With GE expected to soon make a decision on whether to move its headquarters, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed says the city and state are prepared to make a strong bid to lure the corporate giant to Georgia.
“If we get to that point, tax incentives will be on the table,” Reed said Thursday.
His comments followed an interview with Bloomberg News in which he indicated city and state leaders will offer “whatever is reasonable to get it done, if we have the opportunity.”
Georgia is among states aggressively courting Connecticut-based GE since it announced its considering a move following a tax dispute with state officials there. A decision is expected by year’s end.
Following the groundbreaking for a new NCR headquarters in Midtown Thursday, Reed praised GE as a leading corporate citizen that’s already well-established in Atlanta. The company has more than 5,000 employees in Georgia across several divisions.
“I think we’d be a terrific fit, but it’s a very competitive process,” said Reed, who offered no additional details about the negotiations.
Gov. Nathan Deal and Reed have reportedly met with GE executives. A person with knowledge of the situation said GE executives examined Three Alliance Center, a Buckhead office building now under construction, as recently as last month.
The governor’s office and the Georgia Department of Economic Development declined comment Thursday.
Georgia and local governments have powerful incentives at their disposal. The state can offer tax credits for new jobs, grants and free worker training. The city of Atlanta has its own grant program, and communities with development authorities can also offer significant property tax breaks.
Earlier this year, Deal won approval from lawmakers to supercharge state grant programs as part of the state’s recruitment of automakers Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo. JLR decided against a North American factory, and Volvo picked South Carolina.
Those new, unused funds could potentially sweeten Georgia’s bid for GE.
The number of jobs GE could bring isn’t known, though it has about 800 workers at its Fairfield, Conn., campus.
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