Agency overview | |
---|---|
Jurisdiction | Georgia, United States |
Headquarters | 75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 1200, Atlanta, Georgia |
Agency executive |
|
Parent agency | State of Georgia |
Website | georgia |
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is a department of the state of Georgia, United States. The GDEcD is responsible for managing resources to attract new business investments to Georgia, expand Georgia's existing industries and businesses, locate new markets for Georgian products, and promote and fund entertainment projects produced in the state. Its logo features the peach, the iconic fruit of the titular state.
Originally named the Georgia Department of Commerce, [1] the agency was established by law in 1949. Governor Herman Talmadge appointed the first five-member board [2] under the Official Code of Georgia Annotated sections 50-7-1 through 50-7-41. [3] George C. Gaines served as the first commissioner. [2]
Pat Wilson was appointed Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development by Governor Nathan Deal [4] in November 2016. [5] As Commissioner, he leads the state agency responsible for creating jobs and investment in Georgia through business recruitment and expansion, international trade and tourism, as well as the arts, film and music industries. [5] Christopher M. Carr served as Commissioner from November 2013 until his appointment as state Attorney General in November 2016.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development is divided into seven distinct divisions: Global Commerce; International Trade; Workforce; the Georgia Centers of Innovation; Tourism; Film, Music & Digital Entertainment and the Georgia Council for the Arts. These seven divisions are supported by an Administration division and a Marketing and Communications division. Learn more about the department at Georgia.org.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development Global Commerce Division assists businesses with an interest in growing or locating in the state by coordinating a variety of services that include site location, employee training, market research and export assistance and consultation. In FY2012, assistance from the Global Commerce division led to 403 announced projects and nearly $6B in investment.
With 97% of all Georgia businesses classified as small businesses, GDEcD supports this sector through several approaches such as direct company relationships, resource awareness, B-2-B opportunities and local-level business development. [6]
The Georgia Department of Economic Development International Trade Division works closely with companies in Georgia that are looking for global markets and with international firms looking to either locate to the United States or secure American business partners. [7]
GDEcD has international representation in 11 markets including Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Israel and the United Kingdom. [8]
The Centers of Innovation (COI) is a program designed to accelerate the growth of technology-based companies.
The COI program is composed of six centers: agribusiness, aerospace, energy, life sciences, logistics and manufacturing. Located in Atlanta, Augusta, Gainesville, Savannah, Tifton and Eastman.
Tangible services include access to university-level research and development, product commercialization, industry-specific business counsel, matching research grants for qualified companies, networking opportunities and connecting clients to potential investor networks. [9]
Formed in 1997 as a partnership between state government and private corporations. [10]
The Georgia Department of Economic Development Tourism Division helps individual visitors and groups discover Georgia's vacation options and helps them to plan their stay. Through its network of regional and international representatives, it also assists the state's communities and attractions in drawing potential travelers to their areas. [11]
The state's tourism industry employs more than 400,000 people [12] creating a total economic impact of more than $52 billion annually. [11]
Formed in 1973, the Georgia Film, Music, and Digital Entertainment Office develops and promotes the state's feature film, television, commercial, music video, recorded music, and digital media industries.
Statewide resources and infrastructure information along with an extensive location library provide every assistance for production companies both inside and outside Georgia. The office coordinates and supports the filming needs of companies with other state agencies and local governments. [13]
In FY2012, a $879.8 million total investment was placed into the Georgia entertainment industry creating a $3.1 billion economic impact, a 29% increase over the previous fiscal year. [12]
On May 12, 2008, Governor Sonny Perdue signed into law the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act, increasing the state tax credit for qualified production and post-production expenditures by as much as 30%. It is available to both traditional motion picture projects such as feature films, television series, commercials, and music videos, as well as new industries such as game development and animation. [14]
During FY2012, GDEcD led more than 100 feature films and television series, movies, specials, pilots, and episodes produced in Georgia, ranking the state number one in the Southeast and among the top five states in the nation for film and TV productions. [12]
The Film, Music, & Digital Entertainment Division has helped secure Georgia as the location of choice for over 700 film and television productions. [15] Some of the most notable films shot in Georgia include: [15]
The GDEcD Film, Music, & Entertainment Division oversees statewide efforts in Georgia' music industry. [16]
The current estimated economic impact of the music industry in Georgia is approaching $2 billion annually. The industry is responsible for maintaining 9,500 jobs and generating $54.3 million in tax revenues. [17]
Major recording artists and producers with Georgia ties: [17]
The Music & Entertainment Digital Entertainment branch houses emerging media industries such as game development, animation, and interactive entertainment.
Currently, more than 30 video game businesses operate in the state. [19] Georgia's video game workforce is benefited by 15 of the state's colleges and universities offering video game development courses or curriculums, including some graduate degree programs. [20]
The economy of Azerbaijan is highly dependent on oil and gas exports, in particular since the completion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline. The transition to oil production in the late 1990s led to rapid economic growth over the period 1995–2014. Since 2014, GDP growth has slowed down substantially.
The economy of Botswana is currently one of the world's fastest growing economies, averaging about 5% per annum over the past decade. Growth in private sector employment averaged about 10% per annum during the first 30 years of the country's independence. After a period of stagnation at the turn of the 21st century, Botswana's economy registered strong levels of growth, with GDP growth exceeding 6–7% targets. Botswana has been praised by the African Development Bank for sustaining one of the world's longest economic booms. Economic growth since the late 1960s has been on par with some of Asia's largest economies. The government has consistently maintained budget surpluses and has extensive foreign-exchange reserves.
The economy of Georgia is an emerging free market economy. Its gross domestic product fell sharply following the dissolution of the Soviet Union but recovered in the mid-2000s, growing in double digits thanks to the economic and democratic reforms brought by the peaceful Rose Revolution. Georgia continued its economic progress since, "moving from a near-failed state in 2003 to a relatively well-functioning market economy in 2014". In 2007, the World Bank named Georgia the World's number one economic reformer.
Under the Basic Law, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is exclusively in charge of its internal affairs, whilst the central government of China is responsible for its foreign affairs and defence. As a separate customs territory, Hong Kong maintains and develops relations with foreign states and regions, and plays an active role in such international organisations as World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in its own right under the name of Hong Kong, China. Hong Kong participates in 16 projects of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The economy of Kazakhstan is the largest in Central Asia in both absolute and per capita terms. In 2021, Kazakhstan attracted more than US$370 billion of foreign investments since becoming an independent republic after the collapse of the former Soviet Union.
The economy of Trinidad and Tobago is the third wealthiest in the Caribbean and the fifth-richest by GDP (PPP) per capita in the Americas. Trinidad and Tobago is recognised as a high-income economy by the World Bank. Unlike most of the English-speaking Caribbean, the country's economy is primarily industrial, with an emphasis on petroleum and petrochemicals. The country's wealth is attributed to its large reserves and exploitation of oil and natural gas.
The economy of Tunisia is in the process of being liberalized after decades of heavy state direction and participation in the country's economy. Prudent economic and fiscal planning has resulted in moderate but sustained growth for over a decade. Tunisia's economic growth historically has depended on oil, phosphates, agri-food products, car parts manufacturing, and tourism. In the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report for 2015–2016, Tunisia ranks in 92nd place.
The Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade in the Canadian province of Ontario is responsible for programs to attract and retain business and economic development in the province. This is pursued through research and development funding, business advisory services, career exploration opportunities and business startup programs for youth, skills development and marketing Ontario to potential international business investors.
The City of Toronto Economic Development and Culture Division is a division of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division, a part of the City of Toronto. The division was created in April 2005. The division is responsible for creating economic opportunities, promoting cultural diversity, and working to create cultural and economic resources within the city. The general manager is currently Mike Williams.
The Australian Trade and Investment Commission, or Austrade, is the Australian Government's trade, investment and education promotion agency which was also given responsibility for tourism policy, programs and research from 2013. Austrade was established under the Australian Trade Commission Act 1985. It is a non-corporate Commonwealth entity under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, and a statutory agency under the Public Service Act 1999. Austrade is part of the Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio.
The economy of New York City encompasses the largest municipal and regional economy in the United States. In 2022, the New York metropolitan area generated a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of US$1.4trillion, with a population of 23.6 million people. Anchored by Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City has been characterized as the world's premier financial center. The city is home to the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, the world's two largest stock exchanges by both market capitalization and trading activity.
The Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ), located in Incheon, South Korea is a Korean Free Economic Zone that consists of the three regions of Songdo, Cheongna, and the island of Yeongjong and has a total area of 51,739 acres (209.38 km2). The goal of the IFEZ is to transform these three areas into hubs for logistics, international business, leisure, and tourism for the Northeast Asian region. Incheon's Free Economic Zone was officially designated by the Korean government in August 2003. IFEZ is planned to be a self-contained living and business district featuring air and sea transportation, a logistics complex, an international business center, financial services, residences, schools and hospitals, and shopping and entertainment centers.
The Department of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism was a part of the Government of Nova Scotia. It was created in 2011 from the former Department of Economic and Rural Development. Its primary purpose was to stimulate the economy of Nova Scotia. The Department did this by helping Nova Scotia businesses to expand employment opportunities, and by encouraging the establishment and growth of commerce and industry in the province. The departmental mandate also included designing economic development policies, programs, and activities that strengthen economic and social conditions in the province. The department was dissolved in April 2015, when it was superseded by the new and smaller Department of Business. Some programs and assignments have also been transferred from the Department of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism to other departments and crown corporations such as the Department of Labour and Advanced Education, Tourism Nova Scotia, and Nova Scotia Business Inc.
Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) is a public-benefit nonprofit corporation established in 1981 by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Its mission is “Reinventing our economy to collaboratively advance growth and prosperity for all.” The LAEDC was originally formed to facilitate Los Angeles County's economy with programs to improve and stimulate economic development to ameliorate conditions of poverty, community tensions, and social and economic disparities.
The Idaho Department of Commerce is the state-level economic development agency for the State of Idaho. It utilizes resources at the state level to improve the state's economic growth by issuing public grants, tax credits, and tax exemptions.
Movie production incentives are tax incentives offered on a state-by-state basis throughout the United States to encourage in-state film production. Since the 1990s, states have offered increasingly competitive incentives to lure productions away from other states. The structure, type, and size of the incentives vary from state to state. Many include tax credits and exemptions, and other incentive packages include cash grants, fee-free locations, or other perks.
The New South Wales Department of Industry was a former department of the New South Wales Government, from 2015 until 2019. The Department of Industry was replaced by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment in July 2019.
The film industry in Georgia is the largest among the states of the United States for production of feature films by number of films produced, as of 2016. Atlanta is the center of the film industry in Georgia with Turner, Tyler Perry, and EUE/Screen Gems studios located there.