Georgia welcomes 33 Western Hemisphere nations for inaugural conference on competitiveness

ATLANTA, June 12, 2007— Georgia's strategic position as the gateway to the Americas has helped land the first-ever Americas Competitiveness Forum in Atlanta this week. The two-day event, which began yesterday, has attracted the U.S. Secretaries of Commerce, Education and the Treasury; the Vice Presidents of El Salvador and Nicaragua; and senior level officials of 33 nations to discuss strategies for strengthening the Western Hemisphere's competitive edge in the global marketplace. 'We have made it a priority to reach out to leaders throughout the Americas – and this forum is a direct result of those efforts,' said Governor Sonny Perdue in yesterday's keynote address. 'Georgia is a fitting home for this inaugural Americas Competitiveness Forum.' The forum focuses on the topics of education and workforce development, innovation and small business development – all priorities in Georgia's strategy to grow jobs and investment in the state. The nationally-recognized, no-cost Quick Start program is one of the state's most powerful attractions for relocating and expanding companies, as is the Intellectual Capital Partnership Program (ICAPP), which enables companies to partner with colleges and universities to customize training curriculum. Georgia supports innovative strategies such as researching and producing viable alternative fuels. This year Governor Perdue signed into law a bill that will create tax incentives for companies that come to Georgia to produce alternative fuels like ethanol, biodiesel and butanol. Additionally, the Governor's Centers of Innovation program, created in 2003, supports researches and entrepreneurs in the areas of agriculture, aerospace, life sciences, manufacturing and maritime logistics. Small companies are the backbone of Georgia's economy: they make up 95 percent of the state's business community and are supported by resources such as the statewide Georgia Entrepreneur and Small Business Coordinating Network and the nation's first Entrepreneur Friendly Community program, which has certified almost 50 counties. In line with the goals of the Americas Competitiveness Forum, a number of participating Georgia companies are meeting one-on-one with senior commercial officers from 13 countries during the event, for specific guidance on marketing their products in these countries. The Georgia Department of Economic Development, which has implemented these growth strategies for the state, is a sponsor of the forum, which concludes after today's sessions. Other sponsors include the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, CIFAL Atlanta, the City of Atlanta, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, National Bar Foundation, Delta Air Lines, and the Atlanta office of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The forum is a direct result of President Bush's recommendation to meet with all of the leaders from the Western Hemisphere to discuss improving the region's competitiveness. President Bush first made the recommendation following the Summit of the Americas in November 2005 held in Mar del Plata, Argentina. The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. For more information, visit www.georgia.org.