Tuesday, December 13, 2011

GWINNETT EARNS GEORGIA CERTIFIED WORK READY DESIGNATION

Community becomes core Metro Atlanta’s first and the state’s largest to earn certification, 
further propelling local job growth
 

           
(METRO ATLANTA/GWINNETT COUNTY) December 13, 2011 – Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development is proud to celebrate the announcement of Gwinnett County’s designation as a Georgia Certified Work Ready Community, as pronounced yesterday by the State of Georgia Office of the Governor. Gwinnett County is the largest county in the state to earn this certification, as well as the first in Metro Atlanta’s five core counties. Communities that earn this designation must demonstrate a commitment to improving public high school graduation rates through a measurable increase and show that a significant percentage of the available and current workforce have earned Work Ready Certificates.

“Gwinnett is proud to be named a Certified Work Ready Community,” said Gwinnett County Commission Chair, Charlotte Nash. “Our community has the skilled workforce that growing businesses demand, and the educational infrastructure to drive economic growth and prosperity. The designation indicates that our focus on these areas should translate to more jobs for residents in our county.”

Georgia Work Ready was created to ensure that Georgia's workers have the best skills, easy access to training and world-class job opportunities. The backbone of the initiative is the Work Ready Certificate, which assesses the real world skills of Georgia's workers. Georgians can use their Work Ready Certificate to prove their work readiness to potential employers. Georgia also offers gap training aimed at helping to improve Certificate scores, enabling career growth and continued on-the-job success. This, combined with an innovative job profiling process that accurately identifies the exact skills required for specific jobs is helping create the perfect match between Georgia workers and jobs.

“Gwinnett’s success in being the first large county to be certified Work Ready is attributable to the great collaboration we had among the key partners - -the Chamber, business and industry, and education, at both the college and high school level," said President Sharon Bartels, Gwinnett Tech. "This certification is a tremendous boost to economic development and supports future job growth. To employers and to companies who are considering locating in Gwinnett, Work Ready certification assures them that we have the skilled workforce they need. It’s a green light to locate, to expand and to hire in Gwinnett."

The designation announcement is primarily attributed to a great amount of time and focused efforts from Gwinnett Technical College and partnering organizations, like WIKA Instrument Corporation, which enthusiastically embraced the goal of the program by requiring that candidates who apply for positions within the company must be Georgia Work Ready certified to be hired for positions profiled.  

“WIKA believes that using the Georgia Work Ready Program has strengthened our workforce.  We have made an investment in our employees that will give us a return for years to come through improved hiring procedures, reduced turnover, reduced training costs, increased productivity and profitability and high employee morale. We have become an even more competitive company and will be the model others will follow in promoting efficiency throughout the workforce,” said Kathy J. Scott, HR Generalist at WIKA Instrument Corporation. “Competitiveness and leadership will create new jobs and save existing jobs.  Most importantly, with all the benefits we see as part of Georgia Work Ready, WIKA has reduced the risk of downsizing, layoffs and facility closure, thereby keeping a growing Georgia business in Georgia.”

“We would like to thank specifically the Atlanta Regional Commission, Gwinnett Tech, WIKA and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development on their partnership in achieving this title. The official designation is quite a noteworthy  achievement for Gwinnett, and we are confident that our educated workforce will continue to ensure that Gwinnett maintains the lowest employment rate in Metro Atlanta’s core counties, as we have for the past 29 consecutive months,” said Nick Masino, Vice President of Economic Development and Partnership Gwinnett. 

RYERSON ATLANTA EXPANDS GEORGIA OPERATIONS WITH 147,000 SQ FT WAREHOUSE IN GWINNETT

Global Company to add 25 new jobs in 2012

           
(METRO ATLANTA/GWINNETT COUNTY) December 9, 2011 – Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development congratulates Ryerson Inc., a leading processor and distributor of metals in North America and Asia, on their announcement today an expansion of the Atlanta, Georgia area operations; adding 147,000 square feet of warehouse space and approximately 25 new jobs over the next year, expanding employment to 290 people at the Gwinnett, Metro Atlanta complex.  

“The expansion of Ryerson’s inventory and processing capabilities is designed to bring additional value to our customers by offering complete supply chain solutions,” said Dave Keatley, V.P. GM Atlanta Market.  ”We are strengthening our rapid response capabilities by expanding our customer service hours to 7 am – 6 pm, Monday through Friday, and with the addition of a same-day delivery option on expedited requirements.”

The company is in the final stages of an expansion designed to enhance inventory and processing capabilities in long products and fabricated plate, complementing its existing, strong flat product capabilities at a new warehouse facility located at 4075 Blue Ridge Industrial Parkway.  This project, which is slated for completion in the first quarter of 2012, will add a valuable warehousing component to the growing company’s campus in Gwinnett and Metro Atlanta.

“Gwinnett County is proud to be home to Ryerson, Inc.” said Gwinnett County District 2 Commissioner, Lynette Howard. “The announcement of their expansion here locally signifies not only that our community has the infrastructure to support their logistical needs on a day-to-day basis, but that their leadership is committed to continued growth in Gwinnett.” Ryerson, Inc. has a rich 169-year history in business, which began in Chicago, Illinois. Ryerson Atlanta, formerly J.M. Tull Metals, has had a presence in Metro Atlanta for 93 years.

“The City of Duluth welcomes the expansion of Ryerson to Duluth and Gwinnett County.  We are rebuilding our economy and partners like Ryerson are vital to this effort.” said Mayor of the City of Duluth, Nancy Harris.

“This is another great example of how the I-85 corridor is the strongest submarket in the Atlanta area for manufacturing and distribution facilities. In fact, this is the third major such announcement in Gwinnett in 2011- confirming to us that we remains a strong choice for manufacturing and supply chain industries which are reliant on an excellent workforce and transportation infrastructure enabling them to reach global markets.” said Troels Adrian, Business Development Manager, Advanced Manufacturing & Logistics at Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development.

The tenant representative on the project was Kathy Bellinger of Daum Commercial in Texas and Ronnie Cannon of CRESA in Atlanta; the building was represented by Greg M. Dickerson and Robb Draughon of King Industrial Realty in Atlanta.

“Upon completion of this expansion, our Atlanta complex will exceed 600,000 square feet and offer the broadest line of products and services in our trade area with more than 10,000 SKUs,” added Kevin Richardson, President of Ryerson’s Southeast Region.  

Thursday, December 8, 2011

HYUNDAI CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT AMERICAS, INC. CELEBRATES AMERICAS HQ OPENING IN GWINNETT

Global Construction Equipment Leader Creates 100 Jobs, Plans for Future Growth in Georgia


(GWINNETT- METRO ATLANTA) December 7, 2011- Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development and Georgia Department of Economic Development joined Governor Nathan Deal to announce the relocation of Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas, Inc. (HCEA) headquarters to Norcross, Georgia in Gwinnett County. The project, which also includes a warehousing component -is expected to create 100 jobs over five years and represents a $10 million investment in the community.  Hyundai also revealed plans to build a major manufacturing facility in Georgia. Construction would begin on that facility sometime in the next 3-4 years.

 “Our decision to move to Gwinnett and to Georgia an easy one: we needed a facility that was strategically located not only for access to markets in the Southeastern United States, but to the rest of North America, and to South and Central America as well. Our new headquarters here in Gwinnett will be ideal as we grow our business for the future.” said John Lim, President of Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas, Inc.

The facility, located at 6100 Atlantic Boulevard, will serve as the company’s Americas headquarters and includes a 217,000 square foot facility, employee training center with classrooms and multiple conference rooms.

 “With a rich array of strategic resources, Georgia and Gwinnett County are able to attract well-known international companies such as Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas, further broadening our presence in the global business community,” said Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. “HCEA is a leader in providing its customers with innovative, high-quality equipment that serves all facets of the construction industry. Its operations will undoubtedly continue to thrive in Georgia.”

Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlotte Nash said, "Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas, Inc. has a global reputation for innovation and quality that precedes them. Our strong pro-business community is equipped to provide them with the support that will be necessary for their continued growth and success. We are pleased to welcome them, and honored that they selected us for this major relocation of their headquarters facilities."

“HCEA chose to relocate their Americas headquarters from its previous facilities in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, largely because of the area’s resources, tax incentives, educated workforce, and overall business environment.” said Kirk Gillette, Vice President of HCEA.
“Norcross is honored to celebrate the relocation of Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas Headquarters to our community. Their choice to move to Gwinnett and Norcross is another example of the types of high-caliber of companies choosing to relocate their extensive operations here; to a community with an advanced infrastructure to allow for continued growth in the future. ” said Norcross Mayor Bucky Johnson.

Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development continually works to cultivate the pro-business community for which Gwinnett County is so well known. The organization’s relocation and expansion efforts assist companies looking to move and grow in a strategically-located, amenity-rich environment.

 “Hyundai Construction Equipment’s relocation of its Americas headquarters to Gwinnett adds tremendously to the growing number of HQ’s doing business and growing in Gwinnett County.” said Nick Masino, Vice President of Economic Development and Partnership Gwinnett at the Gwinnett Chamber. “Gwinnett’s location, educated workforce, variety of resources and excellent quality of life are able to attract large international companies like HCEA with the connectivity that they need to the Southeast, the nation, and the world.”
Georgia Department of Economic Development statewide project manager Yoonie Kim assisted HCE with this project, in collaboration with Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development. HCE was represented in this transaction by Adam Richards with Resource Real Estate Partners. The seller was represented by Colliers International.

HCEA operates under its parent company, South Korea-based Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. The company was formed in 1991 to focus on the needs of Hyundai’s construction equipment market. HCE offers 17 models of crawler excavators, 4 models of wheeled excavators, 6 models of mini excavators, 6 models of wheel loaders, 3 models of skid steer loaders, and 117 models of forklift trucks. HCE is dedicated to the construction equipment market and continues to invest heavily in Research & Development in this area. HCE currently operates a state-of-the-art production facility in Ulasan, Korea and expects this new location to make its markets in the Americas more accessible. 

For more information on HCE, please visit www.hceamericas.com.  



About Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development
Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development globally markets Gwinnett as the premier location in Metro Atlanta and the State of Georgia for growing and conducting business. By encouraging investment and trade into the county through relocation and expansion assistance, the organization works with local and regional partners to bring technology, life science, advanced manufacturing, communications, and corporate headquarters to the community. Leading Atlanta’s job creation for the past five years, and home to FORTUNE 500 and 1000 companies, Gwinnett County hosts a wide range of businesses from industry giants, to international companies and homegrown start-ups. Success lives here- www.gwinnetteconomicdevelopment.org.  

Monday, December 5, 2011

Award-Winning Partnership Gwinnett to Bring in More Jobs

Community and Economic Development Initiative Launches Next Five-Year Strategy

(GWINNETT- METRO ATLANTA) December 2, 2011– Today, Partnership Gwinnett – the internationally award-winning community and economic development initiative for Metro Atlanta’s largest local community - unveiled its strategic plan to bring more jobs to Gwinnett over the next five years.  Gwinnett has led the core metro counties with the lowest unemployment rate for over two years, and continues to proactively seek out jobs and opportunities for wealth creation in the 805,000-person county.


“The past five years has brought a great deal of successes to Gwinnett in spite of the new economic climate,” said Gwinnett County Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash. “Partnership Gwinnett’s public and private efforts play a fundamental role in making such successes possible. Today, our community celebrates the powerful impact that the initiative has had on the county.  We look ahead to the next five years with a collaborative strategic plan to ensure our continued success.”

With implementation of Partnership Gwinnett nearing the end of its five-year cycle, Gwinnett County stakeholders have once again come together to assess the community’s competitive position for jobs, investment, and talent. Much is different from the first time the County launched economic development strategic planning and implementation. Nearly five years of implementation success has raised expectations for the next phase of the Partnership Gwinnett plan; and, perhaps most importantly, the second iteration of Gwinnett’s strategic plan launches in one of the most challenging economic climates in recent U.S. history.
The Partnership Gwinnett initiative has been led by the Gwinnett Chamber and over 160 public and private partners for the last five years. Continued collaboration at this level is critical to ensure that the community employs its educated workforce and maintains the superior quality of life for which it is so well known.
Partnership Gwinnett Co-Chair, Randy Dellinger, District Manager at Jackson EMC, said, “Despite the economic downturn and nationwide unemployment crisis, Gwinnett County has had the lowest jobless rate in the core Metro Atlanta counties for the past 28 months. This is not by accident- it is through the partnership of dedicated individuals from the public and private sectors working in sync to generate results. This new economic development strategy for Gwinnett will confidently lead our community into the next five years to create more jobs and wealth in our county.”

Gwinnett County has experienced a net job gain in the Partnership Gwinnett initial target industries: Healthcare, Distribution and Trade, Corporate and Regional Headquarters, Professional Services, Information Technology, and Advanced Communications.   From 2009 to 2010, Gwinnett County added 1,925 jobs in these industries.

“The transformation of Gwinnett County’s community and economic development program is exemplary. Market Street often cites Partnership Gwinnett as one of the finest implementation efforts in the country.” said Mac Holladay, CEO of Market Street Services.

The 2012-2017 Implementation Plan supports a holistic vision for the prosperity of all Gwinnettians through the provision of good jobs, adequate housing, social opportunities, and a community that makes its residents proud. Through comprehensive economic development, cultivating world-class talent, and fostering community and leadership development, the plan seeks to bring economic growth to the next level amidst the community’s changing demographics.

This increasing diversity provides  opportunistic growth areas for Gwinnett, one of which is minority-owned and diverse businesses. Gwinnett County ranks among the top three percent of all U.S. counties in terms of minority business ownership, with more than 40 percent of county businesses being minority owned. And while most counties with high rates are heavily influenced by one or two large minority groups, Gwinnett stands out as being one of the few counties with three significant minority business communities. Gwinnett is one of just eight counties in the nation where Black, Asian, and Hispanic ownership rates each exceed nine percent. It is the only county outside of the New York, Washington, D.C., and Houston areas that meets such criteria.

“The Partnership Gwinnett initiative is a true success only because of the 160 public and private partners that dedicate their financial resources, time and energy to ensuring its development and in turn the continued growth of the economy, both in our community and in the region,” said Nick Masino, Vice-President of Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development and Partnership Gwinnett. “Their support and collaborative dedication has brought more than 280 companies and 12,000 jobs to Gwinnett since the inception of the initiative in 2007. Today, we unveil to the community a plan created with their crucial collaboration to ensure that this success continues to multiply in the next five years.”

Executive volunteers’ leadership from both the public and private sectors led the community in creating the new five year strategic plan for economic development in Gwinnett.  Hundreds of community volunteers participated over eight months in everything from a community survey, focus groups and interviews to numerous strategic roundtable meetings and engaging the county’s key leadership.
Partnership Gwinnett’s steering committee members include:
Partnership Gwinnett
Steering Committee Chairs

Carla Carraway
Precision Planning

Randy Dellinger
Jackson EMC

Dr. Dan Kaufman
Georgia Gwinnett College

Mike Levengood
McKenna, Long & Aldridge

Renee Byrd Lewis
Cisco

Partnership Gwinnett
Steering Committee Members
Joe Allen
Gwinnett Place CID

Houston Bass
BB&T

Brad Carr
Andersen, Tate & Carr
 
Norwood Davis
12Stone Church

Karen Fine
Primerica

Ellen Gerstein
Gwinnett Coalition of Health & Human Services

Michael Golden
Arnall Golden Gregory

Nancy Harris
Mayor, City of Duluth

Lynette Howard
Gwinnett County

Matt Hyatt
RocketIT

Demetrius Jordan
United Way

Jim Maran
Gwinnett Chamber

Sherwood McDuffie
SunTrust Bank

Dave McMullen
redpepper

J.K.  Murphy
Gwinnett Daily Post

Bill Myers
Gwinnett County

Charlotte Nash
Gwinnett County

Cathy Nichols
Mobile Communications

Prince Niyyar
Comdex Consulting
 BJay Pak
Georgia House of Representatives

Michael Paris
Council for Quality Growth

Louise Radloff
Gwinnett County Public Schools

Trey Ragsdale
Kaiser Permanente

Kim Ryan
Emory Eastside Medical Center

Raymer Sale
E2E Resources

Louise Scott
Georgia Power

Glenn Stephens
Gwinnett County

Chuck Warbington
Gwinnett Village CID

Judy Waters
Community Foundation for NE GA

Connie Wiggins
Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful

Alvin Wilbanks
Gwinnett County Public Schools

Preston Williams
GCVB, Gwinnett Center

 Kerensa Wing
Gwinnett County Public Schools

To learn more about Partnership Gwinnett’s new five-year implementation plan, please visit http://new.partnershipgwinnett.com/.

About Partnership Gwinnett
Partnership Gwinnett is Gwinnett’s economic and community development initiative. Led by the Gwinnett Chamber and a host of public and private partners, the initiative targets the retention and expansion of existing Gwinnett businesses in addition to the development of new business in five key market segments: Healthcare; Advanced Communications; Information Technology; Trade & Distribution; and Regional/Corporate Headquarters. The ultimate goal is to promote economic wealth & diversification, increase education and work force excellence, improve quality of life and heighten visibility through marketing and outreach programs for the entire Gwinnett community.  For more information on Partnership Gwinnett, the internationally award-winning community and economic development initiative, please visit www.partnershipgwinnett.com.

Friday, December 2, 2011

ATLANTA MUSIC ICON EDDIE OWEN FINDS A NEW HOME IN GWINNETT

Creator of Eddie’s Attic brings his passion for music and his rolodex to Downtown Duluth

Gwinnett, Metro Atlanta (December 2, 2011) – Partnership Gwinnett is pleased to join the City of Duluth in welcoming Atlanta music icon Eddie Owen to the Red Clay Theatre. Eddie Owen Presents will celebrate its opening night on Friday, December 2, in the theatres 14,000 square-foot venue, with seating capacity 250. The size is ideal, enabling Owen to continue to cultivate small-venue music experiences for Metro Atlanta.


Grammy-Award winning musicians such as Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles, John Mayer, Ed Roland of Collective Soul and The Indigo Girls honed their early talent at the Attic, building solid relationships with Owen that he carries with him to Gwinnett. Owen’s move to Duluth’s Red Clay Theatre provides a significant redevelopment opportunity for the facility. The city is currently which is completing a series of renovations to accommodate its new use, an investment of $20,000. The City of Duluth acquired the property in 2004 for $1.8 Million and made $800,000 in extensive renovations in 2006.

“We are thrilled to welcome such an Atlanta music icon to our community,” said Gwinnett County Chairman Charlotte Nash. “The knowledge, connections and creativity that Eddie Owen will bring to Duluth will add to the already tremendous quality of life that our entire county has come to enjoy.”

Duluth has recently enjoyed a series of business additions to their historic downtown space, including popular Atlanta restaurant Pure Taqueria, and has received local recognition as Development of Excellence Award Winner by the Atlanta Regional Commission for the downtown’s bold innovation & exceptional community design. Plans are underway to develop the land next to the theatre to provide a restaurant that will also serve theatre patrons.

“The City of Duluth and Eddie Owen share the same vision for Duluth.  We all want Duluth to be a destination that offers quality entertainment, shopping and dining.  Eddie brings his vision of having the perfect venue for music lovers to enjoy and appreciate hearing artist perform in an acoustically designed theatre.” said Duluth Mayor Nancy Harris. “The Red Clay venue will become a place where artists enjoy performing because this stage is perfect for live entertainment.  The streets in historic downtown Duluth are alive again.”  

“Eddie is a master at creating such buzz around a venue that it becomes a must-see spot for a city and a cornerstone for a creative community.” Said Sally Corbett, Executive Director of ArtWorks! Gwinnett.  Eddie’s interest in joining the Gwinnett arts scene is a strong signal for the future growth of performing arts and entertainment in the County. His presence is a welcome addition. His concerts will widen the variety of artistic offerings that add to the quality of life in Gwinnett.”

Owen launched Eddie’s Attic, one of the southeast’s premier venues for Southern folk music, 20 years ago in Atlanta; this new venture builds on the legacy that Owen has created in the region.  His vision for Duluth includes educational components for the future, bringing artists together with aspiring musicians to teach them about the industry: from music management, budgeting, booking, and technical instrument skills- creating a school wherein students of all ages have an opportunity to learn firsthand from professionals.

“This type of venture is only possible through a solid public and private partnership,” said Chris McGahee, economic development Manager for the City of Duluth.  “it proves that the collaboration and core-value investment that our stakeholders have in this opportunity is tangible. We are just scratching the surface of the potential that this addition will bring to our city and to Metro Atlanta- with continued community enthusiasm, the sky is the limit.”

Joe Allen, Executive Director of the Gwinnett Place CID and Quality of Life Chair for Partnership Gwinnett, added, “Eddie Owen bringing his rich experience and resume of successes to Gwinnett is a real win for our community and our quality of life efforts. We strive to be a county wherein citizens can spend evenings and weekends, engaged with one another and with superior options for entertainment. Eddie brings all of that, and more.”

“I love songs and songwriters. The authentic interaction between an audience and the songwriter in this intimate listening room brings people together in a way that nothing but music can.” said Eddie Owen. “I brought Jennifer Nettles here a few weeks ago, and as she stepped onstage, she immediately saw and understood the vision. I chose Duluth for a reason- this is a very special place. We have an incredible opportunity here to bring and bind people together through a unique music experience.”

For more information on Eddie Owen Presents at Red Clay Theatre, please visit http://www.eddieowenpresents.com/. For more information on the arts in Gwinnett, please visit http://artworksgwinnett.org/. For more information Gwinnett’s rich quality of life and overarching economic development efforts, please visit www.partnershipgwinnett.com

Friday, November 18, 2011

Analysts, Inc. Expands in Gwinnett


Growing company creates 20 new jobs in Metro Atlanta

(GWINNETT- METRO ATLANTA) November 18, 2011- Analysts, inc., in partnership with Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development and  the City of Suwanee, celebrates its expansion in Gwinnett.t The company, currently employing 22 highly-trained employees, will add 15-20 jobs. The company is currently preparing to expand to a new 12,000-square-foot facility that it purchased at 3385 Martin Farm Road in the City of Suwanee.

“Analysts chose to stay in Gwinnett County for three primary reasons:  It offers a very favorable business climate which, in spite of current economic woes,  is very hard to find these days.  The City of Suwanee runs its operations like a business not as a traditional  bureaucratic entity.  This was very refreshing and appealing to us as we searched for a larger facility.   Being approximately seven miles from our original laboratory in Norcross we are able to make the move while maintaining employment for our current workers.   As we expand and add to our ranks the area offers a pool of qualified candidates from the local community.  Doing business in Gwinnett County since 1984 we feel like family, and you don’t leave your family.” commented Michael Forgeron is the President of Analysts, Inc.

Analysts, Inc. is an analytical testing organization and the leading provider of industrial diagnostic evaluations and maintenance solutions. Using the most advanced lab and data processing equipment, Analysts, Inc. performs tests and gathers information about equipment condition, contamination and lubricants. The company’s testing results allow equipment owners to see and understand the physical properties of any lubricated component.

“Manufacturing support companies like Analysts, Inc., are crucial to the further advancement of a variety of industries in Gwinnett and in Georgia,” said Gwinnett County Chairman Charlotte Nash. “Analysts provides a wide range of laboratory tests and customer services that assists equipment owners in understanding how to best maintain and care for their machinery, resulting in greater productivity and profitability.”

The company’s announcement comes at a time when many companies in Gwinnett County are announcing their choice to expand their operations within the community. This is the fourth existing-industry expansion announcement in the past three weeks for the county.

“Analysts, Inc.’s choice to expand in Suwanee and stay in Gwinnett is great news for our community,” commented Dave Williams, Mayor of the City of Suwanee. “We support growing businesses at every stage in their development, and Suwanee is proud to be the new home of a company that is committed to cultivating their success here.”

"This is an important project win for Gwinnett. The high-wage jobs that Analysts, Inc. brings to the community are a perfect fit for our quality educated workforce." said Nicole Wright, Business Development Manager, Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development & Partnership Gwinnett. "This announcement is just another excellent example of a local industry expansion- a trend that is making a significant economic impact on our community."

Analysts, Inc. was represented by John Cobb of Grubb & Ellis in the purchase transaction for the company’s new location while Mark Elliott of Jones Lang LaSalle serves as the project lead to ensure that the company enters its new building on schedule, the last week of December 2011. 

Analysts, Inc., which celebrated its 50th year of innovation in oil analysis in 2010, currently operates five regional laboratories in the U.S., in addition to labs in Tokyo, Japan and Monterrey, Mexico. Its services impact the production machinery, manufacturing equipment, power generation, marine, heavy construction, mining, trucking, transit and aircraft industries. 

For more information on Analysts, Inc., please visit www.analystsinc.com. For more information on Partnership Gwinnett, the internationally award-winning  community and economic development initiative, please visit www.partnershipgwinnett.com.

About Partnership Gwinnett
Partnership Gwinnett is Gwinnett’s economic and community development initiative. Led by the Gwinnett Chamber and a host of public and private partners, the initiative targets the retention and expansion of existing Gwinnett businesses in addition to the development of new business in five key market segments: Healthcare; Advanced Communications; Information Technology; Trade & Distribution; and Regional/Corporate Headquarters. The ultimate goal is to promote economic wealth & diversification, increase education and work force excellence, improve quality of life and heighten visibility through marketing and outreach programs for the entire Gwinnett community.  For more information on Partnership Gwinnett, the internationally award-winning community and economic development initiative, please visit www.partnershipgwinnett.com.

Friday, November 11, 2011

GWINNETT CELEBRATES ANNUAL JOB GROWTH & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

New & recently expanded companies honored at Partnership Gwinnett reception

(GWINNETT- METRO ATLANTA) November 10, 2011- Partnership Gwinnett, the community and economic development initiative led by the Gwinnett Chamber and over 160 public and private investors, honored its relocated and expanded businesses for 2011. Eighteen companies were recognized and celebrated for their significant success in business development and job growth this past year.

Companies such as Hisense, Peak 10, Hire Dynamics, I-Tech Staffing, Graham Field, Primerica and Elesys gathered to celebrate their growth and network with community business leaders.
“We are very happy to welcome all of these growing companies to our community,” said Gwinnett County Chairman Charlotte Nash. “Their choice to expand within or relocate to Gwinnett makes a great statement about their confidence in the strength of our business environment and rich quality of life; we look forward to supporting and participating in their continued success.”

The celebration comes in the wake of numerous major expansion announcements in Gwinnett over the past several weeks including NanoLumens, Mitsubishi, Ricoh Electronics, and Primerica - all making significant investments into the community. Partnership Gwinnett’s internationally award-winning efforts have recorded over 285 expansions and 12,500 jobs since its inception in 2007.

“Our public and private community partners that have led the tremendously successful economic development efforts in Gwinnett,” said Nick Masino, Vice President of Economic Development and Partnership Gwinnett at the Gwinnett Chamber. “Their vision and leadership fuel Partnership Gwinnett and enable us to collectively welcome and celebrate with these growing companies to Gwinnett.”

Gwinnett County has maintained the lowest unemployment rate of the five core Metro Atlanta counties for 28 consecutive months as a direct result of such relocated and expansions. In June, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its 2010 Q4 County Employment preliminary estimates. The numbers revealed that Gwinnett County is leading Georgia in employment growth, with a significant wage increase in 2010. Additionally, the report identified that Gwinnett’s employment growth was almost double the national average (0.9%) between December of 2009 and December 2010. The robust wage growth year-over-year was identified at 3.7%, the second-highest among large counties in the state and 0.7 percentage points above the national average. Large counties are defined by the BLS as those with employment of 75,000 or more as measured by 2009 annual average employment.

As 2011 comes to a close, so do the first five-years of Partnership Gwinnett. However, Gwinnett is only weeks away from taking its award-winning economic development success to the next level, preparing to unveil Partnership Gwinnett II in January 2012. Watch for more information on this much anticipated launch and for more information on the existing initiative, visit partnershipgwinnett.com.

About Partnership Gwinnett
Partnership Gwinnett is Gwinnett’s economic and community development initiative. Led by the Gwinnett Chamber and a host of public and private partners, the initiative targets the retention and expansion of existing Gwinnett businesses in addition to the development of new business in five key market segments: Healthcare; Advanced Communications; Information Technology; Trade & Distribution; and Regional/Corporate Headquarters. The ultimate goal is to promote economic wealth & diversification, increase education and work force excellence, improve quality of life and heighten visibility through marketing and outreach programs for the entire Gwinnett community.  For more information on Partnership Gwinnett, the internationally award-winning community and economic development initiative, please visit
www.partnershipgwinnett.com.