Georgia
Population: 8,648,715
Gross State Product: $299,874 million (current $, 2001 prelim)
Gross State Product Per Capita: $35,675
Inflation rate: US – 2.51% (2004 YTD)
Labor force: 4,129,666
Unemployment rate: 4.1% (Sept 2004 prelim)
If you are seeking a dynamic and growing location in which to do business, the southeastern region of the U.S. is worthy of serious consideration. The state of Georgia is centrally located, and Atlanta, the largest city is the major commercial and transportation hub of the region.
Georgia’s gross state product was an estimated $300 billion in 2001, more than three times the size of Israel’s and larger than Argentina’s. If Georgia was a country, its economy would be ranked 17th in the world.
In Georgia’s diverse economy, the trade and service sectors supply the majority of jobs, with manufacturing and agriculture also playing important roles. Georgia is the U.S.’s largest producer of peanuts and a leading producer of lumber and pulpwood. The manufacture of textiles and textile products has long been Georgia's leading industry. Other major manufactures include transportation equipment, foods, paper products, and chemicals.
In 2003, Georgia’s $16.2 billion in exports ranked 14th among U.S. states. Israel is Georgia’s 26th largest trading partner, and exports to Israel, valued at $106 million, increased by more than 30% over the previous year. Georgia’s leading export to Israel is paper products. Other leading exports are beverage and tobacco products, computers and electronic products, transportation equipment and machinery manufactures.
Atlanta’s economy is led by service, communications, retail trade, manufacturing, finance, and insurance industries. Atlanta is corporate headquarters for 13 Fortune 500 companies, including Bell South, Coca Cola, Cox Communications, Newell Rubbermaid, and Georgia-Pacific.
Telecommunications is one of the fastest growing industries. Atlanta serves as a transmission hub for the country’s two largest fiber optic trunk routes, which link to points all over the U.S. as well as Europe, Japan, Australia, and South America.
Metro Atlanta is a major educational and research center, serving as the home of Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The following organizations can assist with finding potential business partners in Atlanta, Georgia and the southeast region:
Government of Israel, Trade and Investment Center, Atlanta
http://www.israeltrade.gov.il/atlanta/
World Trade Center, Atlanta
http://www.wtcatlanta.com/
Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
http://www.metroatlantachamber.com/
America Israel Chamber of Commerce Southeast Region
http://www.aiccse.org/