Guns and Concrete: Growing Georgia's Economy Every Way We Can

This week, GDEcD is sending a team to Las Vegas to attend two very significant trade shows. The Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show and Conference is the largest and most comprehensive show of its type in the world. Likewise, the World of Concrete (WOC) is the largest commercial concrete and masonry event in the world.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation owns and sponsors the SHOT Show that will attract individuals and manufacturers from more than 150 states and countries. The manufacturers exhibiting at the SHOT Show cater to law enforcement, the military, and the sportsman. Over 1600 exhibitors will be at the show and attendance exceeds 58,000.

GDEcD will be calling on many of our Georgia exhibitors to see how we might assist them to expand their operations. We also plan on calling on companies that have existing projects and making cold calls on companies to discuss the many advantages Georgia has to offer to this industry. These advantages include our strong military presence and a proactive Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that oversees more than 90 wildlife management areas – so many that there is one within an hour's drive of every Georgian. DNR's Wildlife Resource Division also manages a private lands initiative to provide for wildlife conservation in our state. We also discuss our Quick Start Training program, the Job Tax Credit program, and the other statutory incentives. Georgia offers this growing industry a pro-business environment, and we plan to capitalize on the fact that the entire 'Who's Who' of the industry will be in attendance.

The World of Concrete (WOC) - yep, it's a big show too, with over 1200 exhibitors and over 70,000 visitors. Like the SHOT Show, attending the WOC allows the team to access the latest technology and to visit with all of the equipment manufacturers in one place. Georgia is the logistics hub of the Southeast and one of the fastest growing states in the nation. Even in a struggling economy, the Southeast has been growing. As we emerge from the economic doldrums, Georgia will be poised to be a growth leader.

At the WOC as well, we will meet with existing Georgia companies that are exhibiting and talk to new companies to discuss what our business environment can do for them. Examples of critical industry manufacturers we will call on include trucks, concrete pumpers, cranes, backhoes, excavators, aerial platforms, tool manufacturers, and more. We will also have an opportunity to discuss green technologies.

If you are in one of these industries and are attending the WOC or the SHOT Show, contact us at [email protected], and we will be pleased to meet with you.

Bill Dobbs is Director of Aerospace, Defense & Advanced Manufacturing for the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). His team is responsible for exposing Georgia's business advantages to targeted companies around the world. They generate leads and work with prospects until they locate a facility in Georgia.