Economic Development Across Borders
Forward Forsyth
Forsyth County’s State of the County Address, hosted by the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce, saw the roll-out of a new partnership between Forsyth County Government, the Chamber of Commerce, the Development Authority, Forsyth County Schools and Forsyth County’s higher education institutions, called Forward Forsyth. This partnership is serving as the driving force behind Forsyth County’s strategic economic development plan produced in 2018 by TIP Strategies consultants. The plan identified target industries: e-commerce, data services, technology, healthcare and advanced manufacturing, to name a few. It also promoted action items like convention center development, development of commercial product in north Forsyth County, mixed-use developments, efficient regulatory processes and other items.
How FoCo is Attracting Emerging Companies
The plan also recommended meeting with emerging companies in communities like Nashville that may be looking for expansion opportunities in metro Atlanta. To explore this idea, Forward Forsyth’s Vice President of Economic Development, Robert Long, and Forward Forsyth’s Existing Project Manager, Alex Warner, are planning a trip to Nashville to meet with companies in early October.
Why Nashville?
Nashville has succeeded at attracting a high volume of tech businesses from other states, resulting in its tech sector being ranked as a top emerging tech hub in the nation. As these businesses grow and thrive, Nashville becomes a fertile field for economic recruiters from all over the country. Recently the Nashville Business Journal reported on this activity, noting visits from economic developers as far west as Utah!
“With a growing number of fintech, IoT (internet of things), AI (artificial intelligence) and blockchain companies in Forsyth County. Technology is one of our target sectors. Our top school system in Georgia, lowest property taxes in metro Atlanta and high concentration of tech workers and engineers residing in Forsyth County, make us a great fit for expanding tech companies,” commented Long.
The Economic Development Plan and Other Projects
Since the beginning of 2019, Forward Forsyth’s efforts have contributed to the creation of nearly $62 million in new capital investments and more than 400 new jobs as a result of 54 economic development projects. To learn more about this economic development plan and the strategies included in it, click here.
