Speeding up the time to market has never been a more critical site-selection factor for companies than now. Shovel-ready, certified sites — particularly land tracts that have all the requisite zoning, permit approvals and utilities in place — go to the top of the short list when corporations are on a fast track to select a facility location.
Economic development leaders in Georgia know this. That is why the Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) program, begun in 2008 by Georgia Allies, a marketing partnership, now offers 31 sites around the state for companies ready to make a decision. Parcels range up to 2,000 acres and represent a variety of rural and suburban settings.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development partners with communities statewide to establish this pool of sites. When a parcel is GRAD-certified, a company knows the requisite boxes have already been checked: site availability, rail and highway access, utilities, environmental and wetlands assessments, zoning and geotechnical considerations.
A turnkey site can give a community a competitive advantage. In fact, the GRAD initiative is already paying dividends: Nine sites have been selected by companies creating more than 3,000 jobs in the state, including Starbucks in Richmond County, Chicken of the Sea in Toombs County, Kenco in Bryan County, Baxter at Stanton Springs/4-County Industrial Park and, most recently, SV Pittie Group, an Indian textile manufacturing firm, in Screven County.
A GRAD site requires no more due diligence than what’s typically done for any industrial site or business park development. It does not require detailed engineering studies. The difference is that, by the time a company sees a property, the preparations have been completed, reviewed and certified by a professional site location consultant.
We encourage communities to consider GRAD certification for promising properties, which can be submitted by a local economic development organization, real estate broker or land owner. It takes about three to six months to complete the application and approval process. A site receives an approval certificate that’s good for two years. After that, a community can reapply to extend the certification, assuming no development has taken place during that period.
A community’s investment of time, money and resources in certifying a GRAD site also indicates the community is proactive about its future and likely a business-friendly place to locate. Possessing a GRAD site is not the only way a community can attract prospective companies, but it’s a powerful one with proven results. It’s good for communities, and good for Georgia.
Tom Croteau is deputy commissioner for global commerce for the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
