It’s no surprise that Team Georgia has been busy supporting Mercedes-Benz USA’s newest project. While Mercedes-Benz USA decision to come to Georgia was a logical one, their decision to locate here was due in part to the hard-working Team Georgia promoting the state’s thriving automotive sector.

Last week, the Georgia Department of Economic Development and Georgia Allies attended the 2015 Automotive News World Congress in Detroit, Michigan.

Automotive News World Congress is an annual premiere event for the automotive sector. Industry leaders from all over the world come together to network and discuss trends in the industry. Team Georgia finds it important to attend this event every year in order to strengthen relationships with high-level decision makers and understand the latest innovations in the automotive market.

Leaders in attendance included Bernard Maier (Executive Board Member for Sales and Marketing, Porsche AG), Sergio Marchionne (CEO, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V.), Mary Barra (CEO, General Motors) and Elon Musk (Co-Founder, CEO and Product Architect, Tesla Motors) just to name a few.

Everyone was a buzz regarding the Mercedes-Benz North American Headquarters relocation to Georgia. Also, the Georgia team had the opportunity to attend the North American International Auto Show to view the latest makes and models from some of the industry’s leading OEMs.

Did you know that Georgia is strategically located near 15 OEMs? More than 20 percent of the East Coast’s automotive exports leave through Georgia’s ports, accounting to $9.5 billion a year.

As we move into 2015, Georgia continues to position itself as a competitive State to recruit and expand the automotive sector. Find out more about automotive in Georgia.