ECG Location Georgia

05/29/2026

A great way to close out the week! Our Technical Solutions team welcomed the MAC Research Council to our Office of Economic & Community Development to explore strategies to support business growth, strengthen downtowns, and attract meaningful investment in our .

Here's what we know to be true... no organization does this alone. It is the partnerships between researchers, analysts, marketers, economic development teams, local leaders, and organizations that quietly work behind the scenes to move the needle for our communities.
These are the conversations that matter. Happy Friday!

05/22/2026

The City of Douglas, GA Government earned national recognition at ICSC Las Vegas earlier this week for its Douglas Square/T.A.D. Redevelopment Initiative.

Honored with the Excellence in Community Advancement Award, which recognizes communities and their partners who are driving impactful development in their marketplaces, celebrating outstanding public-private partnerships that have delivered successful retail and mixed-use projects

“𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙘-𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙥𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙙𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜-𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮,” said Daniel Martin, ECG Manager of Retail & Commercial Development and ICSC Georgia Marketplace Chair for Community Advancement.

Congratulations to the City of Douglas, Mayor Tony Paulk, and all of the partners involved in this nationally recognized achievement. This award is a testament to what is possible when communities dare to invest in themselves, and when the right partners come together to make it real.

www.locationgeorgia.com/douglas-receives-national-icsc-excellence-award-may-2026/

05/21/2026

Industrial recruitment hasn't slowed; in fact, it's gotten sharper.
Companies aren't looking for the perfect location. They're looking for the one that reduces risk.

Our latest blog breaks down the 3 things driving location decisions right now: 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿, 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. Is your community ready?

Click the link to learn more: www.locationgeorgia.com/industrial-location-decisions-april-2026/

05/20/2026

What started with a conversation turned into plans, which turned into groundwork, and groundwork turned into open doors!

The Element Hotel by Marriott - Bainbridge, the newest hotel in the region, welcomed its very first guests this week, and what a beauty it is.

Moments like this don't happen overnight. They don't happen alone. And they never happen without the kind of partnerships built on trust, a shared vision, and an unwavering belief in what a community can become.

Our are proof that when partnerships lead, progress follows. The best is yet to come. Congratulations, City of Bainbridge, GA - Government.

05/19/2026

Investing in the next generation of economic development professionals is one of our most important contributions to the industry.

Yesterday, Sr. Project Manager Mark Elliott had the privilege of moderating the Georgia Economic Developers Association - GEDA Young Professionals panel, alongside Matthew Hinshaw, Austin Stacy, and Davis Myers.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙘 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩? Confidence, curiosity, and the right community around you. Conversations about career journeys, project highs and lows, and what it means to set yourself apart in this industry took center stage.

🎯 How do you build confidence in a role where every project is different?
🎯 How do you earn your seat at the table when you're the youngest one in it?
🎯 How do you learn the nuts and bolts while never losing sight of the bigger picture?

These aren't easy questions, but the conversations in that room were exactly what the industry needs more of. Economic development is built on relationships, and relationships are built on people who show up, stay curious, and invest in their craft. Grateful to GEDA for creating this space!

05/18/2026

Q1 2026 set the tone for a year of meaningful progress across our and laid the groundwork for meaningful progress ahead.

Our newsletter highlighted a strong start to the year across Georgia, covering new industry investments, community awards, retail and hospitality growth, and new Rural Zone designations, not forgetting our successful 21st Economic Development Summit at Jekyll Island.

🎯🎯🎯 ICYMI, read all about it:

A Q1 economic development update featuring Georgia grants, infrastructure investments, job creation, downtown revitalization, and growth across Georgia Energy Cities.

05/14/2026

Excited to see our put in the work to keep moving their communities forward using the resources, educational opportunities, and services at their disposal as ECG Cities.

With Community Development Manager Jon McBrayer facilitating this visioning session, we know it will be a great day!

Getting ready for a full day of learning with ECG Location Georgia at our annual DDA retreat!

A big thank you to Cairo Nutrition for keeping us fueled and for supporting the Zebulon Theater

We’re excited for a great day of ideas, collaboration, and planning for our downtown’s future.

05/14/2026

May's list highlights a featured opportunity from the Small Business Administration Center.

A grant - 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙪𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖 𝙀2𝙂 𝙄𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚, that targets small manufacturing firms and focuses on innovative workforce development, hands-on in-person training, and technical assistance across industries, including aerospace, robotics, food processing, metal fabrication, advanced manufacturing, and more.

📌📌 Learn more about it by visiting:

Discover May 2026 funding opportunities for Georgia Energy Cities. This month features funding from the Small Business Administration.

05/13/2026

Today was a good day, thanks to the City of Cartersville - City Hall & Cartersville-Bartow County Economic Development.

Some highlights from today's ECG MEAG Power Pop Up Bus Tour!
🎯 𝗠𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 & 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

Three recent landmark projects:
~ HSBMA Battery Plant with a $5 billion investment, 3,700 jobs, 600 acres along I-75, expanding into EV battery production to supply both the Hyundai and Kia plants in Georgia.
~ Hanwha Q Cells with a $2 billion investment, 2,000 jobs. The only fully integrated solar panel manufacturer in the Western Hemisphere, holding a multi-year Microsoft contract.
~ Switch: Cartersville's first data center campus

🎯 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅
Largest QuickStart facility in Georgia at 124,000 sq. ft., housed in a converted elementary school. It opened in December 2023 and has trained 3,755 individuals to date. Serves multiple companies simultaneously using a hub-and-spoke layout.

🎯 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 & 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵
Bartow County is making significant investments across water, sewer, and transportation infrastructure to support continued growth. Between 2020 and today, over 10,800 housing units have been approved to meet rising residential demand.

🎯 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: 𝗔𝘂𝗯𝗿𝗲𝘆/𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘇 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
2,300 acres being developed in a joint venture with Heinz, which includes 10 million sq. ft. of industrial/manufacturing, residential units, and 800,000 sq. ft. of commercial space. Features a potential megasite, 10–12 year buildout with CSX rail access on the north end.

𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀
Bartow County is home to 210 industries and 176 manufacturers, representing roughly one-third of the local economy. Highlights include Shaw Industries, Chick-fil-A Supply (first of its kind in the country), Yakult, and Anheuser-Busch, with Highland 75 Industrial Park nearly built out at only 200 acres remaining.

"𝙄𝙣 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 $9 𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮," Melinda Lemmon, Executive Director, Cartersville-Bartow County Department of Economic Development.

As Commissioner Taylor and Mayor Santini both said it best, what's good for the city is good for the county, and what's good for the county is good for the city.

That spirit of partnerships is alive and well in Bartow County, and it shows. Thank you to Mayor Santini, Commissioners, Melinda, Matthew, Connor, and the entire City of Cartersville team for a truly remarkable day.

05/07/2026

International Economic Development Council's 2026 , day 4 highlights one of this year's core themes: "𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁."

𝙒𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 #𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙖 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙐𝙎𝘼 2026 𝙄𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩.

We serve as the single point of contact for our Georgia Energy Cities and work closely with the State to keep Georgia ranked number one for business-friendly environments.

This simply means showing up as ONE to represent Georgia both on the national and global stages.