Georgia’s Governors and the General Assembly have a long history of supporting businesses in the state by passing bipartisan legislation that is business-friendly, and stopping legislation viewed as an impediment to business success in the state.  It is no mistake that Area Development has named Georgia as the best state in the country to do business for a record-setting 11 years in a row. 

The department of economic development also facilities coordination between utilities and communities, and assists with permitting. We recognize the need for speed, and Georgia's certified site program identifies industrial sites that have undergone due diligence and are ready for fast-track construction projects.

In addition to being a right-to-work state, with low unionization rates, our quality workforce is one reason why companies in automotive, machinery, and plastics industries are experiencing high job growth. Whether you are looking for engineering talent to further innovation in products or processes, or a skilled labor force to work on the plant floor, Georgia has the existing and future workforce to fulfill your hiring needs. Some programs in place to meet the needs of advanced manufacturing companies are:

Georgia University System — including top ranked Georgia Tech — has degree programs in engineering and business fields of study to meet your hiring needs. Georgia Tech is highly ranked as one of the best engineering programs by U.S. News and World Report.

The Technical College System of Georgia offers a wide range of skills training for manufacturing for both certificates and two-year degrees in jobs that are increasingly dependent on rapidly advancing technologies. In recent years, technical colleges have expanded their apprenticeship and internship programs, which combine formal education with on-the-job training. Georgia also recently launched the Hope Career Grant initiative which pays up to 100% of a student's tuition in high-demand fields including:

• Industrial Maintenance
• Welding and Joining
• Precision Manufacturing
• Aviation Technology
• Computer Technology

When qualifying companies start up or expand manufacturing operations in the state, Georgia Quick Start, the No. 1 training program in the nation, supports them by designing and delivering training that is customized to a company's specific processes, procedures and standards. In addition to on-location training, Quick Start operates an Advanced Manufacturing Training Center in conjunction with local technical colleges in the Savannah area. The 50,000 square-foot center is equipped for a wide-range of smart factory and Industry 4.0 technologies including mechatronics, control systems, automation and robotics, sensors and networked wireless systems.

We understand that a successful manufacturing operation depends on a reliable system for moving supplies in, and shipping products out. Decades of investment have created a seamless network of air, sea and ground transportation and a global gateway of connectivity. Companies in Georgia have access to: 

• 80% of the nation within a two hour flight or two-day drive
• The world’s busiest and most efficient airport, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport
• The Port of Savannah – home to the fastest growing and third-busiest container gateway in the United States
• Colonel’s Island Terminal, the 2nd busiest port in the U.S. for total Ro/Ro cargo
• The most extensive rail system in the Southeast

Additionally, 85% of the world’s top third-party logistics operators (3PL) are available to coordinate your supply chain needs.

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Georgia is home to many companies with a history of innovation that has impacted their industries, and in some cases, the entire world. Many companies have chosen Georgia as the place to set-up their innovation centers. These companies were drawn to Georgia thanks to its advanced workforce in computer science and engineering fields of study, and incentives like the State’s R&D Tax Credit which allows the companies’ eligible R&D expenditures to be monetized in the form of claimed, unused credits applied to state payroll withholding.

The Georgia Center of Innovation works with Georgia manufacturers of all sizes, from entrepreneurs to large Fortune 500 companies, to address business challenges and opportunities and to innovate products, processes, and workforce. Additionally, the Center also works in strategic partnerships with companies, academia, and government to strengthen Georgia’s manufacturing ecosystem to support the future growth of the industry.

Georgia manufacturers received a tax break in 2024, when the Governor signed into law a new rate of 5.39%. Parts suppliers, metal fabricators, and other manufacturers save on taxes by locating here, especially when their customer base is mainly outside of Georgia; Georgia's single factor apportionment approach to determining how much income is taxed means that companies with zero sales in the state consistently have zero Georgia corporate income tax liability.

Georgia also offers tax credits for job creation, increased port activity, and R&D activity in the state.  Georgia’s manufacturers benefit from a big operating-cost reduction with the State’s exemption on sales and use taxes for a wide-range of energy forms used in the manufacturing process (the state passed a full exemption except for the typically 1% dedicated to education).  Georgia also saves its manufacturers on the full sales and use tax for the purchase of equipment, machinery, repair parts, materials, packaging and other items defined by law, as long as they are necessary and integral to the manufacturing process. 

EXPLORE OUR BUSINESS INCENTIVES BROCHURE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TAX CREDITS YOUR COMPANY MAY QUALIFY FOR