About Us

Our Opportunities

Business Climate
Georgia has a vibrant business environment. Atlanta is the capital of Georgia and is the South’s commercial and economic hub. Our convenient location and strong infrastructure offer the perfect gateway to the Southeast, the United States and world markets. Georgia is a right-to-work state with low taxes that have not been raised since 1969 and a balanced budget requirement. We have a stable Standard and Poor rating of AA+, a Moody’s AAA credit rating and a Finch’s AAA rating.

Georgia is a growing global business center; 44 countries now have consular, trade or chamber of commerce offices in the state, as well as 13 international banks, and more than 1,600 internationally owned facilities representing 39 countries. In 2003 Georgia exported $16.2 billion worth of goods, ranked 15th in the U.S.

Incentives/Taxation - Georgia provides a wide variety of statutory and negotiated incentives for eligible projects. As an active and interested business partner, Georgia will work with companies to provide the most attractive incentive packages, commensurate with project needs and resource availability.

Financing - State Programs: Industrial Revenue Bonds can provide below-market financing for construction of manufacturing facilities. Financially qualified borrowers may obtain 100% funding for land, building, and equipment costs of a project at competitive rates. For example, the OneGeorgia Authority, funded by tobacco settlement proceeds, targets development primarily in the state’s most economically challenged areas. Georgia is the financial center of the Southeast. As one of the nation’s leading banking centers, Atlanta has attracted both domestic and multinational banks that provide a wide range of financial services.

Business Services - Georgia has an extensive infrastructure of support systems to assist new and expanding businesses, ranging from one-stop environmental permitting to research assistance and worker training. Environmental Regulations: Georgia’s Environmnental Protection Division (EPD) one-stop permitting process can handle all requests for permits that are required by state and federal environmental protection legislation. This coordinated permit procedure provides adequate review of environmental considerations without the need for an Environmental Impact Statement. This often saves 12 to 24 months for a prospective business.