A Decade of Excellence
Last Tuesday, Area Development magazine named Georgia the best state in the nation in which to do business for the 10th consecutive year. Governor Kemp made the announcement at the Governor’s mansion along with former Governor Nathan Deal and a host of state officials including several members of the General Assembly.
Throughout the last decade, we have refused to rest on our laurels. We have continuously worked between the public and private sectors to keep Georgia the place that businesses and families want to call home. Whether it has been reducing the tax burden on Georgians or investing in education, infrastructure and healthcare, we have been proactive in implementing pro-jobs policies.
I appreciate Governor Kemp working shoulder to shoulder with our General Assembly to keep Georgia open for business. I also appreciate our Georgia Department of Economic Development and all our local chambers of commerce and local organizations that ensure cooperation in communities across our state.
As we look toward the future, we are going to continue to examine our tax structure, business regulations, and workforce development efforts to keep Georgia the envy of the nation.
Reuse. Recycle. Revalyu.
Wednesday, October 4, I was honored to join Representative Lehman Franklin in Statesboro for the groundbreaking of the new Revalyu plant.
Revalyu is a global leader in plastic bottle recycling. Thanks to their technical expertise, single-use plastic no longer needs to be considered waste, but rather a valuable resource that can be recycled efficiently and effectively.
This $210 million capital investment is projected to generate some 120 jobs once the plant is operational.
I appreciate the professionals at the Georgia Department of Economic Development for working with the Development Authority of Bulloch County and local officials to bring this investment to our community.
We continue to intentionally market southeast Georgia to businesses looking for access to the the rest of the nation and the world thanks to our robust transportation infrastructure and Georgia ports.
Georgia Match: A Breakthrough in Workforce Development
Last week, Governor Kemp announced Georgia Match, a revolutionary program which will make it easier for Georgia students to attend college. A dynamic partnership between our University System of Georgia, Technical College System of Georgia, and a number of other state agencies, this program will reach out to students who may think they can’t get into a Georgia college or technical school.
This week, 120,000 Georgia seniors will receive a letter from the Governor informing them of the public institutions of higher education that have a spot reserved for them. All the student needs to do is accept the reservation — no application or application fee required.
This is a big, bold step toward ensuring all Georgia students are aware of the options our state affords for them to continue their education. Combined with the Georgia HOPE scholarship and grant programs, Georgia Match has the potential to change lives for the better — opening doors of opportunity that may otherwise have remained closed to students.
Students may visit http://gafutures.org/GEORGIAMATCH for more information about this exciting new program.
Discussing the Future with the Effingham Chamber
I want to thank the Effingham Chamber of Commerce for allowing me to speak at the community leadership retreat at St. Simons last Thursday. I enjoyed meeting with these friends as we discussed our efforts in “Moving Effingham Forward.”
Special thanks to Kim Iler and Troy Allen for the invitation to join this group of business and community leaders.
It is always nice to visit with folks from home, and I appreciate the work the chamber does year-round to build up our community.