Issue link: http://savannah.uberflip.com/i/1202658
24 7 more, on average, from lower interest rates. In addition, interest-sensitive economic sectors (e.g. real estate development, home building, nonresidential construction, building materials manufacturing, and forestry) have a greater impact on Georgia's overall growth than on the nation's overall growth. Economic Development In 2012, Georgia's leaders passed key economic development legislation that made Georgia more competitive. Perhaps even more important, Georgia fields an extremely competitive team of economic development professionals. Georgia is viewed as a place where there is a good working relationship between government and other major players. Government is responsive to the needs of businesses, ranking very high in terms of its regulatory environment and speed of permitting. The available supply of skilled labor attracts businesses, especially in the Atlanta MSA. Georgia also ranks high with respect to its workforce development efforts – Quick Start. The state also established 17 HOPE Career Grant areas of study to better align college students' fields of study with companies' workforce needs. Those factors plus Georgia's major transportation and logistical advantages and a competitive tax climate will help to refill Georgia's economic development pipeline. The build out of specialized job training centers – BioScience Training Center and Georgia Cyber Center – is a very effective way to attract and retain businesses that require workers with highly specialized skills. Similarly, the creation of an aviation academy in Paulding County will support the aerospace industry's growth. For these and other reasons, site consultants ranked Georgia the top state in which to do business for the sixth straight year. As national, state, and regional economic growth slows, Georgia will find that it is more difficult to capitalize on its many advantages. That is because the number of expansion and relocations projects that U.S. states are competing for will decline significantly in 2020, limiting prospects for new landing economic development projects that expand the economic base. Because it often takes many years to build out the typical economic development project, many of the projects announced over the last several years will continue to provide a substantial tailwind to Georgia's economic growth in 2020 and beyond. Large economic development projects announced in 2019 include: OS National, a title and escrow provider, announced a 1,000-job expansion at their headquarters in Gwinnett County. Amazon will build and new fulfillment center at a site straddling DeKalb and Gwinnett counties, creating 1,000 new jobs. Stitch Fix will open a new distribution center in Lithia Springs, creating over 900 jobs over the next few years. PVH Corp will create 575 jobs in a new distribution and warehouse facility in Fulton County. Invesco, an investment management company, will expand their global headquarters in Midtown Atlanta, adding 500 jobs. Wayfair will create 500 jobs at a new customer support facility in Athens. BioIQ, a health IT company, will create 500 jobs at its new headquarters in Cobb County. Kroger and Ocado Solutions will build a new distribution facility in Clayton County, creating 410 jobs. Chick-fil-A will build its first distribution center in Cartersville, creating up to 300 jobs. Examples of large economic development projects announced in 2018 include: SK innovation will create 2,000 jobs at a new manufacturing plant in Jackson County; BlackRock will add 1,000 jobs at an innovation hub in Atlanta; Wayfair Inc. will create 1,000 jobs at a new warehouse/distribution facility in Savannah; thyssenkrupp Elevator Americas Business Unit will create over 650 jobs in its new headquarters and innovation center in Cobb County; Global Callcenter Solutions will create 600 jobs in Columbus; Hanwha Q Cells Korea will create over 500 jobs at an advanced manufacturing facility in Dalton; Starbucks will create up to 500 jobs in a new east coast satellite office in Fulton County; Instacart, an on-demand high-the grocery delivery service will create over 400 jobs at a customer experience center in the Atlanta area; Taurus USA, a firearms manufacture will create 300 jobs in Bainbridge; and Saddle Creek Logistics Services will create 300 jobs in Newnan. Examples of large economic development projects announced in 2017 include: ASOS, an online fashion and beauty retailer, will establish an East Coast e-commerce fulfillment center in Fulton County creating more than 1,600 jobs; Luxottica Group will create 1,000 jobs with the expansion of its North American distribution facility in Henry County; Accenture's new innovation hub in midtown Atlanta will add 800 technology jobs; Sonoco Products Company will create 595 jobs in a new packaging center in Fulton County; Candora, a healthcare management company, will create 675 jobs in Floyd County; athenahealth will double its workforce from 500 to almost 1,000 at its health IT facility in Atlanta; Sysnet Global Solutions will create more than 500 jobs at its cybersecurity and financial payments support