Cartersville-Bartow County Department of Economic Development 2020 annual report

April 27, 2021

Cartersville, GA,

The Cartersville-Bartow County Department of Economic Development shared their 2020 Annual Report to their Board, the Bartow-Cartersville Joint Development Authority (BCJDA) and other community stakeholders. 

• Existing industries were celebrated including Anheuser-Busch, Bo’s Pallets, Vista Metals, Airman USA as well as Cartersville Medical Center for retention and expansion plans;
• Support for Nippon Light Metals’ project continued into 2020;
• Black Creek Group completed three Class A industrial buildings in their River Point Industrial Park in Emerson;
• The work of Developers, Brokers and community, allowed Bartow to welcome Wellmade Flooring, Agile Cold Storage, Art Carpet, Carlyle Machinery, Racetrack, LG Hausys, and Ball Corporation into new industrial construction.
• One additional company in the bioscience industry is considered a 2020 project, however their own press release it anticipated to be issued soon.

Collectively, these efforts will result in 503 new jobs and $367.7 million in new capital investment in Bartow County, Georgia over the next several years.

In partnership with the Bartow-Cartersville Second Joint Development Authority, Highland 75 Corporate/Industrial Park continues to evolve and provide an excellent location for advanced manufacturing, headquarters, technology, etc.  Private investment is also occurring from well-known Developers including:  Pattillo, Panattoni, Ashley Capital, Black Creek Group, Eckstein Properties, IDI, Hines, Core5, Hillwood and Transwestern.

During 2020, the Authority’s five-year Work Program was able to adapt to pandemic-related existing industry support, new types of workforce challenges, specialized and strategic research support for industries and community partners.  Several Bartow industries were actually able to shift production and help community and state partners with Personal Protective Equipment manufacturing.

The Authority recognizes that economic development is a process, and thanks the many partners involved especially utility partners, education and workforce partners and the companies themselves that create the jobs and make the investments.   From April 2020’s unemployment rate of over 14% to the most recent report of less than 4% unemployment, Bartow County has come a long way to economic recovery in the past year.

About the Authority:

 

The Bartow-Cartersville Joint Development Authority (d.b.a. Cartersville-Bartow County Department of Economic Development) is a lead community partner in economic development for Cartersville and all of Bartow County, Georgia.  The Authority is made up of appointed business leaders from diverse backgrounds who carry out their Mission “to develop and promote trade, commerce, industry, and employment opportunities for the public good and general welfare of Cartersville, Bartow County and the state of Georgia.”  Together they oversee staff and effort to support existing industries, recruit new ones that are a strategic fit for the community, develop industrial property such as Highland 75 Corporate/Industrial Park, as well as support partnering organizations in various aspects of community and workforce development.  Under the direction of elected leaders, the Authority and staff have encouraged and supported the creation of over 14,500 jobs and $6 billion in new investment throughout the community since its creation in 2004.

# # #

Melinda Lemmon, Executive Director, Melinda@LocationofChoice.com
Office 770.607.1199  |  Direct 404.218.2180