Area Development magazine presented Georgia with its Silver Shovel Award this week for completing several economic development deals in 2011, including the Home Depot expansion project in Cobb County.

The company is opening a customer call center in Kennesaw that will bring 700 jobs to the county. Cobb was responsible for a third of all new jobs created in the metro Atlanta region last year, according to the county chamber of commerce.

Eighteen states received Shovel Awards from the magazine based on their top 10 job creation and investment projects initiated in 2011.

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Managing Partner at Atlantica Properties, Darion Dunn (center) talks with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens during a tour following the ribbon cutting of Waterworks Village as part of the third phase of the city’s Rapid Housing Initiative on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025.
(Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez