delta Air Lines
Chris McClellen, digital technology
officer at The Weather Channel
Doug Webster, vice president of service
provider marketing at Cisco Systems
MAC Honored with SMART CITY INITIATIVE AWARD
The Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) Mobility
Task Force was honored with a Smart City Initiative
Award during the first-ever GSMA Mobile 360North America conference, which was held in
conjunction with the second annual Mobility LIVE!
conference in Atlanta, Sept. 22-23, 2014. The
GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with
more than 250 companies in the broader mobile
ecosystem, including handset and device makers,
software companies, equipment providers and
Internet companies, as well as organizations in
Ralph de la Vega, president & CEO of AT&T Mobile and
adjacent industry sectors.
MAC’s Mobility Task Force, comprised of Business Solutions; Hala Moddelmog, president & CEO of
high-level business and civic leaders, drives the the Metro Atlanta Chamber; Michael O’Hara, chief
marketing officer of GSMA
strategic direction of Atlanta’s mobile technology
initiative. The task force’s vision is to position metro Atlanta as the global hub for mobility.
“The Metro Atlanta Chamber, with its Mobility Task Force, is working to advance Atlanta’s position as
a center of mobile excellence,” said Michael O’Hara, chief marketing officer, GSMA. “They’re focused on
attracting and growing companies in the Atlanta area, developing the right resources to attract and retain
a skilled mobility workforce and creating next-generation innovations by establishing an environment that
promotes entrepreneurial efforts and R&D. We are pleased to recognize MAC’s Mobility Task Force for
these significant efforts.”
Metro Atlanta Chamber | 6
SUPPLY CHAIN & ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.
(Keurig) purchased a 585,000-square-foot
manufacturing center in Douglas County,
where it will create 550 new jobs to
launch its new in-home cold beverage
system – Keurig Cold. The Coca-Cola
Company entered into a partnership with
Keurig to develop the system.
Castellini Group of Companies,
one of the largest fresh produce distributors in the U.S., chose Clayton County
to build a 180,000-square-foot food processing and distribution center to serve
customers on the East Coast. Slated to
open in Sept. 2015, Castellini’s facility
will support 300 new jobs.
Gordon Food Service broke ground
on a new 445,000-square-foot distribution center in Douglas County. North
America’s largest family-owned and managed broadline foodservice distributor
will create up to 225 new jobs.
The Kroger Co., one of the world’s
largest grocery retailers, closed on 253
acres to build a 1,000,000-square-foot
distribution center on part of a former
U.S. Army base – Fort Gillem – in Clayton
County. Kroger projects 120 new jobs
and a $175 million investment.
Niagara Bottling, LLC chose
Coweta County for a new 450,000-squarefoot bottling plant. The nation’s largest
private label bottled water supplier and
second-largest bottled water manufacturer projects up to 75 new jobs to help
better serve customers.
GREEN LIGHT RECEIVED FOR
PORT OF SAVANNAH DEEPENING
Construction may begin on the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) to deepen the harbor
from 42 feet to 47 feet to accommodate larger cargo ships via the Panama Canal. As the final milestone, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and the
Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) signed a Project Partnership Agreement on Oct. 8, 2014.
“Georgia and its congressional delegation have fought long and hard to see this project through to
fruition – a project that is vitally important for economic development and job creation not only in the
Southeast, but nationally as well,” said Gov. Nathan Deal.
The project, which will take three years, will cost approximately $706 million – to be funded 60
percent by the federal government and 40 percent by the state government. The Savannah harbor
deepening is expected to bring $174 million in annual net benefits to the U.S., according to the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers. The Port of Savannah is the second busiest terminal by tonnage for the export
of American products.
Photo courtesy of Georgia Ports Authority
2014 FOOD & BEVERAGE
HIGHLIGHTS
Southeast U.S.
#1 Region for Manufacturing
Cost Savings
20% Lower Operating Costs
than California
METRO ATLANTA:
A TOP METRO FOR FOOD
MANUFACTURING
#4
#13
food manufacturing
employment (23,650)
food manufacturing
establishments (305)
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Garner Economics,
September 2014
Source: Site Selection Group, June 17, 2014
Metro Atlanta Chamber | 7
GLOBAL COMMERCE
Metro Atlanta ranked among the “Global
Cities of the Future for 2014/15” by fDi
Magazine, a unit of the Financial Times,
which tracks foreign direct investment
activity. The 2014 rankings were compiled
after analyzing 130 locations around the
world. Metro Atlanta ranks in the top 20
“Global Cities of the Future” and is the
#1 U.S. city for FDI strategy.
IBM’s Global Locations Trends 2014
report ranked metro Atlanta 12th in the
world and the #2 U.S. city for foreign
investment in 2013. The annual report
analyzed data from IBM-PLI’s Global
Investment Locations Database (GILD)
which tracks announcements by companies on their location decisions throughout the year.
According to the inaugural report “FDI
in Metro Areas” released by Brookings
and JPMorgan Chase in 2014, metro
Atlanta ranked 7th in the nation for
foreign-owned employment. From
1991 to 2011, the number of jobs in
foreign-owned establishments in metro
Atlanta grew nearly 75 percent reaching
approximately 135,000 jobs.
MAC receives
presidential honor
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker
presented the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s Global
Commerce Council with the 2014 President’s
“E” Award for Export Service at a ceremony in
Washington, D.C. on May 27, 2014. The “E”
Awards are the highest recognition any U.S. entity
may receive for making a significant contribution
to the expansion of U.S. exports. MAC was the
only chamber of commerce to receive the “E”
Award for Export Service in 2014.
8
|
Metro Atlanta Chamber
ATLANTA CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL
ARBITRATION AND MEDIATION TO
OPEN IN FALL 2015
Thanks to the efforts of
the metro Atlanta business
community, the Atlanta
International Arbitration
Society (“AtlAS”), the State
of Georgia and Georgia
State University (GSU),
metro Atlanta’s notoriety
as a global city will be
elevated as an emerging
hub and thought leader for
international law and dispute resolution. Now under
construction on the GSU downtown campus near Woodruff Park at the corner of Park Place and John
Wesley Dobbs Avenue, the Georgia State University College of Law new 200,000-square-foot law
building will become home to the Atlanta Center for International Arbitration and Mediation. Georgia’s
laws align with those of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, and the state-ofthe-art center will serve as a neutral site within the U.S. for parties to resolve international commercial
and investment disputes without needing to resort to the court system.
“Atlanta has the potential to be the world’s premier location for resolving international business
disputes,” said Shelby Grubbs, executive director of the center. “Convenience, cost, competence and
congeniality – we have them all and in abundance.”
“AtlAS is yet another tool in our marketing kit to tell our story of Atlanta being an exceptional venue
for global commerce,” said Jorge Fernandez, vice president of global commerce for the Metro Atlanta
Chamber. “A center based at GSU Law School will facilitate arbitration proceedings and this will
translate to jobs and grow global commerce activity throughout Atlanta and the surrounding region.”
Rendering courtesy of Georgia State University
2014 FOREIGN DIRECT
INVESTMENT RANKINGS
METRO ATLANTA UNITES TO BOOST EXPORTS
Metro Atlanta is one of the nation’s largest economies and exporters of goods and
services, yet metro Atlanta is under exporting,
as it lags the nation in terms of exports as a
percentage of economic output. At
the same time, 95 percent of the
world’s consumers reside outside
the U.S., and 83 percent of economic
growth between 2013-18 is projected to occur
outside the U.S. For these reasons, metro area
business and civic leaders dedicated 2014 to
conducting a thorough market analysis and
developing a regional strategy to capitalize on
global trends through exporting. The Atlanta
Metropolitan Export Plan (MEP) is an initiative
sponsored by The Brookings Institution and
executed by regional partners representing
the 29-county Atlanta MSA, including the City
of Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and the Metro
Atlanta Chamber.
The 50-person Steering Committee of
the Atlanta MEP, chaired by Dwayne Meeks,
UPS President, South Atlantic District and
co-chaired by David Balos, Chase Market
President, Middle Market Banking
in Georgia and Alabama, worked
throughout the year to understand
local export trends and resources
available, review insights from local companies and service providers, and recommend
specific actions to engage more metro Atlanta
companies to pursue growth through exports.
The Atlanta Metro Export Plan, which will
be released and implemented in 2015, will
strengthen local companies and the regional
economy by helping more companies to initiate, or enhance, growth through exports.
For more information, including the Metro
Atlanta Export Market Assessment, visit
www.atlantamep.com
ATLANTA-BASED COMPANIES
2014 FORTUNE 500 / 1000
HEADQUARTERS
DID YOU KNOW?
METRO ATLANTA IS
HOME TO…
According to FORTUNE magazine’s 2014 ranking of the nation’s largest corporations by total
revenues, metro Atlanta is home to 28 FORTUNE 1000 companies, of which 16 are FORTUNE
500 companies. Two metro Atlanta-based companies were new to qualify among the FORTUNE
1000 in 2014 – ARRIS Group, Inc. and Ocwen Financial Corporation. One metro Atlanta-based
company moved up from the 2013 FORTUNE 1000 to become a FORTUNE 500 company in 2014
– Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. At the time of publication, PulteGroup, Inc. was documented as
a FORTUNE 500 headquarters located in Michigan based on financial filings, however, the homebuilding company relocated its headquarters to metro Atlanta in 2014.
FORTUNE
Rank
33
Revenues
(billions)
FORTUNE
Rank
$ 78.8
446
50
$ 55.4
58
$ 46.8
81
$ 37.8
170
ASBURY
A U TO M OT I V E G R O U P
$ 17.1
Revenues
(billions)
$ 5.7
472
$ 5.3
524
$ 4.7
532
$ 4.6
547
194 of the Nation’s
Fastest-Growing Private
Companies
• 5th in the nation for Inc. 5000
Headquarters
Source: Inc. magazine, August 2014
5 of the Nation’s
Top 25 Non-Profits
•
•
•
•
•
Task Force for Global Health
National Christian Foundation
American Cancer Society
Habitat for Humanity International
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Source: The Chronicle of Philanthropy,
2014 Philanthropy 400
$ 4.5
8 of the Nation’s Top 100
Health IT Companies
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
McKesson
MedAssets
Greenway Health
HealthPort Technologies
Brightree
Navicure
Surgical Information Systems
Craneware
205
$ 14.1
644
$ 3.6
261
$ 10.8
732
$ 3.0
262
$ 10.8
798
$ 2.6
293
$ 9.5
867
$ 2.4
5 of the Nation’s Top 100
FinTech Companies
314
$ 8.6
883
$ 2.3
317
$ 8.6
907
$ 2.2
•
•
•
•
•
348
$ 7.7
931
$ 2.1
423
$ 6.1
951
$ 2.1
436
$ 5.9
955
$ 2.1
Source: Healthcare Informatics, 2014 HCI 100
®
*PulteGroup relocated from Michigan to metro Atlanta in 2014.
Source: FORTUNE magazine, June 2, 2014
NCR
First Data
Equifax
NIIT Technologies TransCentra Source: American Banker/Bank Technology News/Financial
Insights, 2014 FinTech 100
Metro Atlanta Chamber | 9
METRO ATLANTA INDICATORS
10 Largest Economy
in the U.S.
GDP: $307.2 billion
th
“…Atlanta economy to be a top
performer in 2014 and 2015.”
PNC Financial Services Group, 2nd Quarter, 2014
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2013
Projected Net Job Creation
2014: 60,490 jobs
2015: 78,580 jobs
More than 155,000
business establishments
Georgia Department of Labor, 2013
Moody’s Analytics, October 2014
BEST TO INVEST: TOP U.S.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUPS
For the second consecutive year, the Metro Atlanta Chamber was honored as one
of the top 10 economic development organizations in the nation by Site Selection
magazine in the May 2014 issue.
Economic development groups were evaluated on a variety of criteria, with
four objective measurements counting the most: jobs, capital investment, jobs
per capita, and investment per capita. More subjective attributes were also
considered, including creativity of economic development strategy; depth and
breadth of project activity; ability to generate breakthrough deals; and the ability
to properly document the contributions of the economic development organization
to actual project results.
The Metro Atlanta Chamber is proud to contribute to Georgia’s economic
development efforts in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Economic
Development, Georgia Power Community and Economic Development, Invest
Atlanta and the county agencies throughout the 29-county metro Atlanta area.
Economic Development Key Contacts
Brian P. McGowan
Executive Vice President
Chief Operating Officer
404.586.8442
[email protected]
David Hartnett
Vice President
Economic Development
404.586.8443
[email protected]
Jorge Fernandez
Vice President
Global Commerce
404.586.8460
[email protected]
Cathy A. Martin
Vice President
Economic Development
404.586.8456
[email protected]
235 Andrew Young International Blvd. NW | Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Phone 404.880.9000 | MetroAtlantaChamber.com
Kelly Sydney
Vice President
Research
404.586.8419
[email protected]