Two foreign companies announced they will move operations to metro Atlanta, creating more than 200 jobs between them.
Reliance Worldwide Corp., a maker of valve controls used in water heater systems, said it is moving its headquarters from Australia to metro Atlanta to be closer to customers in the U.S. market.
Health Lean Logistics, based in Barcelona, Spain, is making metro Atlanta its U.S. headquarters. Health Lean is a unit of Gesaworld Group and manages the consumption and supply of materials in healthcare facilities.
Each company expects to create more than 100 jobs in Atlanta through the moves. Neither put a timetable on the move or indicated if a site has been chosen.
Speaking at the Health Lean announcement at the Capitol Wednesday, Gov. Nathan Deal said, "These are high paying jobs and we think they are very compatible with what we have going on right now in terms of economic development."
Leaders at both companies cited the convenience of getting anywhere in the world via Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as a factor in their decisions.
"It's almost a non-stop flight for everyone," said Steffany Wilson, a spokeswoman for Reliance, whose product brands include SharkBite, Heat Guard, Cash Acme, TubeFit and Auspex.
Wilson added that Reliance has a plant in Cullman, Ala., and that an Atlanta headquarters will provide better access to clients, including those in the United States, Europe and South America.
Hans Gant, senior vice president of economic development for the Metro Atlanta Chamber, said logistics are going to be key to the area's growth in the global economy.
"Atlanta was started as a supply chain center when Georgia was founded," he said. "The cities that are key logistic centers are those that succeed in a global marketplace."
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