Forward Forsyth’s Annual Report
Forward Forsyth was launched at Forsyth County’s State of the County Address in May of 2019. Forward Forsyth is a partnership entity consisting of the Forsyth County Government, the Forsyth County Development Authority, the Forsyth County School System, the Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce and Lanier Technical College. It serves as the driving force behind Forsyth County’s strategic economic development plan.
In 2019, the Forward Forsyth team worked on more than 80 projects, contributing to the creation of more than 1,100 new jobs and nearly $115 million in new capital investment. The majority of these projects fall into identified target industries like healthcare, technology and advanced manufacturing.
Gant Medical, a manufacturer of innovative and disposable products for the medical, dental, assisted living, long-term and home care markets, has located its U.S. headquarters and manufacturing center in Forsyth County. With a 42,000 square foot facility, Gant expects to create more than 100 jobs in the next five years. Both Forsyth County residents and those outside of county lines will benefit due to Gant Medical’s ability to ease patient care for medical staff by eliminating several steps from a repetitive daily task that when multiplied by the number of patients, allows more attention to be given to improving other aspects of patient care.
Last year, Encompass Health Corporation announced plans to open a 50-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Forsyth County. The hospital, set to open this spring, will offer comprehensive rehabilitation services and create approximately 90 new local jobs.
Forsyth County’s exceptional talent pool drew companies like Mindtree and Premier Automation to establish a presence in the community in 2019. Mindtree, a custom software developer headquartered in India, established a Forsyth location with the plan to create 80 local jobs. Premier Automation established their second location in the nation in a 26,000 square foot space near McFarland Parkway. The custom electrical control panel manufacturer plans to expand this space eventually to 100,000 square feet and to hire 100 employees.
Another large addition to Forsyth County in 2019 was Halcyon. Halcyon is a brand-new, $370 million mixed-use development offering restaurants, retail opportunities, office space, a hotel and residential options. It occupies approximately 135 acres just off of GA 400 at McFarland Parkway. The Forward Forsyth team worked with many of Halcyon’s tenants in 2019 including CMX, Cherry Street Brewpub, WeWork and the Embassy Suites.
One of the most compelling benefits of Halcyon is the commercial opportunities. Developers have offered a whopping 500,000 square feet of retail and office space to tenants. Most of these tenants are unique and local to the area. The tax revenues from this development will help advance many important initiatives throughout Forsyth County. Ultimately, the economic effect of these additional tax revenues is meaningful and will play a role in the future of the community.
Is your business looking to relocate in 2020? If so, contact Robert Long, Vice President of Economic Development with Forward Forsyth at rlong@forwardforsyth.org or CLICK HERE.
