SPECIAL SPECIAL BYRON E. SMALL MERCHANT’S WALK •4B COBB COUNTY OFFICEMARKET•8B WELLSTAR EXPANSION •6B COBB COUNTY MARKET REPORT MARKET COBB COUNTY January 27-February 2, 27-February 2012 January OSMOTICA •10B

SPECIAL BYRON E. SMALL YOUNG PROFESSIONALS •4B

HYATT HOUSE•7B BYRON E. SMALL Growth capital Growth INDUSTRY FOCUS success asitimplements anewsuccess plan Cobb County looks tobuild on 2011 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT •2B Section B

BYRON E. SMALL SPECIAL Page 2B • January 27-February 2, 2012 COBB COUNTY MARKET REPORT ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE

Still striving: Cobb nabs over two dozen Demming Bass, chief operating major projects in ’11 officer of the Cobb Chamber By Doug DeLoach the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. of Commerce, CONTRIBUTING WRITER The list of wins scored by Cobb County left, and uilding on a track record of accom- last year include the announced construc- Brooks Mathis, plishments in 2011, Cobb County tion of a Home Depot call center near vice president officials, business and civic lead- Kennesaw, an estimated $24 million devel- of economic B ers are forging ahead with projects opment that will bring 700 jobs to the development, derived from a strategic economic community; the decision by Osmotica are working to development plan designed to keep Pharmaceutical Corp. to invest some generate more the momentum rolling through the first $20 million in a manufacturing and R&D opportunities quarter of 2012 and beyond. facility in Marietta, the company’s first in the county. “2011 was a busy year for us, as we such venture in North America; the choice secured more than two dozen major proj- of the Kennesaw area as home of a new ects, which included a mix of newly Novelis Inc. research and development recruited industry and expansion of center, representing a consolidated existing industry,” said Brooks Mathis, transfer of the global aluminum recycling

BYRON E. SMALL vice president of economic development at company’s operations in Illinois and Canada; and the news that CCH Small Firm Services will bring 200 employees from other locations outside the state into its Kennesaw operation. In June, the Cobb County Chamber unveiled Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE), a comprehen- to work, sive, multiphase program devised by a local steering committee with consulting shopping, assistance provided by Market Street for a run, Services, the Atlanta-based firm respon- to lunch, sible for implementing similar initiatives, most notably Partnership Gwinnett. see a show, “We gathered together about 35 busi- all in Cumberland. ness leaders from across the Cobb community — from business, education, nonprofit, community government and Improved infrastructure, easy access, multi-use trails and other areas — and got into the weeds to commuter programs have increased mobility to make determine who we are and what want to do Cumberland the perfect setting to live, work and play. In our as a community,” Mathis said. Over the next several years, EDGE will third decade, the Cumberland Community Improvement serve as a guideline for the implementa- District (CID) is committed to creating an even more livable, tion of programs to generate economic pedestrian-friendly community. opportunities and attract outside invest- ment while addressing the needs and aspirations of existing stakeholders in Cobb County. In some cases, EDGE extends and expands initiatives and pro- grams already in place, a number of which are being spearheaded by area Community Improvement District (CID) organizations. Mathis said Cobb County officials are targeting specific clusters based on busi- ness sectors that already have a strong presence in the area: ■ Aerospace and advanced equipment manufacturing; ■ Business and professional services; ■ Supply-chain logistics and wholesale trade; and ■ Data software corporations, IT and technology firms. Officials also identified three high- growth sectors, already well-represented in Cobb County, but which have not yet reached the level of a target cluster: health The Cumberland CID would like to thank businesses, property care, bioscience and tourism. Lending credence to the inclusion of the owners and public officials for their continued support. Thanks health-care sector is the recent announce- to your dedication, Cumberland is realizing its vision of growth ment that Fresenius Medical Care will be adding 120 jobs by opening its new in the office, retail and residential markets. Peachtree Billing and Verification Office in Kennesaw. On the tourism front, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Six Flags Over Georgia/White Water parks, the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre and Cobb Galleria Centre are among the destination points around which area stakeholders including the recently www.cumberlandcid.org rebranded Cobb Travel & Tourism organization (formerly the Cobb Convention & Visitors Bureau) are building value and interest. ➤ See MAJOR PROJECTS, 14B We believe in going above and beyond.

At WellStar, it begins with our vision. We believe you deserve world-class care - state-of-the-art, compassionate care - right in your community. From our expert physicians, nurses and healthcare providers to the most advanced medical technology, WellStar delivers care far above ordinary to patients at every stage of life. We also go far beyond the status quo. At WellStar, surgeons pioneered laparoscopic surgery. We brought CyberKnife® to Georgia. Our Cardiac Surgery Program was awarded “3 Stars” – the highest possible rating – from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. And we developed the revolutionary STAT Clinic for cancer treatment. In every way, we strive to provide patients with an experience that goes above and beyond. As we look to the future – to new technologies, new facilities, new treatment options – we continue to innovate. Our patient and family centered nursing care, outstanding infection-reduction outcomes and robust clinical trials are just a few examples of the ways WellStar is providing world-class care to the communities we serve. To learn more about us, please visit the new wellstar.org

We believe in life well-lived. wellstar.org 770-956-STAR

The vision of WellStar Health System is to deliver world-class healthcare. Our not-for-profit health system includes WellStar Cobb Hospital, WellStar Douglas Hospital, WellStar Kennestone Hospital, WellStar Paulding Hospital, WellStar Windy Hill Hospital and WellStar Medical Group. Page 4B • January 27-February 2, 2012 COBB COUNTY MARKET REPORT ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE Young demographic among Cobb’s advantages By Nicole Bradford Cochran, who lives in Smyrna, said obstacles that must be overcome to main- CONTRIBUTING WRITER he has noticed growing popularity tain the area’s enviable population asset. us t entering their 40s, Trip Baisden surrounding its community center. The demands of this demographic, the and his wife, Missy, are admittedly “A lot of younger people are moving study outlined, contained no surprises: on the older tier of Cobb County’s there because housing is still relatively options in entertainment, dining and Jlarge, hip crowd of mostly 20- and affordable and it’s close to downtown,” he nightlife, and reliable mass transit to 30-somethings. said. “Another reason is Smyrna Market relieve traffic congestion. But that didn’t stop them from settling Village provides a sense of cohesion to in Smyrna after considering just about the community — public space that’s rela- every other option in the Atlanta area. tively walkable.” Cobb County: Fresh from their move and still in the Clearly, Cobb’s large group of educated Population by age unpacking stages, the Chester, Va., trans- young professionals is among its strong plants will soon be venturing beyond their points regarding future development, a 19 and under: ...... 28.3 percent five-bedroom home, hoping to connect to fact that isn’t lost on the area’s leaders. 20-24: ...... 6.5 percent their new community. Highly educated But while they recognize this advantage, 25-34: ...... 14.7 percent and with two small children in tow, they they also fear Cobb may have encoun- believe they will find plenty of common tered a turning point. 35-44: ...... 15.8 percent ground with their neighbors. The recession, housing bust and con- 45-64: ...... 26 percent “Between the schools and the closeness tinuing economic hardships have all hit to the city, it was a perfect fit,” Trip the area hard — and, according to eco- 65 and up: ...... 8.7 percent Baisden said. “We want to get out and nomic experts, it has yet to enter a Source: Cobb’s Competitive EDGE Assessment, August 2011 meet people like us. We’ve got kids under healthy recovery. 12, and we can still boogie.” “In recent years, our young population For various reasons, Cobb County has has trailed off,” Bass said, partly due to In 2009, nearly half of Cobb County been a big draw for the young, educated the housing bust and declining values. commuters spent 30 minutes or more demographic. Nearly a third — 30.5 per- “More people can now afford a condo in commuting to work, a higher percentage cent —- of Cobb’s population is young downtown, Midtown or Buckhead.” than the state and the nation, according to professionals between the ages of 25 and BYRON E. SMALL From 2000 to 2010, Cobb experienced a the study. 44, according to the 2010 census. Young workers: Cobb Young Professionals’ population loss of 25- to -40-year-olds, Not all commuters, however, have it A map view of Cobb provides one Jason Sleeman is in the 25-to-44 age group while neighboring Gwinnett County tough. Some, like Jason Sleeman, a reason for its popularity. that’s nearly a third of Cobb’s workforce. enjoyed an increase, according to a study 32-year-old financial center manager for “We are just blessed with our location,” commissioned by the Cobb Chamber that the Atlanta office of Fifth Third Bank, said Cobb Chamber of Commerce Chief enjoy the amenities of downtown.” was completed in August. have beaten traffic woes through either Operating Officer Demming Bass. “It’s “Hangouts” on the Marietta Square and The study, part of a larger economic strategy or sheer luck. Sleeman’s com- attractive to young professionals for the laptop havens such as coffee shops are development program titled Cobb’s mute is about 18 or 19 minutes, which he same reason it’s attractive to companies. patronized frequently by residents such as Competitive EDGE, suggested a need for calls a rarity. You buy a house and you get more house Matt Cochran, a 28-year-old public rela- coordinated economic development “Even though traffic is a problem, on a — it’s more affordable — and you can still tions executive and native of Cobb County. efforts, and outlined a number of good day you can get downtown relatively Edens breathes new life into Merchant’s Walk $26 million renovation When Edens acquired the property it Buckhead’s Bluepointe, opened his own was “unbelievably good real estate with an restaurant in the center called Seed draws new retailers ineffective retail layout,” Darnell said. Kitchen & Bar. By Randy Southerland The sight lines made seeing stores from The center has also landed several CONTRIBUTING WRITER the roadways difficult and the movie the- retailers that usually cannot be found in a fter decades of trying to find its niche, ater was hidden in the back of the property mall setting, including locally owned Kudzu Merchant’s Walk in Marrietta is making getting to it something of a chal- Embroidery & Gifts. finally realizing its upscale potential. lenge, he added. “[The owner] was working out of her A A $26 million renovation, com- “It really didn’t flow that well and when house and her was business was growing pleted in 2011, paved the way for Whole Media Play went through bankruptcy, it so she needed to get back into a retail set- Foods Market to anchor a selection of res- really gave us the opportunity to start ting,” said Herbert Ames, development taurants and retailers geared to a higher working on something bigger,” he said. manager for Edens. “She had been at demographic in the shopping center at the The idea was to create more of a gath- another location for several years, but corner of Roswell and Johnson Ferry ering place with retailers and restaurants knew Merchant’s Walk was changing and roads in East Cobb. that complemented each other and wanted to be here.” “It sits right at an intersection that’s got prompted shoppers to spend more time Other stores include Gigi’s Cupcakes, about 8,000 cars a day and the demo- going from store to store, Darnell said. Pinkberry and Fab’rik boutique. graphics are some of the best that we have The company was able to convince the “All of those [stores] are tenants that in our portfolio for income and education,” iconic grocer Whole Foods to anchor one aren’t going to land in just a generic shop- said Lyle Darnell, managing director of of the prime spots in the newly renovated ping center,” Wammock said. Columbia, S.C.-based Edens, which bought and reconstructed section of the center. In addition to its solid demographics, the

the 362,000-square-foot shopping center BYRON E. SMALL “The whole renovation of the shopping area is far enough removed from other in 2000. Seeds of change: Chef Doug Turbush center, the expansion of the movie center, major shopping areas such as Cumberland He said that within a three-mile radius of opened Seed in Merchant’s Walk. really created a center that was more Mall and Town Center to minimize the center there is a potential market with appealing to a different style of retailer than competition. an average household income of $160,000, shopping centers built around two-story had been there before,” Darnell said. Darnell said it took some education to and more than 65 percent of the population buildings arranged in a village concept, Occupancy is at about 95 percent with convince retailers that Merchant’s Walk over 25 has a college degree. With most according to Jackie Wammock, a broker about seven spaces still to be filled. was going to be a very different take on available land already developed, the with The Westmoreland Co., whose father- Four of those spaces are currently in what was viewed by many as an “almost area has significant barriers to entry for in-law originally developed the property. negotiation and may be signed to the shop- dysfunctional” retail location. competing retailers. “It didn’t really work,” she said. “Then it ping center within the next few weeks, The company included new sidewalks, Renovation of the complex, which began kind of languished.” Darnell added. landscaping and benches to promote in the summer of 2009, included demolition In the early 1990s, New Market redevel- Landing Whole Foods contributed to pedestrian traffic between stores. By of more than 100,000 square feet of oped Merchant’s Walk as a big-box power acquiring some other higher-end retailers tearing down an older bank building it was second-story retail space and major façade center with stores such as Mervyns’ and and restaurants. able to make stores more visible to passing enhancement. Media Play — two national retailers that These include Cook’s Warehouse, a traffic. Since its construction in the early 1970s, eventually filed for bankruptcy. kitchenware and upscale appliance retailer, “It’s really to enhance the shoppers’ Merchant’s Walk has gone through several Little of the original center, with the which also opened a “store within a store” experience in the common area and hope- identity changes and makeovers. exception of a public library and an AMC inside the grocery. fully get them to stick around for a little It began life as one of the first lifestyle movie theater, remained. Doug Turbush, former executive chef at longer,” said Darnell . ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE COBB COUNTY MARKET REPORT January 27-February 2, 2012 • Page 5B quickly, to the airport relatively quickly and to other major attractions,” said Sleeman, who heads up the chamber’s FILE/SPECIAL Cobb Chamber of Commerce events calendar young professional organization once known as ACES, or Achieving Chief Jan. 28, 2012 Feb. 8, 2012 Executive Success. Cobb Chamber of Commerce Best Practices of Volunteer This year, the group changed not only 70th Annual Dinner Management its strategy, but its name — to Cobb Time: 6:30 p.m . Young Professionals. The new name is Time: 8 a.m.-9:30 a.m. meant to be more inclusive since, as 6:30 p.m. Reception Event description: Sleeman pointed out, “Not everyone wants 8 p.m. Dinner and program The Georgia Center for Nonprofits to be a chief executive.” Location: Cobb Galleria Centre presents an informative workshop on Neither is the group strictly business. “We changed the format to reflect more Black Tie Optional the best practices of volunteer man- of what the demographic wanted — a pro- agement for nonprofits and for-profit fessional development aspect with some Jan. 31, 2012 companies . Business Builders social aspects, too,” he said. General admission: $30 online and The revamped organization includes Choosing Cobb: Young workers seek Time: 7:45 a.m.-9 a.m . at the door; Chamber members: $15 subcommittees such as governmental social and family options. Business Builders is a group within online; $20 at the door affairs, and various networking and social the Cobb Chamber of Commerce that opportunities. Many of its adaptations are Cobb County at a glance fosters continuous personal and pro- Feb. 10, 2012 based on results of the chamber study, County seat: Marietta fessional improvement in an environ- Cobb Executive Women Luncheon and some are simply an effort get a Size: 344 square miles ment of trust, accountability, commit- Time: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m . broader group of professionals involved. ment and respect, allowing members Program: Women’s Health Panel Sleeman, who has three children under Population: 698,158 (2010 census) to achieve growth through learning age 4, is well-versed in the various needs Education: As of 2009, 43.4 percent and sharing solutions . Registration information: of his age bracket. “There’s really two sets in this age of Cobb’s population over 25 held a This group provides members with — Registration and general group,” he said. “You’ve got those in their bachelor’s or higher; considerably an opportunity to learn key business networking will begin at 11 a.m. 20s who go to bars, restaurants and places higher than the national average of principles by reviewing the best-selling — Program will begin at 11:30 a.m. to hang out. The other aspect is a good 27.9 percent and Gwinnett County’s business books of today . Members: $20 online; $35 at majority have toddlers and young children 33.8 percent.* Business Builders will be studying at home. This group gives them the oppor- the door Housing: Single-family housing in Cobb “The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get tunity to have a social aspect, get out and Guests: $30 online; $45 at is more affordable than the national aver- Things Right” by Dr. Atul Gawande network.” age. However, home values were hit hard the door Cobb itself, he said, caters to both Jan. 3-Feb. 14. by the housing bust. Between the fourth groups, with everything from Six Flags This program meets from 7:45 a.m. Feb. 23, 2012 quarter of 2005 and the first quarter of Over Georgia theme park and public to 9 a.m. every Tuesday at the Cobb Cobb Young Professionals 2011, the median single-family home parks to a healthy bar scene. Chamber of Commerce. For Cobb Time: 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m . “You can do something family-oriented price fell 37 percent in Cobb County.* Chamber members only, each session or catch a concert at the same place,” * Cobb’s Competitive EDGE Assessment, August 2011 is $5 . he said.

ON PACES FERRY Page 6B • January 27-February 2, 2012 COBB COUNTY MARKET REPORT ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE WellStar expansion in Cobb fueled by demand By Giannina Smith Bedford CONTRIBUTING WRITER WellStar Kennestone: In s the population of Georgia and Cobb addition to its new patient County continues to grow, the need tower, the hospital will get for health-care services is in greater a $12 million inpatient A demand, particularly as the popula- hospice facility opening tion of those 65 and older is expected to this March. surge in coming years. In response to this need, Marietta-based WellStar Health System Inc. is under- SPECIAL going major expansion — and medical options,” WellStar also has off-campus projects upgrading facilities, developing Bowermaster said. “Obviously, under way. WellStar at a glance new construction projects and state [certificate-of-need] laws Construction is in progress for the In 2011 fiscal year: expanding its reach through and competitor issues are a Acworth Health Park, set to open in the acquisitions. factor in the type of medical summer of 2012, and the East Cobb ■ WellStar invested $89 million in “Large health systems, like facility that could possibly be Health Park, located at Roswell and facilities, equipment and information WellStar, are increasingly an placed there, such as a medical Providence roads, is in the development technology. option for metro-Atlanta area office building, imaging center phase and expected to open in late 2013. ■ Nearly 10 percent of the health residents seeking health care,” Bowermaster or an urgent care center. At this WellStar’s expansion includes the recent care WellStar provided was to indi- said Keith Bowermaster, WellStar Health time, WellStar has no definitive acquisition of OrthoSport Physical Therapy, viduals without health insurance. WellStar spokesman. “To this System Inc. plans on the use of the land.” which has two clinics in Cobb County, one fact, WellStar has multiple proj- Primarily serving the five coun- in Kennesaw and another in Marietta. ■ WellStar provided more than ects in Cobb County under way.” ties of Cobb, Douglas, Cherokee, Bartow “When you look at WellStar’s expan- $200 million in unreimbursed care for the second straight year. Stellar expansion and Paulding, where it has plans for the sion, they are simply responding to construction of a new hospital, WellStar’s community need and Source: WellStar Health System Inc. Part of WellStar’s expansion includes the expansion is largely concentrated in Cobb. the bottom line is that $11.5 million acquisition of 25 acres in On the Marietta campus of WellStar this area, the metro South Cobb, near Vinings and Smyrna. Kennestone Hospital, a seven-floor, all- Atlanta area including Cobb County The site is in close proximity to interstates private-room patient tower is under way Cobb County, is still 75 and 285, making it convenient for metro- and set for completion in January 2013. growing despite the market share Atlanta area residents seeking health care. Behind that hospital, a new $12 million tough economic cli- HOSPITAL 2010 The site is also about five miles south inpatient hospice facility will open this mate of the last few WellStar ...... 61.9 percent* of WellStar Windy Hill Hospital, seven March. Updates were also recently com- Bloye years,” said Kevin miles east of WellStar Cobb Hospital and pleted to the main lobby and operating Bloye, vice president of Northside ...... 8.9 percent Georgia Hospital three miles east of WellStar Urgent Care suites of WellStar Cobb Hospital in public relations for the Association Emory ...... 6.8 percent Center. Austell, including the addition of 10 new Georgia Hospital “WellStar is still evaluating multiple operating rooms, and more upgrades are Association. “We have a growing aging Piedmont ...... 5 percent uses of that land to include administrative planned for 2012. population in the state of Georgia and it’s * WellStar includes Kennestone, Cobb, Douglas, a challenge for all hospitals in the state to Windy Hill and Paulding hospitals. continue to meet that community need, Source: Georgia Department of Community Health and I think WellStar is doing that.” During the 2011 fiscal year, WellStar significantly greater numbers.” invested $89 million in facilities, equip- When it comes to serving the health- COBB GALLERIA CENTRE ment and information technology. care needs of Cobb County, WellStar is at During this same period, nearly 10 percent the forefront. & COBB ENERGY of the health care WellStar provided was to Out of all Cobb County residents that individuals without insurance. In total, the use a hospital in Georgia, 62 percent use not-for-profit hospital system provided more a WellStar facility, Balsano said. PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE than $200 million in unreimbursed care for “There is a big gap between WellStar the second straight year. and all other providers in terms of use,” he said. “When we look at who is serving Room to grow? Cobb County, clearly WellStar has the With so much expansion under way, is lion’s market share at 62 percent, fol- there room for this much health- lowed by Northside at 9, Emory care growth in Cobb County? at 7 and Piedmont at 5 percent.” The county’s growing popula- According to Balsano, WellStar tion is a positive indicator that seems to be in a good financial there is, said Armand Balsano, position to continue growing. managing director of Navigant WellStar Health System Consulting Inc. in Atlanta. reported an operating income of There were 688,078 residents approximately $82 million in its in Cobb County in 2010, Balsano 2010 Medicare cost report. according to U.S. Census Bureau Navigant “[WellStar] is a financially data, up 13.2 percent from the Consulting Inc. strong organization that is well- 607,751 residents in 2000. positioned to deal with any of the Cobb County residents have also been challenges in reimbursement changes that Flexibility is one of the key factors to look for when selecting a convention, going to the hospital a lot more. we expect in the future,” Balsano said. tradeshow, meeting or special events venue. Sister properties Cobb Galleria Centre and Cobb County residents were hospital- Bloye agrees, stating that WellStar’s ized 55,004 times in 2010 and the number strategic expansion is a response to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre offer a large portfolio of event spaces, including the of inpatient admissions has increased future needs of the area. John A. Williams Theatre and 10,000-square-foot ballroom at the Cobb Energy Centre. from 53,637 in 2008 or about 2.5 percent, “They are simply looking at the demo- Your attendees will be impressed by the variety you will offer them. Balsano said. graphics of their service area and “I was surprised to see that admis- responding to what they believe to be sions had grown that much,” he said. the future demand for health-care ser- • 144,000 square feet of flexible exhibition space “Normally, admissions don’t grow as vices and we are seeing that around the • 2,750-seat theatre fast as the overall population because state,” he said. “Hospitals are looking at people are using alternatives to inpatient their demographics and also looking at a 770.955.8000 • 25,000 and 10,000-square-foot ballrooms www.cobbgalleria.com care, such as outpatient service. The Medicare population, which is growing • 20 meeting rooms fact that between 2008 and 2010 Cobb in a huge way. The number of baby • 4 boardrooms County admissions increased by about boomers who are now reaching 2.5 percent while population grew at Medicare age and are living longer lives 770.916.2800 • Cobb Energy Centre stage, lobby and terrace 2.2 percent is an indication that, in spite and demanding more health-care ser- www.cobbenergycentre.com available for special events of a weak economy, Cobb residents are vices, that number is skyrocketing and accessing the health-care system in that has a lot to do with it.” ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE COBB COUNTY MARKET REPORT January 27-February 2, 2012 • Page 7B Hyatt jumps into promising destination market “From 2010 to 2011, [the Cumberland/ New suites hotel expected Outdoor lounge: Cobb area] has been one of the more pos- to open spring 2013 The Hyatt House itive submarkets in Atlanta,” he said. “The design includes an Cobb market is an exciting area — it’s a By Nicole Bradford outside lounge with hotel, entertainment and travel center for CONTRIBUTING WRITER a kitchen, fire pit and Atlanta. It’s also accessible, minutes from otel development in Cobb County a variety of seating. downtown and not far from the airport.” can be seen as a bit of a chicken-or- Demand for hotels has remained the-egg scenario. The 149-room steady, with a slight increase due to busi- H Do developers build a hotel and hotel, to be located ness travel, according to Lindsey attract guests, or wait for demand and in the Overton Burruss, marketing director for then build? Park mixed-used Cobb Travel & Tourism, formerly known That is the balancing act, according to office complex, is as the Cobb County Convention & experts, in the development of a travel set to open in Visitors Bureau. destination. spring 2013. SPECIAL In fact, several hotels in the area are For Cobb County, at least, slow and “We believe it’s a growing area, and the when it comes to hotels, according to Paul either planning renovations or have steady appears to win the race. location for the site was strong,” Lasher Breslin, managing partner of consulting already undergone a revamping — such Construction of a new Hyatt House said. “We also believe this market needs an company Panther Hospitality in Atlanta. as the Courtyard Atlanta Cumberland extended-stay brand hotel in the Cobb extended-stay product.” Breslin wouldn’t describe the Cobb/ Center and the Hyatt Regency Suites Galleria area is set to begin in February. Target guests for Hyatt House are 30- to Cumberland area as underserved by Atlanta Northwest, she added. The new venture, developed through 65-year-old suburban dwellers staying five hotels, and doesn’t expect to see a glut of a joint venture between Atlanta-based or more nights. new supply coming in soon. Travel destination Noble Investment Group and Chicago- Common areas, such as “H-Bar” — “I think the new supply will be very stra- A recent study showed travel and based Hyatt Hotels Corp. (NYSE: H), is which doubles as a breakfast bar tegic and unique, like Hyatt,” he tourism as the No. 1 economic driver in the area’s first hotel project after more by morning and cocktail lounge at said. “There are already some Cobb County, with an industry impact of than a decade-long dry spell. night — will serve a variety of fantastic hotels there, so the more than $1.73 billion, according to It is also the first new build for Hyatt purposes. area is well-served. We will per- Cobb Travel & Tourism. House, a contemporary brand recently In addition to an on-site conve- haps see some repositioning, Part of the reason likely is destinations announced by Hyatt. nience market, the hotel will where they replace an older such as the Cumberland Mall, Cobb The company’s entire portfolio of 38 include a loaner program, lending product with a newer one. Also, Galleria Centre and Cobb Energy Hyatt Summerfield Suites hotels, plus 16 guests everything from blenders if there is a new demand-gener- Performing Arts Centre. recently acquired Hotel Sierra hotels, are to Xboxes for use in their suites. ator that is specific, that would But the development of the area as a now under conversion to the Hyatt House Breslin have a definite impact.” destination dates back to 1983 with the brand, said Brett Lasher, Hyatt’s Atlanta- Strategic growth Panther Hospitality The area’s current 83 hotels, opening of the Renaissance Waverly based vice president of real estate and Targeting specific markets with which represent just fewer than Hotel, said Walter Kiley, who has been development. a unique product is necessary for an area 11 percent of the Atlanta market, are the director of sales and marketing at The first new construction Hyatt House that, although ripe with entertainment and hanging around the 70 percent occupancy Cobb Galleria Centre and Cobb Energy will debut in Atlanta. retail components, boasts stiff competition rate, he added. Performing Arts Centre for 15 years.

Cobb County, Georgia Home to o AAmerica’smerica’s BBestest KnownKnown BBrandsrands

As one of Metro Atlanta’s major job centers, Cobb County has an all-star line up of economic development assets that have attracted the world headquarters for America’s corporate elite.

Our secret? A young, highly skilled workforce that scores.

Cobb County is home to the most educated workforce in Georgia. Nearly one out of every two citizens has earned a bachelor’s degree or higher while our cluster of Georgia’s best colleges and universities boasts more than 41,000 students and 7,800 graduates each year.

See why America’s best known brands achieve more in Cobb County, Georgia. Contact the Cobb Chamber’s Economic Development team to assist with your relocation, expansion or workforce needs today at 770-859-2358 or visit www.cobbchamber.org.

240 Interstate North Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30339 Paid for by the Development Authority of Cobb County Page 8B • January 27-February 2, 2012 COBB COUNTY MARKET REPORT ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE Cobb County office market heads into 2012 By Martin Sinderman increase, according to JLL. upper portions of CONTRIBUTING WRITER By way of comparison, the 89.8 million- Buckhead.” ob b County’s office market has been square-foot Atlanta office market as a Buying and selling a mixed bag, with optimism in the whole ended 2011 at 20 percent vacancy, commercial centers, but sluggish absorbing a net 108,034 square feet Cumberland-Galleria Cgrowth in the rest of the county. during the year. was the scene of one of Relatively strong absorption and high- Major leases completed in the metro Atlanta’s more profile office investment marked Cobb Cumberland area during 2011, according high-profile investment County’s Cumberland-Galleria office sub- to JLL, included those by Graphic sales during 2011 market in 2011. Call center activity, and Packaging Holding Co. at Riveredge in the form of an the impending completion of major road Summit for 100,000 square feet; Kemira $81 million/$161 per- improvements, have generated Chemical at 1000 Parkwood Circle for square-foot deal that optimism about prospects for the 45,000 square feet; and a 38,000-square- closed in September, Town Center submarket. foot renewal/expansion by Wells Fargo & when Highwoods But the pace of smaller-building and Co. at Overlook III. Properties Inc. office condominium sales remains slow in Potential tenants reportedly looking for (NYSE: HIW) acquired the bulk of the county. Cumberland-Galleria office space at year- the 505,527-square-foot end included Manhattan Associates Inc. Riverwood 100. Cumberland-Galleria (120,000 square feet), Gentiva Health Leases at the Clustered around the Interstate 75/ Services (100,000 square feet), IBM Corp. building since then I-285 interchange, the Cumberland- (200,000 square feet) and Travelport have included a Galleria office submarket is one of (150,000 square feet). All currently 24,000-square-foot Atlanta’s largest. occupy space in the submarket. expansion by AON Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. Slightly closer proximity to Hewitt, as well as a reports the 24.4 million-square- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta 12,000 square-foot lease foot Northwest office International Airport and easy with College Concepts, submarket, of which access via automobile differen- said Jim Bacchetta, vice Cumberland-Galleria comprises tiate Cumberland-Galleria from president of the the major portion, ended 2011 other metro-area office submar- Raleigh, N.C.-based real with 21.1 percent of its space kets, according to Gary estate investment trust, vacant, with the class A and Waddell, senior director at “and we hope our cur- SPECIAL class B sectors operating at the Cushman & Wakefield of rent leasing activity will Big sale: Highwoods Properties Inc. acquired the 18 percent and 25.6 percent Waddell Georgia Inc. result in the building 505,527-square-foot Riverwood 100 in Cobb County, making Cushman vacant levels, respectively. & Wakefield “[Cumberland-Galleria] is achieving occupancy it one of the highest-profile office sales in 2011. Absorption for the year totaled attractive as an office location to of around 93 percent 216,536 square feet, a figure a lot of decision-makers that live in 2012.” 14 miles north of Cumberland-Galleria, second to only to Buckhead’s in the immediate area,” he noted, “as well Highwoods has also kicked off a “are cautiously optimistic, particularly 908,624-square-foot net occupancy as entrepreneurs living to the south, in the $5.6 million refurbishment/renovation of when it comes to single-story, call-center/ the 22-year-old building. back-office types of buildings,” said “Within 90 days of closing, we had Mason Zimmerman, senior vice president invested over $500,000 in interior and of Pope & Land Enterprises Inc. exterior cosmetic improvements, a com- The Atlanta-based developer inked plete renovation of the fitness center, more than 200,000 square feet in lease parking deck lobbies, and other improve- deals last year at Barrett, its 1,000-acre ments,” Bacchetta said. master planned multi-use development Work on a conference center is on just off Barrett Parkway between I-75 and tap to begin soon, “And we are also Georgia 41, Zimmerman said. investing several million dollars The call-center segment of the office replacing and/or upgrading the roof, market made news in 2011 as well. mechanical systems and elevators,” he The Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) said. “From an operations standpoint, announced it planned to build a new the building will be functionally new national customer service center in when we are complete.” Chastain Meadows, a 230-acre mixed-use Outside Cumberland-Galleria, in the business park located at I-575 and smaller-building/office condominium Chastain Road. arena, most of the buyers in Cobb are The move comes as the Atlanta-based doctors, lawyers and other professional- home improvement giant expands its services providers seeking space for their online presence. own use, according to Alex Cobble, The center is slated to open in late principal at Commercial Property 2012, ultimately employing Professionals in Atlanta. 700 by 2015. Cobb County has an Other positive activity in the abundant supply of product, Town Center area includes the and its school system, property continued growth of the and sales tax rates make it an 24,000-plus-student Kennesaw attractive business location, State University. Cobble said. Kennesaw State broke But the market is struggling Cobble ground in early 2011 on a due to a lack of confidence Commercial Property 73,000-square-foot Science Lab among businesses regarding the Professionals Addition facility, according to economy, he said. Zimmerman. “It’s difficult for a user to The area will also see the Big Shanty justify spending money on a building Extension completed in the spring. unless they are fairly sure there is some Designed as a relief and access upside potential down the road, and have corridor for Town Center area traffic, confidence about their business,” Cobble the $40 million, four-lane road runs under said. “It is difficult to determine where I-75 between Chastain Road and Barrett pricing should be in the first place, Lakes Boulevard. because of all the bank-owned properties Sources of funding for the project coming back to the market.” include the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Georgia Town Center action Department of Transportation, Cobb Brokers in the 10 million-plus-square- County and the Town Center Area foot Town Center office market, located Community Improvement District. ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE COBB COUNTY MARKET REPORT January 27-February 2, 2012 • Page 9B Cobb marketing touts educated population By Randy Southerland Cobb “We had a better year than we had origi- CONTRIBUTING WRITER Galleria: nally forecasted,” said Michele Swann, obb County is rich, educated and The county’s general manager and CEO of the Cobb- open for business and soon the whole largest Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall world is going to know it. convention Authority, owner of the Cobb Galleria. “It C The county’s new marketing facility saw a started out the first half of the year was strategy, part of an overall economic and 48 percent challenging at best, but then things started community development five-year plan, is increase in picking up and we had much stronger to highlight its assets, including a work- business in summer months, which is usually a slower force in which 45 percent hold at least a 2011 over time for us.” bachelor’s degree as well as its median 2010. In fact, business was up about 48 per- household income of $66,515. These FILE/BYRON E. SMALL cent over the previous year, she added. strengths were identified in an assessment number of middle-class wage earners according to a study last year commis- While it doesn’t have the large facilities by an outside consultant and led to the declined. sioned by the Cobb Convention and found in Atlanta, Cobb is a draw for Cobb’s Competitive EDGE strategy The county hopes its rebranding efforts Visitors Bureau (CVB, now Cobb Travel & smaller shows seeking lower prices and launched last June by the Cobb Chamber attract more tourists and conventions. Tourism). easier access, according to Cobb Travel & of Commerce. Tourism is the county’s biggest industry, The county’s largest convention facility, Tourism CEO Holly Bass. “This competitive assessment looked at generating $1.7 billion in economic impact Cobb Galleria Centre, caught the growth “For us anywhere from 800 to 1,000 peak where Cobb is today and at those positive and employing nearly 25,000 people, wave last year, too. room nights is a good target,” she said . and negative trends and how do we com- pare with other communities we compete with for jobs,” said Demming Bass, chief operating officer of the Cobb Chamber. There are more than 42,000 students enrolled in the county’s postsecondary institutions, which include Kennesaw State University, Southern Polytechnic State University, Life University and Chattahoochee Technical College, Georgia’s largest technical college. Their presence, as well as proximity to additional colleges and universities located nearby in metro Atlanta, have helped make Cobb one of the most educated counties in Georgia and among the top 15 in the nation. Another strength identified in the assess- ment is the county’s large and expanding health-care sector, anchored by WellStar Health System Inc., which owns Kennestone, Windy Hill and Cobb hospi- tals, among other facilities in the metro Thank You area. Both health care and education also help create the impressive array of quality-of-life assets that make it easier to recruit new business and industry, according to Bass. Cobb County Despite those assets, the county has suf- fered during the recession — losing some 35,000 jobs since 2007. Even though the rebranding efforts have just begun, Cobb has already scored some major job wins, bringing 3,080 new for making jobs and $250 million in new capital invest- ment to the county through 26 relocation and expansion announcements during 2011. A 700-employee expansion by The Home Depot Inc. in Kennesaw was Harry Norman #1 the biggest in the state, and Cobb also had the largest biotech expansion when Osmotica Pharmaceutical Corp. opened its first North American R&D manufac- * turing facility in Marietta. The company is — again spending $20 million and creating 156 jobs over the next five years in return for $2 million in incentives. The plant is located in one of the city’s new Opportunity Zones, which provide tax breaks to businesses that add at least two For the brokerage that consistently outperforms the local competition, new jobs equaling $3,500 per job . Cobb has some of the highest incomes contact a Harry Norman, REALTORS® Cobb office nearest you! in the country — higher than many of the communities it competes against for busi- ness, such as nearby Gwinnett County and Raleigh, N.C. Its median household Cobb Marietta Office East Cobb Office income is $66,515, thanks to growth in 776 Whitlock Avenue 4651 Olde Towne Parkway high-wage sectors such as health care, pro- Marietta, Georgia 30064 Marietta, Georgia 30068 fessional, postsecondary education and 770-422-6005 770-977-9500 businesses services including accounting and back office functions. Lane Jones, Managing Broker Jeanne Linden, Managing Broker The numbers also reveal that Cobb is a mirror of the national economy. The share of workers earning more than $100,000 www.harrynorman.com/housingtrends grew by almost 50 percent over the last *Source: Trendgraphix, FMLS Data, Cobb County Properties $250,000+ | Jan. 01 - Dec. 31, 2011. decade. During the same period the Page 10B • January 27-February 2, 2012 COBB COUNTY MARKET REPORT ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE Osmotica picks Cobb for manufacturing plant By Tonya Layman officials are hard at work attracting similar CONTRIBUTING WRITER Osmotica: Gov. companies . n what Cobb Chamber of Commerce Nathan Deal “With our great educational resources officials are calling their biggest talks with CEO here to produce the workforce for compa- economic development win of 2011, R. Forrest nies like Osmotica, Cobb can be known as I Osmotica Pharmaceutical Corp. has Walden at a place where companies can grow and opened its first manufacturing facility in the August thrive while having a pipeline of workers in North America in the former Solvay announcement place to support it, ” Mathis said. Pharmaceuticals Inc. campus in Marietta. of the Charles Craig, Georgia Bio president, The deal is the latest in a growing pharmaceutical said life sciences companies tend to cluster number of bioscience industry companies company’s first around each other . calling Cobb County home. North American “Pharmaceutical, biotech and medical “We are really excited to have a com- manufacturing device companies like to be in proximity to pany like Osmotica help us diversify our plant in each other because it helps establish a economy in Cobb,” said Brooks Mathis, Marietta. community of peers,” he said. “If you look Cobb Chamber vice president of economic FILE/SPECIAL at the way they develop around the nation development. includes such things as trials, related ana- Parkinson’s disease. It currently has five they cluster around universities because Osmotica plans to create 156 jobs over lytical and stability work and registration products in the U.S. market, including those schools can provide the workforce five years, many of which will be high- batches for filing with the [U.S. Food and Allegra-D 24-hour antihistamine and they need and that is where the research is wage positions. The new facility also Drug Administration],” said Tim Albury, decongestant. done that helps create new medicines and represents a $20 million investment over Osmotica’s chief financial officer. “Up to “It was great for us to put a business in medical devices. It is also obvious that the next five years. this point, we have had to outsource this an already existing facility while providing many companies come to the metro So far, Osmotica is thriving in Cobb. It manufacturing to third parties and pay the high-skilled jobs with good wages to our Atlanta area because of the airport and the has filled about 30 positions with hopes of costs associated with that.” citizens,” Mathis said. ease of traveling all around the world.” filling about 50 by year-end. Osmotica has plans to branch out into The Georgia Department of Economic He also cited Cobb County’s skilled Osmotica is a global pharmaceutical consumer manufacturing beginning Development partnered with the city of workforce, which is supported by good company with operations in the United in 2013. Marietta, the Cobb Chamber, the Cobb schools and universities, such as States, Argentina and Hungary. The com- “By far, the biggest opportunity will be County Office of Economic Development Kennesaw State University and Southern pany specializes in drug delivery putting consumer manufacturing capacity and Electric Cities of Georgia to land Polytechnic Stat e University. technologies and neurology-based thera- in that facility,” Albury said. “We are in the the deal. Marietta-based CobbWorks, a Osmotica was looking for an existing pies, and develops time release throes of a five-year plan and we are on nonprofit focused on workforce services facility and the Solvay plant fit the bill, plus technologies and products. target with where we want to be with the and recruitment, will help Osmotica it had the opportunity to hire local The Cobb facility will be the company’s last three years focused on commercial recruit and train new employees . employees who had been laid off from first stab at doing their own in-house man- activity. Our most significant investment The Osmotica deal gives the chamber Solvay, Albury said . ufacturing, which begins with small and job creation will occur when that momentum as it plans the county’s eco- One of the biggest factors was the state’s batches for research and development happens.” nomic future . and county’s work at wooing them. purposes. Osmotica has a portfolio of products in As bioscience was one of the potential “The governor was very motivated. He “We have not done anything more than various stages of development focused on growth sectors identified in a recent eco- went out of his way to help us evaluate small scale manufacturing for R&D that the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis and nomic development assessment, chamber Georgia,” Albury said . Cobb’s Competitive EDGE: Moving Cobb from good to great In Jim Collins best-selling book “Good development that are primed for to Great,” he says visionary companies redevelopment. With appropriate don’t ask, “How well are we doing?” reinvestment, these areas can be revi- Rather, the critical question is, “How can talized, benefiting existing and potential we do better tomorrow than we did future residents and businesses. today?” Visionary communities like Cobb Developing, retaining talent County practice the same philosophy. This seed will focus on developing, That same critical question was the one VIEWPOINT retaining and recruiting talent that we asked when we launched Cobb’s Tim Lee Shan Cooper Kim Menefee Dan Styf supports the competitiveness of Competitive EDGE (Economic Cobb’s strategic economic development Development for a Growing Economy): qualitative research performed by Market entrepreneurs through action items like targets. “How can we as a community do better Street Services, including a Competitive the creation of a collaborative co-work tomorrow than we did today?” The Assessment, a Target Cluster Analysis, and early-stage incubation facility, and a Marketing Cobb County answer is a five-year economic and com- and public input reaching more than Capital Support Group to improve access Economic development practitioners munity development strategy that is 1,800 residents, workers and business to traditional and alternative sources of and partners need to effectively com- holistic in its approach and historic in owners in Cobb County. It represents a capital. municate the competitive advantages its impact for Cobb and metro Atlanta. bold call-to-arms for Cobb’s leaders that make the county and its distinct Cobb County has reached a critical unmatched in our county’s history. It will Cultivating community identities communities attractive to live, work juncture in its history. Competition for result in increased job growth, increased Quality of life and a community’s “sense and do business. Action steps include jobs and talent is more intense than ever incomes, increased educational attain- of place” are among the most important developing a brand identity for eco- in the wake of the “Great Recession” and ment levels, and reduced unemployment factors considered by potential employees nomic development in Cobb County, Cobb has been hit harder than the and poverty rates. It is focused around and employers when determining where developing a best practice economic average county nationwide, having lost these “Seven Seeds for Success.” to live, work and do business. development website targeted to more than 35,000 jobs since 2007. While specific audiences, and launching a other communities have increased their Retaining existing businesses Investing in transportation national public relations campaign capacity to support effective economic This seed focuses on strategies specifi- Traffic congestion is the single greatest to increase awareness of Cobb’s development, Cobb County has been hin- cally related to generating and sustaining challenge facing existing residents and unique assets. dered by its lack of a collaborative, local high-wage jobs in the target indus- businesses in Cobb County. This goal The time is now for Cobb to take a coordinated and deliberate strategic tries of aerospace and advanced focuses on a variety of initiatives that strong step forward toward sustainable, approach to economic development. equipment manufacturing; information seek to advance the implementation of long-term economic prosperity for its Cobb’s Competitive EDGE is a five-year technology and software; professional and key infrastructure projects and encourage companies and residents. community-wide economic development business services; and wholesale trade, as changes in commuter behavior and The time is now for Cobb to competi- initiative created by the Cobb Chamber, well as the growth opportunity target work schedules that can help reduce tively compete for quality jobs. and its partners in education, government industries of health-care services; travel congestion. The time is now to propel Cobb for- and economic development that creates a and tourism; and bioscience . ward from good to great. consensus vision for Cobb’s future Supporting redevelopment efforts growth and an action plan to achieve it. Encouraging entrepreneurship Much of the county — particularly Lee, Cooper, Menefee and Styf are the The initiative was based on the strategic This seed will enhance the supportive South Cobb — is home to aging infra- co-chairs of the Cobb’s Competitive EDGE implications of extensive quantitative and infrastructure for small businesses and structure, housing and industrial Steering Committee. ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE COBB COUNTY MARKET REPORT January 27-February 2, 2012 • Page 11B GE’s Smart Grid center advances research By Tonya Layman where the action is and when you see CONTRIBUTING WRITER national players coming to Cobb that tlanta-based GE Energy has created makes a big difference.” a facility that will help modernize the Carlson said Cobb provides the right fit grid to meet the growing electricity for this center. A demand and educate the public about “This is a great working environment,” those demands and smart grid solutions. he said. “We have great access to restau- With global electricity demand expected rants and public transportation. Our to increase 75 percent by 2030, GE officials facility is centrally located and has expan- believe action must be taken now to meet sion opportunities. It is a cost-effective growing capacity, environmental and place for us to be and provides great security needs. access to technology leadership through The Smart Grid Technology Center of the university and educational systems in

Excellence, near GE’s Marietta headquar- SPECIAL the area. This is a progressive ters in Cobb County, is located in about Smart grid center: The Grid IQ Experience Center features an iPad-guided tour. community.” 100,000 square feet at Eola Capital’s He added proximity to area utility Parkwood Point. This project represents a meetings on Jan. 30. Garcia said. “It definitely enhances the companies gives GE opportunities to $15 million investment and has created Through their involvement, Georgia work associated with our economic devel- join forces to offer grid modernization 300 jobs so far. When the project was first Tech students are able to develop and opment efforts. Most people want to be solutions to their consumers, as well. announced in 2010, GE officials said the test new smart grid technologies to facility would employ 400 people by the improve the efficiency, reliability and end of 2013. environmental impact of energy delivery “We are currently on track to meet those and use — including the integration of numbers,” said Mike Carlson, general more renewable energy sources like manager of smart grid solutions for GE’s wind and solar. A digital energy business. “This facility is Suzy Briggs, director of business and absolutely meeting our expectations. We research development for energy and sus- have consolidated our teams of leaders, tainability activities at Georgia Tech, said the strategists and technologists into one relationship works well for both entities. center to feed off of each other and “For GE, it is not only a wonderful way to optimize the speed of our thinking and get results but to also hire students in a innovation.” developing area. From a Georgia Tech per- Research and design of solutions, partic- spective, many undergrads and graduate ularly in the software space, is also being students get experience within the industry. completed at the facility, Carlson said. It helps them with their team-building and This work falls under GE’s Grid IQ phi- communication skills,” she said. losophy, which is a “company-wide At Georgia Tech they form faculty-led commitment to solving customers’ student teams and GE presents these Helping you get toughest challenges in innovative ways teams with three real-time challenges. from Point A with more efficient, reliable and sustain- Under GE advisement, the teams work on to Point B able energy solutions.” those issues and come up with solutions. Housed at this facility is the Grid IQ Briggs said one Experience Center, a state-of-the-art, exciting component of interactive center that educates utilities, this partnership is that consumers, regulators and policymakers about 15 to 20 patent- about the global energy landscape and the able ideas have come GE technologies modernizing the elec- out of the research trical grid to empower energy suppliers work being done at and consumers. Georgia Tech. The Grid IQ Experience Center features For the past 12 years, an iPad-guided tour to help visitors under- Garcia GE has expanded its Cobb Chamber of stand smart grid solutions and their Commerce footprint here. In 1998, potential to change how power is gener- it located its GE Power Promoting Accessibility ated, delivered and consumed. Visitors will Systems business unit in Cobb County. and Mobility in the learn why and how GE technologies Cobb Chamber of Commerce leaders say empower consumers to make smarter GE is a great asset to the community and Town Center Area decisions about energy consumption. The its Smart Grid Technology Center has Experience Center also features technical increased its presence and provides more demonstrations to help educate utility opportunities to Cobb residents. engineers about GE’s energy solutions for Rob Garcia, 2010-2011 Cobb Chamber of increasing efficiency and reliability. Commerce chairman, said GE’s commit- Carlson said 5,000 people have been ment to smart grid technologies fits well through the learning center since it with the Cobb Chamber’s mission to attract opened early last year. The center is not more cleantech companies to the area. open to the public but is publicly acces- “This is definitely one of the industries sible through scheduled tours. we have focused on in our EDGE “This gives our engineers face time with (Economic Development for a Growing the public and consumers and allows us to Economy) initiative that helped us identify think outside of the box,” he said. some target industries that are consistent The Smart Grid Technology Center is with the resources and infrastructure also responsible for developing smart found here in Cobb,” he said. “It is abso- grid technology for markets around the lutely right there in our sweet spot. This world and manages the research and industry brings the kind of jobs that are development of new technology for power truly within specific targets we are looking plant automation, monitoring electrical for including engineering and technical grids and full integration of an “energy opportunities. Given our proximity to the B Internet.” great educational resources we have here The solutions developed there will be that support the technical side, this is a used in power plants, help conserve nat- good fit.” ural resources and ultimately reduce GE’s center has served as a springboard electricity rates. for attracting similar businesses, he said. 245 TownPark Drive Ravine I, Suite 440 In partnership with Georgia Tech, a “Anytime you have a company with the Kennesaw, Georgia 30144 smart grid innovation laboratory was national prominence of GE, it adds a great p 678.354.0701 • f 770.423.0995 recently completed and will begin hosting deal of credibility to what you are doing,” www.TCACID.com Page 12B • January 27-February 2, 2012 COBB COUNTY MARKET REPORT ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE Cobb County performance pre- and post-bubble Median existing single-family home values 2005 - 2011 Cobb’s strengths: population, prosperity Forsyth Cherokee ike many other communities, Cobb (43.7 percent) than all comparison geogra- Bartow County is at a crossroads in economic phies except Gwinnett County. It is the FFuFultonn development following the onset of least racially diverse of the four metro Area of detail Acworth Kennesaw L the Great Recession. Although the Atlanta counties examined in the report, county was a growing and thriving leader but its minority is growing. Between 2000 Cobb Marietta Gwinnett in the metro area in recent decades, it and 2010, Cobb County has experienced Paulding Smyrna Powder was hit harder by the economic decline an 8.3 percent decline in its white popula- Springs Vinings Mableton than the average community nationwide, tion, while experiencing growth in all Walton DeKalbb according to a competitive assessment of minority groups. Generally speaking, ATLANTA the county by Market Street Services Inc. northeast and northwest Cobb County is Douglas Today Cobb County is facing decreased predominantly white, while South Cobb is Fulton RoRocR kdaalee employment, rising business and personal predominantly African-American and bankruptcy and rapidly declining housing Hispanic. ClaC yton Newton Henry prices, along with increased competition from other counties within metro Atlanta Prosperity and those outside the region. The assess- The Great Recession hit Cobb County Cobb County, Ga. ment, “Cobb’s Competitive EDGE,” looks hard; all of its job growth since 1998 has Gwinnett County, Ga. at strengths, weaknesses, opportunities been erased since the recession’s onset Wake County, N.C. and challenges facing Cobb as it launches and labor markets in the county have not 2005Q4 Collin County, Texas Georgia its new collaborative economic develop- yet recovered. Personal and business United States ment initiative. bankruptcy rates in Cobb County rose at rates that exceeded the national rate of Population increase, according to the assessment. In Cobb County’s population has grown addition, median single-family home prices robustly compared to the national average, in Cobb County have declined by 37 per- 2009Q1 but the growth has lagged nearby Gwinnett cent since the national peak in housing County and two other competitors identi- prices (fourth-quarter 2005), as compared fied by the assessment: Wake County, N.C., to 33 percent and 26 percent decline and Collin County, Texas. In 1990, Cobb across the state and nation, respectively. County had nearly 100,000 more residents As a result, Cobb County households have than Gwinnett County, but by 2010, likely experienced more significant 2011Q1 Gwinnett County had 117,000 more resi- declines in their average net worth than dents than Cobb County. However, the average household nationwide. population growth in Cobb County has Despite the recession, some high-wage $50,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $250,000 exceeded the rates of growth observed in sectors have exhibited strong growth in neighboring Fulton and DeKalb counties. recent years. The assessment found that Also, since 2000, population growth across between the third quarters of 2005 and the state of Georgia has exceeded the rate 2010, the county added jobs in five major of growth in Cobb County. business sectors: educational services The report found that the vast majority (28.9 percent), health care and social assis- of newcomers to Cobb County in recent tance (15.8 percent), public administration years have been from overseas or across (7.6 percent), professional and technical international borders. Net domestic migra- services (4.7 percent), and accommoda- tion — or people moving to Cobb from tion and food services (0.6 percent). within the U.S. — has been negative in Average annual wages in the county recent years. exceed the national average, and exceed That’s an indicator that each year, there the average wage in Gwinnett County. are more residents of Cobb County The county has a particularly well-paid moving to other parts of the country than manufacturing workforce . the number of new residents moving into The county has a high entrepreneurship Cobb County from other parts of the rate and relatively large, active member- country, according to the report. This ships in business associations. trend has been driven by high rates of Cobb County’s entrepreneurship rate out-migration to neighboring counties (24.9 percent) is high compared with (Paulding, Cherokee, Douglas, Bartow Gwinnett County (14.6 percent), the state and Forsyth) that are farther from the (21.6 percent), and the nation (20.2 per- metropolitan area’s urban core. In fact, cent). Additionally, between 2004 and 2009, between 2006 and 2008, Cobb County lost Cobb experienced the highest growth in a net of 18,828 residents to these counties. the percentage of its workers who are self- One of Cobb’s best advantages is its rel- employed (4.7 percent) of all comparison atively young workforce; it does not geographies. currently face the prospect of a shortage Place Your environment for success. of workers that some counties with aging populations will encounter. As of 2010, Cobb County’s overall cost of living is 30.5 percent of the population was lower than the national average and highly 1,000 – 500,000 square feet in Northwest Atlanta’s between the ages of 25 and 44, consider- comparable to the cost of living in most productive business environment. ably larger than the 26 percent between Gwinnett County and one of its two identi- the ages of 45 and 64. If the county is suc- fied competitors, Wake County, N.C., >OL[OLY`V\HYLHZTHSSI\ZPULZZVYHSHYNLW\ISPJJVTWHU` ;OL([SHU[H.HSSLYPHVMMLYZHULMÄJPLU[HUKJVZ[LMMLJ[P]L^VYRPUN -VYSLHZPUNPUMVYTH[PVUWSLHZLJVU[HJ[! cessful at retaining these individuals, its according to the assessment. LU]PYVUTLU[;OLSVJH[PVUPZ\UJVTWYVTPZPUNS`JVU]LUPLU[^P[O *VUUPL,UNLS   pipeline of younger talent will help the Single-family housing in Cobb County is LHZ`HJJLZZ[V0 HUK0HUK^VYRPUNOLYL^PSSZH]L`V\ JVUUPLLUNLS'JOPSKYLZZRSLPUJVT county’s employers endure the impending considerably more affordable than the WYLJPV\Z[PTLZPUJLKPUPUNZOVWWPUNHUKLU[LY[HPUTLU[HYLHSS wave of baby boom retirements. There is national average. Relative to median PU[OLWHYRVYHTVTLU[H^H` .HSSLYPH7HYR^H`5>:\P[L some cause for concern: As the county’s household incomes, the median single- ([SHU[H.( population aged between 2000 and 2010, it family home in Cobb County is more www.atlantagalleria.com ;OL([SHU[H.HSSLYPHVMMLYZHSVUNSPZ[VMVUZP[LHTLUP[PLZSPRL experienced population loss among 25- to affordable than the median- priced home ZO\[[SLZJVUMLYLUJLYVVTZHWYP]H[LJS\IHUKÄULKPUPUN7S\Z 44-year-olds. in Wake County and nationwide. PU[OLZLKPMÄJ\S[ÄUHUJPHS[PTLZOH]PUNHWHY[ULY^P[OHZ[YVUN Cobb County is becoming more racially Unfortunately, this advantage in terms of JHWP[HSIHZLPZLZZLU[PHS;OL([SHU[H.HSSLYPHPZ[OH[WHY[ULY and ethnically diverse but it remains gen- single-family housing affordability has See how your company can succeed at Atlanta Galleria. erally segregated geographically, the come partially from a more precipitous assessment found. Cobb County has decline in home prices since the the a higher proportion of minorities national housing bubble burst . ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE January 27-February 2, 2012 • Page 13B We’ve put all of the Green-tech entrepreneur elements still sees leafy future in place. By Joe Rauch as one of the keys to a longer-term U.S. CONTRIBUTING WRITER economic recovery. rinivas Kilambi is obsessed these days “The green economy has to do well,” he And right now, they’re ready for you to build with, of all things, cement. said. “I think in five to 10 years time, The suburban Atlanta green tech maybe even sooner, you’re going to see a amazing things with them. An incredible workforce Sentrepreneur wants to create a new huge job increase” in the industry. is at your disposal, with thousands of science and process for creating the second most-used Kilambi stressed that traditional brick- technology professionals emerging from local commodity in the world that is more envi- and-mortar industries will need to hire to colleges and universities. ronmentally friendly, he said. speed the recovery, and he believes envi- The project is one of Kilambi’s latest ronmentally conscious initiatives can help ventures aimed at improving how add to the overall workforce. Offering an optimal mix of location, tax incentives, everyday goods are produced and used. In an interview, Kilambi — a former and opportunities, we have just the right chemistry His latest venture, Sriya Green Enterprises executive with India-based conglomerate to facilitate business growth and development. — named after his daughter — is one of a Reliance Industries Ltd. — stressed that growing number of green and clean tech- his approach is not about creating new nology-focused companies backed by products from scratch. entrepreneurs aiming products and ser- “I’m not trying to re-create a wheel,” he vices at customers increasingly concerned said. “That’s pointless. Most people don’t about the environment. even survive that space.” Instead, he’s focused on improving the production of materials used every day. Kilambi first got involved in green tech in the late 1990s, working with Commodore Separation Technologies Inc. 770-794-5717 The company, in which Kilambi was a mariettaga.gov/ecodev senior executive, created a new process to separate toxic chemicals from water and other liquids. The system recovered the chemicals for future reuse, and allowed the water to be disposed of as clean wastewater. So why cement? “It’s tough to get a building engineer to

use anything other than cement. If you www.thegreentechcorridor.com have a new material, the odds are they won’t even use it in decorative landscape.” The building material, he said, is the second-most-used commodity in the world, trailing only water, and the process for its creation has been largely unchanged since BRINGING YOU TOGETHER, Romans first used it. Kilambi said the process being devel- oped would allow cement to be created at ,

BYRON E. SMALL INSIDE OUTSIDE room temperature, rather than in a tradi- tional process where limestone is heated to AND UPSIDE DOWN. Srinivas Kilambi as high as 2,700 degrees. The manufac- Age in: 45 Born in: Chennai, India turing process, he said, would allow far less Lives in: Atlanta energy use at large-scale cement plants. And Kilambi’s approach is becoming a Education: Doctorate in chemical common one for nascent green energy and environmental engineering companies, after other high-profile from the University of Tennessee companies flamed out over the last year. at Knoxville California-based Solyndra LLC, a maker of solar cells, declared bankruptcy last In 2011, investment in clean technology year while owing more than $500 million rose 13 percent to $9 billion over a year in U.S. government loans. prior, according to preliminary data from Investors are instead more likely to invest CleanTech Group LLC, an industry in companies with shorter-term, attainable research group. performance goals or with an established Kilambi is seeking to raise $10 million to product, industry executives said. help fund his cement venture, which he “Energy and the environment aren’t said already has one of the world’s largest going away,” said Shawn Lesser, co- cement companies and chemical manufac- founder and partner of Watershed Capital turers supporting it. Group, an investment bank with Atlanta He declined to name the companies and San Francisco offices that advises involved. companies and funds on environmentally Kilambi, 45, first came to prominence in friendly investments. 2008 as part of a proposed Cobb County- But Lesser noted that investors are pri- based biorefinery that would convert plant marily interested in “later-stage, proven materials, like wood chips and pine straw, technologies” that work “even without to make ethanol, biochemicals for cleaning government subsidies.” agents and food ingredients. The venture After the Solyndra bankruptcy, Lesser received $21 million from Silicon Valley- said investment funds have a renewed based Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers mandate from investors to justify pouring — one of the nation’s top venture capital money into new ventures . Cobb County is Atlanta’s sweet spot: Charming. Delightful. And alive with personality. Whether you’re on vacation or here for business, you’ll discover a place where hospitality comes naturally, travel comes easy, firms — in two rounds of funding. Lesser said ventures focusing on energy and the pleasure is all yours. Learn all about what Cobb has to offer. travelcobb.org Kilambi confirmed that he has since left efficiency, like Kilambi’s latest work, is the that project after it received an additional “low-hanging fruit” that can deliver a quick $50 million in funding from investors, but return and catch venture capitalists’ eye . declined to comment on it further. “Good projects still get funded,”

Overall, Kilambi sees green technology Kilambi said. ©2011 Cobb County Convention and Visitors Bureau Page 14B • January 27-February 2, 2012 COBB COUNTY MARKET REPORT ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE Businesses, customers beware: tips on cyber-safety omputer security is ever-changing ■ Know that your financial institution attachment or from clicking any link that vulnerabilities and issues. We all know and ever-growing in complexity, and and the FDIC will never e-mail you or you cannot verify . that a great security system can be each day brings new threats and phone you or send you a letter requesting ■ Refrain from downloading unfamiliar defeated by a single password on a C vulnerabilities emerging from many account information, online banking pass- software off of the Internet. single Post-it note haphazardly left for different origins. One of the challenges words, credit card numbers, your Social ■ Enable the Windows firewall on your anyone to see. that financial institutions Security number or other private computer. If networked, consider a hard- Most security breaches still occur constantly face is how to personal information. ware firewall. from inside a network, and an indepen- help keep customers safe While there are computer ■ Make regular backups of important dent, objective annual review of security when it comes to technology. and Internet security firms that files. is critically important to most busi- As technology has afforded specialize in keeping your Information security is not simply about nesses to expose areas needing a variety of electronic information protected, financial technology. Effective security strategies prompt attention. banking options over the past institutions have a vested deal with the combination of technology, Financial institutions play an impor- few years, it has become very interest in your computer secu- people and processes. Business owners tant role in the security of financial and important for community rity when it comes to online may also want to consider the following personal data and spend a great deal of banks, like Cobb County- VIEWPOINT banking, mobile banking, elec- recommendations: time and money to ensure policies and based First Landmark Bank, Terry DeWitt tronic banking and remote ■ Establish and maintain an organiza- procedures are in place and followed. to help educate business deposit services. For your pro- tional culture and behavior that promotes Our secondary security responsibility is owners and their staff on the importance tection, IT professionals encourage education, awareness and management of to be a conduit for information that is of security in all aspects of online banking financial institutions to remind you to: computer and information security funda- vitally important in the online relation- and information security. When a bank and ■ Install an anti-virus application, and mentals. The best security technology in ship between a customer and their a client work together, the risks are mini- keep your virus pattern files up to date. the world can be defeated by users not financial institution. I encourage you to mized and the community benefits by Know the name of your program and con- following security procedures. consider these tips and act on any areas thwarting a cyber-criminal from inflicting sider a pop-up window from any other ■ Train your users. This is an invest- where you believe you or your organiza- harm and mayhem on a local business. program as malicious software. ment of time and talent, yet a vital tion’s computer, Internet or information At the risk of stating the obvious to tech- ■ Regularly download security updates component of security. Necessary policies security procedures may be weak. nology-savvy consumers and and “patches” for operating systems and such as strong passwords and password These tips are intended to help pro- small-business owners (yet everyone can other software. expiration/rotation, while inconvenient, mote computer and information security use a timely reminder of best practices), ■ Use strong passwords for all serve a purpose. Management should and safe behavior online, specifically as here is a list of simple suggestions to boost accounts. A strong password includes both mandate the policies and procedures and it pertains to financial information secu- security on both personal and office com- upper and lowercase letters, numbers, have a system to monitor compliance. rity. They were, in part, adapted from puters as well as utilize safe online banking symbols or, even better, passphrases. ■ Establish internal Acceptable Use pol- information from the National Cyber practices. ■ Never share passwords or pass- icies for Web surfing and Internet e-mail. Security Alliance, the American The three most important steps to take phrases with friends, family, co-workers or ■ Provide all employees information on Bankers Association and SafeSystems, to secure your online financial privacy are: computer support personnel. Safeguard how to respond to and/or report suspi- an IT firm that specializes in financial ■ Use secure connections, including written user names and passwords. cious computer or Internet behavior. institutions, and in all cases is used with secure Wi-Fi connections. Refrain from ■ Consider disabling the “fill in” feature ■ Restrict access to employees for permission. using public Wi-Fi connections to access that automatically enters (and remembers) internal programs on a “need to know/ any information that is not meant to be a log in. need to use” basis. DeWitt is president and chief operating officer of shared. ■ Log out of or lock your computer Finally, it is important to check your First Landmark Bank, a community bank ■ Consider using a dedicated computer when stepping away, even for a moment. organization’s security posture against headquartered in Marietta that specializes in for online banking and payments. ■ Refrain from opening any e-mail or best practices and against known commercial lending and financial services.

Cobb nabs over two dozen major projects Cobb’s Competitive EDGE Continued from 2B ■ benchmarks “The summer season of 2011 was the (initiated in 2012) busiest on record for Cobb Galleria “The university is a huge employment center, Centre,” said Malaika Rivers, executive ◗ Increase per capita income by 15% director of the Cumberland Community they’re putting land into production and taking to $50,529. Improvement District, a public-private ◗ Reduce unemployment from 9.1% partnership made up of self-taxing private buildings off the market and converting to 5.5% by 2017. commercial property them to use for the college.” ◗ Increase percentage of adults owners. with bachelor’s degree or higher According to Galleria Mason Zimmerman to 47.5%, making Cobb County Town Centre Area Community Improvement District Centre management, the most highly educated county ■ during the months of in Georgia. June, July and August, ◗ tradeshows and con- project partially funded by the federal gov- Road. Still in the planning stage is the Conduct 100 site visits with Rivers existing industries each year. Cumberland ventions at the ernment, which connects to the Busbee-Frey Connector, which is Community 300,000-plus-square- Chattahoochee National Recreation Area. designed in part to provide relief from ◗ Acquire and redevelop three to five Improvement District foot facility resulted in “We are continuing to build connections traffic congestion caused by the expan- blighted properties each year. more than 10,000 hotel room bookings per to the natural environment so that people sion of and development activity around ◗ night in the community. who work in offices and live in those Kennesaw State University. Secure six to eight new business Last year, the Cumberland CID broke communities have access to those lands,” While acknowledging the traffic snarl, relocations of firms with at least ground on about 10 projects valued at Rivers said. Zimmerman said the benefits brought to 50 employees each year. around $10 million, including enhancing Having spent the last few years exten- the community by KSU far outweigh any ◗ Reduce the poverty rate from sidewalk features, replacing streetlights, sively preparing for development activity negative issues. 11.4% to 9.4%. adding pedestrian lighting, crosswalks and focused on three key areas — quality of “The university is a huge employment ◗ landscaping. One of the biggest projects life, infrastructure and planning — the center, they’re putting land into production Increase young professional popu- slated to begin in 2012 is the $18.5 million Town Centre Area Community and taking private buildings off the lation from 14.7% to 15.5%. reconstruction of the Cobb Parkway Improvement District (TCACID) is market and converting them to use for ◗ Reduce the number of commuters bridge, originally built in 1925, which heading into the New Year with great the college,” he said, also citing new on Cobb’s roads by recruiting at crosses the Chattahoochee River near expectations. retail construction and housing least 300 businesses and 2,500 Vinings Mill Road, connecting Cobb and “2011 was an exciting year and we developments, which are also on the employees to accept the “Try Fulton counties. expect more of the same in 2012,” said rise in the area. Telework Challenge” and/or the The county will see more streetscape Mason Zimmerman, chairman of the A TCACID project aimed at improved “Alternative Commute Competition.” enhancements in 2012, including a TCACID. quality of life is the Noonday Creek Trail, a makeover of the Cumberland Boulevard The most significant infrastructure pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly trail. ◗ Average 5,000 net new residents Overpass spanning Interstate 75. The project on the TCACID agenda is the “It might seem like a minor thing, but I’m moving into Cobb from outside CID’s trail-building efforts in 2012 include Big Shanty Connection, a $40 million happy to say this trail has taken many years the county. work on a northbound extension of the collaborative project under construction of groundwork and a lot of public-private Source: Cobb Chamber of Commerce Bob Callan Trunk Trail, a $7.1 million between Barrett Parkway and Chastain cooperation,” Zimmerman said . ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE COBB COUNTY MARKET REPORT January 27-February 2, 2012 • Page 15B

COUNTY COBB DEKALB FULTON GWINNETT COUNTY COBB DEKALB FULTON GWINNETT POPULATION GROWTH Public Schools Percent Change, 2000-2010 13.2% 3.9% 12.8% 36.9% Change, Enrollment, 2004-2005 to 2009-2010 3.6% -0.6% 19.5% 17.6% Rank 2 4 3 1 Rank 300% 400% 100% 200% POVERTY Percent Profi cient + Advanced, HSGT Math, 2010 81.7% 75% 80.1% 83.3% Total Poverty Rate, 2009 11.4% 17% 17.6% 13.7% Rank 2431 Rank 1342Percent Profi cient + Advanced, 94.3% 89% 94.1% 93.6% Youth Poverty Rate, 2009 14.9% 24.5% 23.6% 18% HSGT Eng/LA, 2010 Rank 1432Rank 1423 Change, Total Poverty Rate, 2007-09 2% 2.6% 3.4% 5.3% Graduation Rate, 2010 87.3% 79.2% 85.3% 84.7% Rank 1234Rank 1423 INCOME Employment Dynamics Per Capita Income, 2009 $43,235 $37,027 $50,474 $32,381 Percent Change, Employment, -7.9% -6.8% -9.7% -9.1% Rank 2314Dec 2007 to June 2009 Percent Change, Per Capita 9.5% 8.4% 4.7% 3% Rank 2143 Income,2004-2009 Percent Change, Employment, -3.2% -1.6% 2.9% 1.2% Rank 1234June 2009 to December 2010 AGE DYNAMICS Rank 4312 Percentage of Population, 20-65 63% 64.5% 64.1% 61.5% Entrepreneurship Statistics (Working Population) Entrepreneurship Rate, 2009 24.9% 31.1% 16.4% 14.6% Rank 3124Rank 2134 Percentage of Population, 25-34 14.7% 17.1% 16.7% 14.3% Average Annual Receipts, 2008 $44,410 $33,661 $52,212 $41,845 (Young Professionals) Rank 2413 Rank 3124 CRIME STATISTICS DIVERSITY Property Crime Rate, 2009 2,586.2 5,071.7 5,402.4 2,840.7 Percentage of Non-White 43.7% 70.6% 59.2% 56% Rank 1342 Population, 2010 Change in Property Crime Rate, 2009 -10.8% 6.6% -14.7% -13.1% Rank 4123Rank 3412 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT Violent Crime Rate, 2009 293.2 644.2 806.5 293.6 Adults 25 + without a High School 10.1% 12.2% 11.3% 12.9% Rank 100% 300% 400% 200% Diploma, 2009 Change in Violent Crime Rate, 2004-2009 5.5% 14.7% -31% -5.4% Rank 1324Rank 300% 40% 100% 200% Adults 25+ with Bachelor’s +, 2009 43.4% 37.5% 45.5% 33.8% HOUSING AFFORDABILITY Rank 2314 Median Price, Single Family Home, 1Q 2011 $116,780 $104,577 $130,250 $107,700 Young Professionals with 43.3% 38.7% 45.9% 32.8% Rank 3142 Bachelor’s +, 2009 Median Rent, 2009 $775 $764 $761 $786 Rank 2314 Source: Competitive Assessment: Cobb’s Competitive EDGE: Cobb County, Georgia, Market Street Services Inc. Rank 3214 INDEX CCH Small Firm Services...... 2B Chattahoochee Technical College ...... 9B City of Marietta ...... 10B CleanTech Group LLC ...... 13B Cobb Chamber of Commerce ...... 2B, 4B, 9B, 10B, 11B Cobb Convention and Visitors Bureau ...... 9B Cobb County Office of Economic Development ...... 10B Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre ...... 7B Cobb Galleria Centre ...... 9B Cobb Travel & Tourism ...... 2B, 7B, 9B Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority ...... 9B CobbWorks ...... 10B Cumberland Community Improvement District ...... 14B Cushman & Wakefield of Georgia Inc...... 8B Business quick facts Edens ...... 4B Eola Capital ...... 11B COBB COUNTY GEORGIA Fifth Third Bank ...... 4B Private nonfarm establishments, 2009 19,247 219,348* Fresenius Medical Care ...... 2B GE Energy ...... 11B Private nonfarm employment, 2009 303,501 3,410,505* Georgia Department of Economic Development ...... 10B Private nonfarm employment, percent change 2000-2009 -3% -2.1%* Georgia Hospital Association ...... 6B Georgia Tech ...... 11B Nonemployer establishments, 2009 62,097 734,830 Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport ...... 8B Total number of firms, 2007 77,945 901,105 Highwoods Properties Inc...... 8B Black-owned firms, percent, 2007 18.6% 20.4% Home Depot Inc., The ...... 2B, 8B, 9B Hyatt Hotels Corp...... 7B American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned firms, percent, 2007 0.7% 0.7% Jones Lang LaSalle Inc...... 8B Kennesaw State University ...... 9B, 10B, 14B Asian-owned firms, percent, 2007 4.8% 5.1% Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers ...... 13B Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms, percent, 2007 0.1% 0.1% Life University ...... 9B Market Street Services ...... 2B, 12B Hispanic-owned firms, percent, 2007 5.5% 3.6% Navigant Consulting Inc...... 6B Women-owned firms, percent, 2007 31.7% 30.9% Noble Investment Group ...... 7B Novelis Inc...... 2B Manufacturers shipments, 2007 (in thousands) $5,651,641 $144,280,774 OrthoSport Physical Therapy ...... 6B Merchant wholesaler sales, 2007 (in thousands) $15,524,844 $141,962,359 Osmotica Pharmaceutical Corp...... 2B, 9B, 10B Panther Hospitality ...... 7B Retail sales, 2007 (in thousands) $10,480,711 $117,516,907 Pope & Land Enterprises Inc...... 8B Smart Grid Technology Center of Excellence...... 11B Retail sales per capita, 2007 $15,157 $12,326 Southern Polytechnic Stat e University ...... 9B, 10B Accommodation and food services sales, 2007 (in thousands) $1,393,471 $16,976,235 Sriya Green Enterprises ...... 13B Town Centre Area Community Building permits, 2010 1,013 17,265 Improvement District ...... 14B U.S. Food and Drug Administration ...... 10B Federal spending, 2009 $4,073,439 $86,048,104 Watershed Capital Group ...... 13B * Includes data not distributed by county. WellStar Health System Inc...... 6B, 9B Source: U.S. Census Bureau DIVERSE MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES. SKILLS.

MAKING GEORGIA STRONG.

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