A Regional Approach to Economic Growth

In this episode, we sit down with Andrea Schruijer, executive director of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority and chair for Locate South Georgia.Even with COVID-19, some tremendous economic development projects are happening across Georgia, including multiple industry announcements in South Georgia. For the seventh consecutive year, Georgia has been recognized as the “Top State for Doing Business” by Area Development, an executive publication that weighed 13 different factors to make this determination.  Schruijer explains Locate South Georgia’s regional approach to economic development. Representing 20 counties, Locate South Georgia markets the region to site selectors and works to keep local, state, and federal legislators informed about the region's economic needs.“What are some of the opportunities we have here in South Georgia, and also what are some of our obstacles for growth. Having a unified message from Locate South Georgia to those leaders in the legislators has been very helpful,” says Schruijer.What You’ll Discover in this EpisodeHow educational partners play an essential role in industry recruitment Workforce numbers pull from multiple counties2019 was a banner year for industry announcements in South Georgia2020 has proven to be another booming year for South Georgia’s industry growthCOVID-19 has placed a spotlight on the importance of the manufacturing industry, including some needed adjustments More automation implemented in the futureStarting to see a strong economy coming back to South GeorgiaImportance of speculative (spec) buildings in recruiting industry prospectsEconomic growth comes from expansion projects, including 80 percent of Georgia’s job growth from existing industries Locate South GeorgiaLast year 79 percent of the Georgia Department Economic of Development projects were outside the metro-Atlanta areaCOVID-19 created a more cohesive approach for regional marketing Importance of tourism in the overall economic development effortsWorking together to tell a bigger and better storyCreating an inventory of tourism/leisure activitiesEconomic development is more than jobs and capital investment, it’s also about tourism “getting people to stay and spend their dollar”Telling South Georgia’s story: “When we all work together, we have a bigger and better story that we can tell.” In closing, Schruijer says,  “Economic development has changed to what communities can do to encourage people and businesses to want to risk spending their capital in your community. It’s not just from a business perspective but also from an individual perspective. Creating an environment for people to want to spend their money in your area.” Join us next time as we continue to highlight why South Georgia is a great place to live, work, and play.Subscribe to the South Georgia Business Magazine and South Georgia Insider (monthly e-newsletter), both available at no charge.Thanks to our sponsor Smalltown Broadcasting and WDDQ, home of the Scott James Matheson Show, where you can  listen to live from 6