In November, Georgia was again named the No. 1 state in the nation for business (by Site Selection magazine, for the second consecutive year). This ranking is a testament to a successful year in economic development. This past year, Georgia was also named the No. 1 place for business by CNBC and Area Development.
A primary reason our state has had an exceptional year in economic development is because of our solid partnerships with thriving international markets.
In October, Gov. Nathan Deal announced Japan-based Kubota Corp. will expand in Hall County, creating 650 jobs and investing $100 million in a Kubota Manufacturing facility.
Nearly two years prior, Deal announced the grand opening of the company’s Kubota Industrial Equipment manufacturing facility in Jefferson County. With this newest expansion in Hall, Kubota will employ more than 2,900 Georgians.
Kubota has remained a flagship for economic growth in our state. Its Georgia presence is a huge factor helping us attract Japan-based suppliers, creating more jobs and investment opportunities.
In Hall County, Tatsumi, an employer of 70, located to Georgia to provide logistics support for Kubota exports to Europe, Asia, South America, Australia and Africa. Etori, which employs 80, produces components for Kubota’s assembly lines in Gainesville and Jefferson. Shintone also supplies Kubota’s two assembly lines. More recently, Yahata came to Gwinnett County to supply original equipment manufacturers in Georgia, including Kubota.
Kubota regularly meets with Japanese companies looking at Georgia, highlighting the strength of our qualified workforce, logistics infrastructure, low unionization rates and other pro-business incentives.
Last year, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of our office in Tokyo. Maintaining representation in Japan has been vital to attracting foreign direct investment from companies based there.
These companies employ more than 24,000 Georgians. Of all the international projects our department has worked, Japanese companies have accounted for 31 percent of the jobs created and 42 percent of the investments made by international firms. We have dedicated international investment and existing industry teams to support companies like Kubota that have had a presence in Georgia for decades.
Last, there is a strong cultural infrastructure here for Japanese companies. We have the Consulate General of Japan, Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia, Japan-America Society of Georgia, Japan External Trade Organization and Japanese-language “Saturday schools” for children of Japanese nationals. There is also a dynamic network of Japanese vendors to provide support in the areas of construction, insurance, staffing, legal matters and more.
More international companies in advanced manufacturing choose Georgia because of the success of firms like Kubota. We expect to see even more companies in this industry locate to Georgia from growing markets like Japan.
Chris Carr is commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
