March 2021 Features

• Athens-based W&A Engineering Honored with goBeyondProfit Champion Award

  March 31, 2021

  Georgia’s goBeyondProfit business alliance announced today that Athens-based W&A Engineering earned the goBeyondProfit Champion Award. The peer-nominated honor is given for exemplary citizenship in company culture and deployment of company resources that empower community.

• Georgia Ports Authority Makes Major Infrastructure Investment

  March 30, 2021

  On Monday, the Georgia Ports Authority Board approved capital improvement projects that will increase the Port of Savannah’s container capacity by 20 percent.

• Georgia’s Unemployment Rate Continues to Drop in February

  March 26, 2021

  The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced that Georgia’s unemployment rate dropped 0.3 percentage points in February to reach 4.8 percent and has decreased 7.7 percentage points since the start of the pandemic.

• Surge in Economic Optimism Among CEOs Means More Hiring and Investments on the Way

  March 26, 2021

  Confidence among CEOs in the first quarter of 2021 is the highest it has been since 2018, according to the Q1 CEO Confidence Index from Vistage.

• Sterling Seacrest Partners, Inc. and Pritchard & Jerden Announce Merger Plans to Form Sterling Seacrest Pritchard

  March 25, 2021

  Sterling Seacrest Partners, Inc. and Pritchard & Jerden recently announced plans to merge and operate as Sterling Seacrest Pritchard. The new company will be one of the largest privately held, independent insurance brokerages in the southeastern United States.

• Lawmakers Work to Pass Bills Before Session Ends Next Week

  March 25, 2021

  The clock is ticking on the 2021 session on the Georgia General Assembly, and lawmakers are working to get their bills passed before session ends March 31st.

• Google Announces Plans to Invest $25M+ in Georgia this Year

  March 24, 2021

  Google plans to invest $25M+ in Georgia in 2021, including its new Atlanta office currently under construction in Midtown where the company will occupy 19 floors at 1105 West Peachtree. Nationally, Google plans to invest more than $7 billion in offices and data centers and create at least 10,000 new full-time Google jobs across the United States this year.

• New Industrial Sites Spur Economic Development in Bryan County

  March 23, 2021

  Despite the challenges over the past year, the Development Authority of Bryan County (DABC) continues to focus on attracting new industries to its communities.

• Spring Travel in Full Swing: Half of Americans Planning a Trip This Season

  March 22, 2021

  Although the idea of a vacation has felt like an impossible dream for such a long time, paradise may be on the horizon. Americans are becoming increasingly confident that life will soon return to normal — and they are keen to hit the road as soon as possible.

• Historic Day for Transit Funding in Georgia

  March 19, 2021

  The Georgia Legislature today took the historic step of establishing a mechanism to annually fund capital transit projects that support economic development priorities throughout the state.

• Tax Day for Individuals Extended to May 17th: Treasury, IRS Extend Filing & Payment Deadline

  March 19, 2021

  The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service announced that the federal income tax filing due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year will be automatically extended from April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021. The IRS will be providing formal guidance in the coming days.

• Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Georgia Chapter Survey Highlights Changing Role of In-House Counsel

  March 17, 2021

  A recent survey by the Association of Corporate Counsel Georgia Chapter and its in-kind sponsor and communications agency, Poston Communications, highlights a shift in the role of in-house counsel.

• ‘Economy Bouncing Back,’ Reports Georgia Southern’s Q4 Economic Monitor

  March 16, 2021

  Georgia Southern University’s latest Economic Monitor reports that the Savannah metro area economy continued to bounce back during the closing quarter of 2020.

• New U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO: Business Will Lead the Next American Century

  March 16, 2021

  Over the past 12 months, our nation has seen a decade of disruption. What we’ve collectively experienced will change our lives, businesses, communities, and world—permanently. Now, coming out of the global pandemic, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to embrace and lead transformation and usher in the Next American Century.

• Governor Kemp and Local Leaders to Officially Break Ground on Savannah Convention Center Expansion Project

  March 15, 2021

  On Wednesday, Governor Brian Kemp will join local leaders and VIPs to officially break ground on the Savannah Convention Center expansion project.

• Memorial Health Dwaine & Cynthia Willett Children’s Hospital of Savannah Now Open

  March 15, 2021

  After years of planning and construction, the Memorial Health Dwaine & Cynthia Willett Children’s Hospital of Savannah opened for patients on March 9th. Following a ribbon cutting ceremony, pediatric patients were transported from the former children’s hospital in the main hospital tower to the new freestanding facility.

• Companies' Post-COVID Dilemma: Will the Rise of Remote Work Become a Permanent Pandemic Legacy?

  March 15, 2021

  When COVID-19 suddenly forced millions of Americans to work from home (WFH), employees and employers alike feared confusion, dislocation, and lost productivity. A year on, as vaccines finally put a return to the office within sight, companies are rushing to decide where WFH fits as a permanent part of their postpandemic strategy.

• Technology Association of Georgia Announces the Top 40 Innovative Technology Companies in Georgia

  March 12, 2021

  TAG’S Top 40 Awards, sponsored by Comcast Business and Cherry Bekaert, recognize Georgia-based technology companies for their innovation, financial impact and efforts to spread awareness of the state’s technology initiatives throughout the U.S. and globally.

• PwC: Three Quarters of CEOs Predict a Return to Growth in 2021

  March 12, 2021

  One year after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, CEOs are voicing record levels of optimism in the global economic recovery, with 76% of global business leaders predicting that economic growth will improve in 2021.

• Mansion on Forsyth Park’s 700 Kitchen Cooking School to Offer Themed Holiday Classes

  March 11, 2021

  The Mansion on Forsyth Park’s 700 Kitchen Cooking School – an intimate, elegant culinary experience located at 700 Drayton St. in Savannah, Ga. – will offer locals and visitors a new way to celebrate springtime in Savannah with themed classes in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and Mother’s Day, in addition to a wide range of ongoing cooking classes.

• Georgia Starts 2021 Off Strong

  March 11, 2021

  The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Georgia’s unemployment rate dropped 0.2 percentage points in January to reach 5.1 percent and has decreased 7.4 percentage points since the start of the pandemic. Georgia’s January unemployment rate was 1.2 percent lower than the national unemployment rate.

• Gulfstream Awarded $696 Million in Contracts for U.S. Air Force Special Missions Support

  March 10, 2021

  Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, announced today that it has been awarded $696 million in contracts from the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center for engineering services support and contractor logistics for C-20 and C-37 aircraft.

• Plant Riverside District to Host Shamrocks and Shenanigans Festival to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Savannah, Ga.

  March 09, 2021

  Plant Riverside District – Savannah, Ga.’s newest and most exciting destination for dining, shopping and live entertainment – will host the 2021 Shamrocks and Shenanigans festival in honor of St. Patrick’s Day from Friday, March 12th through Wednesday, March 17th along Savannah’s riverfront at 400 W. River St.

• Georgia’s Leadership in a Pandemic World

  March 09, 2021

  The State of Georgia is a technology leader with a profile that is quickly rising. Not only have Microsoft and Airbnb recently announced that they would create large tech hubs in Atlanta, but four Georgia-based startups reached “unicorn” status in the last year.

• YMCA of Coastal Georgia Announces 2021 Annual Campaign Launch

  March 08, 2021

  The YMCA of Coastal Georgia proudly announces Terry Carter of Terry Carter: All State Insurance as the 2021 YMCA Annual Campaign Chairperson.