One of Georgia’s best kept secrets is its thriving music industry. The city of Atlanta is known as the “center of gravity” for hip-hop music and the state has produced a flood of recent country music chart-toppers. The area also boasts a variety of recording and production facilities, a wide range of performance venues and numerous opportunities to study music.

Georgia has a long history of musical innovation, dating back more than 100 years. But since the late 1980s, Atlanta has taken center stage as a focal point of urban music. That growth has spawned an eclectic blend of music genres that present opportunities for young people to enter the industry in Georgia.

Atlanta’s thriving music industry is widely acknowledged as one of the global capitals of hip-hop music (particularly crunk), rhythm and blues (R&B), neo-soul and gospel music. The city also features a vibrant independent rock scene and a number of live music venues. Classical music, blues, country, pop and other genres also have a strong foothold in the recording studios and concert settings across Atlanta.

The city was termed “hip-hop’s center of gravity” by the New York Times.  Local artists with international success include Ludacris, T.I., Usher, Tony Braxton, Outkast, Lil Jon, Kris Kross, Cee Lo Green, Monica, Ciara and Young Jeezy.

300-Plus Recording Studios

There are more than 300 recording studios in Georgia, with most based in Atlanta. Producers L.A. Reid and Babyface set up LaFace Records in 1989 in Atlanta. Jermaine Dupri soon followed with his own label, founding So So Def Recordings in 1993.  Those two recording companies – which signed artists ranging from TLC to Da Brat – ensured Atlanta’s place in the recording music business. That success led major labels such as Arista Records to set up offices in the city.  Pop sensation Justin Bieber lives in Atlanta; moving here to work with Usher and signing with RBMG.

While urban music gets much of the attention in Atlanta, the city is active in plenty of other genres.  Classical music has been a strong factor here for decades, with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra winning several Grammys in recent years. The city has a number of blues and jazz nightclubs, with top acts attending the annual Atlanta Jazz Festival. The Atlanta area is also home to a number of major country music headlines, including the Zac Brown Band, Kenny Rogers, Alan Jackson, Jason Aldean and Sugarland.

The Atlanta live music scene has been critical to the emergence of local pop, rock and folk acts like Indigo Girls, The Black Crowes and Shawn Mullins.  Eddie’s Attic, a club in the Decatur suburb, played a critical role in helping launch Mullins, John Mayer, India Arie, Sugarland, and many others. Other top venues for up-and-coming artists and well-known groups seeking a more intimate venue include the Variety Playhouse, the Masquerade, the Tabernacle, Lenny’s Bar, Apache Café, the Earl, Wild Bill’s and the Hard Rock Cafe.

The amphitheater at Chastain Park is the city’s best and most popular outdoor music venue. While it holds less than 7,000 people, Chastain Park in central Atlanta regularly hosts artists such as Bob Dylan, Chris Isaak, Stevie Nicks, Steely Dan and the Temptations.  The historic Fox Theater downtown welcomes music acts as well as theatrical plays and musicals. Major stadium-sized tours come to Phillips Arena, Aaron’s Amphitheater at Lakewood and the Verizon Amphitheater in Alpharetta.

Music Industry Educational Programs

While those musical venues and recording studios offer plenty of opportunities to build a career, the Atlanta area is also a great place to get your initial training and education. There are more than 50 Georgia institutions offering post-secondary programs in the music business, including performance, production, composing and conducting. Programs that offer concentrations in the music industry and its technology include the Joel A. Katz Music and Entertainment Business Program at Kennesaw State University near Atlanta, and the Music Business Program at the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia in Athens. Other programs in Atlanta range from a bachelor’s degree in music management to master’s and doctorate degrees in music technology at Georgia Tech.

Georgia’s musical training, legacy and growth are not confined to Atlanta. One and a half hours northeast of Atlanta is Athens, the “Liverpool of the south.” The “birthplace of New Wave music” spawned such bands as R.E.M., Widespread Panic, the B-52s and the Drive-By Truckers. Today the city boasts a thriving live music scene that provides a home for a wide variety of indie bands, Americana groups and “hick hop” -- a unique blend of rap and country music personified by Athen’s Colt Ford.

One and a half hours south of Atlanta is Macon, where the Allman Brothers Band and Capricorn Records made the city the focal point of the Southern rock movement. Macon was also the home of R&B legends Otis Redding and Little Richard. Savannah, on Georgia’s Atlantic Coast, was the birthplace of “Tin Pan Alley” songwriter Johnny Mercer, co-founder of Capitol Records. James Brown hailed from Augusta, while Ray Charles was born in Albany.

With so many successful musicians arising from Georgia and Atlanta, the region now provides a deep infrastructure of facilities, artists and educators who are constantly working to introduce the next set of musical talents to the world.

Bobby L. Hickman is an Atlanta-based freelance business journalist who regularly contributes to various print and online publications. He can be reached through his web site, www.blhickman.com.

Photo Credit: The Blissful Glutton

Forty years ago, Gwinnett County, Georgia, was largely a sleepy rural area dominated by farmlands and pastures. Today it is a thriving, diverse suburban hub that helps power Atlanta’s business and cultural growth. And during those years of growth, Asian businesses and residents have played a key role in developing the quality of life and business infrastructure that continues to power the region.

Gwinnett is the second-largest county in Georgia and the most racially diverse, with the largest Asian and Hispanic populations in the state. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Gwinnett’s Asian population grew from 43,096 in 2000 to 84,763 in 2010. By 2012, an estimated 10.8 percent of Gwinnett’s 825,000 residents were Asian – almost triple the 3.4 percent rate for the entire state of Georgia.

Since the 1980s, Gwinnett has consistently been among the top five fasting-growing counties in the United States. (It took first place in the mid-1980s and is currently ranked fourth.) Gwinnett borders Fulton County and northern Atlanta, putting it within 20 minutes of downtown Atlanta and 45 minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Interstate 85 splits the county, providing easy access to the airport, the Atlantic port of Savannah, and a transportation network that spans the Eastern Seaboard. The proximity to the transportation hub of Atlanta has been a major factor fueling Gwinnett’s growth over the past three decades

The Asian community has been a strong part of that growth, with a number of businesses and individuals choosing to locate in Gwinnett. Koreans and Taiwanese were one of the first to come to Atlanta, but in recent years, a growing number of mainland Chinese have arrived. The Buford Highway (Georgia Highway 13) corridor, which spans Gwinnett and neighboring DeKalb County, has long been an international community that has drawn Asian immigrants for decades. Significant populations of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian and other Asian residents are found there, as well as large Mexican and Central American communities.

The diverse Asian influences have created a vibrant community of restaurants, bars, karaoke rooms, grocery stores, coffee shops, clothing stores and other specialty retailers. There is also a strong services industry, ranging from Asian doctors, lawyers, bankers and other professionals to beauty salons and traditional Korean bathhouses (Jjimjilbangs). Many Asians have put down roots in Gwinnett, buying homes and sending their children to college in Georgia.

Asian Firms Drawn on Deep Pool of Business Resources

As one of the fastest growing counties in the United States since the 1980s, Gwinnett has built a deep infrastructure of organizations and other resources to help businesses locate here and thrive. Fortune 500 companies such as NCR, AGCO and Rock-Tenn are based in Gwinnett, alongside thousands of other enterprises. The county “caters to domestic and international businesses of all sizes and works to promote the industries of advanced communications, information technology, manufacturing, healthcare and corporate headquarters,” according to the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.

Like most U.S. communities, the Gwinnett Chamber is a great first contact point for businesses interested in the area. The Chamber has more than 2,700 members in the Atlanta area. Its objectives include “to create jobs and wealth, strengthen the community and your business,” and provide programs “to connect your business regionally and globally.” 

The Chamber can provide information about local business incentives that target companies relocating and expanding in Gwinnett, such as property tax abatements, fee reductions or waivers, and industrial revenue bonds.  It can also provide insights into such Georgia incentives as job tax credits, state-designated opportunity zones, and the “Quick Start” job training program.

While the Gwinnett Chamber has programs aimed to help foreign firms and entrepreneurs do business here, there are also many other organizations in the metropolitan Atlanta area that focus on Asian businesses. Those include the Association of Chinese Professionals, Organization of Chinese Americans/Georgia Chapter, Chinese Business Association of Atlanta, Asian American Hotel Owners Association, Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association, the Korean American Chamber of Commerce, Philippine American Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce. There are also a vast number of community service and cultural groups, such as the Center for Pan Asian Community Services (with offices in Duluth and Atlanta), the Asian American Resource Center and NAAAP-Atlanta.

Asian entrepreneurs can also call on Gwinnett’s colleges and universities for a vast array of information and support services. The University of Georgia operates a Small Business Development Center in Lawrenceville that provides low cost training and free consulting services that includes assistants with developing business plans, market analysis, financial strategies, compliance and legal issues, and preparing loan applications to start or expand a business. Gwinnett Technical College provides comprehensive training and workforce development services, ranging from customized group classes for a given business to individualized computer training courses. Classes can be provided at your workplace or at the George Busbee International Center for Workforce Development in Lawrenceville.

From its international business focus to its diverse local community, Asians continue to play key roles in developing the quality of life and business expertise that make Gwinnett County the Atlanta area’s leading hub for technology, bioscience and innovation in Georgia’s information-based economy.

Bobby L. Hickman is an Atlanta-based freelance business journalist who regularly contributes to Georgia Trend and other publications. He can be reached through his web site, www.blhickman.com.

Photo Credit: Georgia Theatre

Athens, Georgia, the historic Southern city with a hip college town vibe, blends the traditional amenities of a world-class learning center with the cutting-edge energy of a major cultural center.

Nestled some 70 miles north of Atlanta in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Athens is an energetic blend of old and new. Victorian-era buildings line historic downtown streets teaming with funky shops, contemporary art galleries, classic record stores, progressive culinary experiences and eclectic nightlife.

Athens is best known as the home of the University of Georgia, chartered in 1785 as America’s first state college. Athens itself was founded in 1806, drawing its name from the ancient Greek center of higher learning. The city is nicknamed the “Classic City” – a reference to both its namesake in Greece and the style of architecture found in its many historic homes. But Athens is also known to international music lovers as the “Liverpool of the South” for its role as a global center of independent music and the birthplace of New Wave music.

More Than Just a “College Town”

Athens is home to the sprawling 793-acre main campus of the University of Georgia (UGA), the flagship of the state higher education system. For the fall 2012 quarter, UGA had more than 26,200 undergraduate and 8,000 graduate students enrolled at the main campus in Athens plus four other campuses. More than 1,500 of that number were international students.

UGA has the most comprehensive variety of courses in the state, with schools and colleges focusing on medicine; law; public and international affairs; business; arts and sciences; agriculture and environmental sciences; education; and journalism and mass communications. The university offers 22 baccalaureate degrees in more than 140 fields; 35 master’s degrees in 137 fields; 19 education degrees; five doctoral degrees in 96 areas; and professional degrees in law, pharmacy and veterinary medicine.

The university and its Bulldawg sports teams help make Athens a quintessential college town and cultural center. The Georgia Museum of Art expanded in 2011, tripling its gallery space. The galleries at UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art host revolving shows of established and emerging artists, complemented by dozens of independent galleries scattered around the city. The university’s Performing Arts Center also showcases some of the world’s best performers in jazz, ballet, world music and other genres.

A great way to get acquainted with downtown Athens is to tour the UGA campus. The UGA Visitors Center provides 75-minute tours led by university students. The center also has an information center staffed by knowledgeable college students. 

Birthplace of New Wave Music

Beyond the United States, Athens is best known as the birthplace of such bands as R.E.M., Widespread Panic and the B-52s. As the New Wave music movement swept the world in the 1980s, the documentary film “Athens, GA: Inside/Out” helped established the city’s place as a hotbed of independent music. The city soon became known as the “Liverpool of the South” and the “birthplace of New Wave music” as bands such as R.E.M. and the B-52s burst into international fame. A number of R.E.M. members still live in Athens, where they are active in historic preservation and environmental causes.

The independent music movement continues to thrive today, spawning such contemporary acts as Danger Mouse, Of Montreal and the Drive-By Truckers. Dozens of clubs are open nightly, hosting the next wave of up-and-coming rock, pop and indie bands. In fact, Rolling Stone magazine recently named Athens as the “Number One College Music Scene in America”.

Most of the nightlife, galleries, landmarks and attractions in Athens are centered around the UGA campus and the downtown area. Record stores, music cafes, music-related landmarks, funky boutiques and coffee shops can be found in renovated buildings throughout the area. For outdoor enthusiasts, the 313-acre State Botanical Gardens of Georgia offers nature trails, while the North Oconee River Greenway beckons bikers and hikers.

Athens has its share of oddities as well, from a rare double-barreled cannon to the “Tree That Owns Itself” – both documented in “Ripley’s Believe It or Not”. To explore Athens’ must-see sites as well as its off-the-beaten-path attractions, pick up a guidebook at the Athens Visitors Center or visit them online at www.visitathensga.com.

Bobby L. Hickman is an Atlanta-based freelance business journalist who regularly contributes to various print and online publications. He can be reached through his web site, www.blhickman.com.

International students are flocking to Atlanta and Georgia schools in record numbers, coming to study at some of the world’s top colleges and universities while enjoying the unique cosmopolitan environment of a truly global city.

Georgia, like many U.S. states, has a wide variety of public and private colleges and universities offering numerous degree options. Students can obtain four-year and advanced degrees from universities; bachelor-level degrees from the colleges; and associates degrees from the two-year colleges. In addition, many students start their education in a two-year college and later transfer to a four-year degree program at another school.

The number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by 6% to a record high of 764,495 during the 2011/2012 academic year, according to the annual Open Doors report, published by the Institute of International Education (IIE) with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs.

The report shows Georgia ranking 12^th among U.S. states with 16,193 foreign students – a 5.4% increase. The Georgia school with the highest foreign student enrollment was the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta with 4,973 students.  The other top five were Emory University (2,039 students), Georgia State University (GSU, with 1,578), both in Atlanta; the University of Georgia (UGA; 1,510) in Athens; and the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD, 1,392). China accounted for 23.16% of the state’s foreign students, followed by India (17.1%), South Korea (14.2%), and Taiwan (2.6%).

Public Colleges and Universities

The University System of Georgia oversees 35 institutions: four research universities, two regional universities, 13 state universities, 14 state colleges and two two-year colleges. Enrollment exceeded 314,000 students in the fall of 2012.

The flagship of the state system is the University of Georgia. For the fall 2012 quarter, UGA had more than 26,200 undergraduate and 8,000 graduate students enrolled at the main campus in Athens and four other campuses (two of which are in the Atlanta area). UGA has the most comprehensive variety of courses in the state, with schools and colleges focusing on medicine; law; public and international affairs; business; arts and sciences; agriculture and environmental sciences; education; and journalism and mass communications. UGA offers 22 baccalaureate degrees in more than 140 fields; 35 master’s degrees in 137 fields; 19 education degrees; five doctoral degrees in 96 areas; and professional degrees in law, pharmacy and veterinary medicine.

Georgia Tech is one of the nation’s top research universities, with an emphasis on technology education. Its campus in downtown Atlanta occupies 400 acres and hosts more than 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Ranked among the top 10 public universities, Georgia Tech offers degree programs through its colleges of architecture, computing, engineering, sciences, business and liberal arts.

Also located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia State University is the leading urban research university in the southeastern United States. GSU offers more than 250 degrees in 100 fields at the bachelor’s, master’s, specialist and doctoral levels. The university has eight schools and colleges focusing on law, education, policy studies, nursing, arts and sciences, public health, and business. More than 25,000 students have considerable flexibility to enroll in day or evening classes, and to attend GSU on a part-time or full-time basis.

Other major schools in the public system include:

- Kennesaw State University in suburban Atlanta, the third largest by student body with an enrollment exceeding 24,600. Best known for its business school, KSU offers degrees in natural and social sciences, finance, and arts.

- Georgia Southern University in Statesboro with more than 20,500 students. The liberal arts programs include industrial science, business administration, pre-law and pre-medicine. Georgia Southern and Valdosta State University (13,000 students), in the eastern and southern parts of the state, respectively, are the two regional universities in the system.

- Clayton State University, located 15 miles south of Atlanta, is one of the three state universities in the Atlanta metropolitan area. (The other two are KSU and Southern Polytechnic in Marietta.) Others within two hours’ drive of Atlanta include the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, and Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville.

- Georgia Perimeter College in Dunwoody, another Atlanta suburb, is the largest state college with enrollment of approximately 27,000. Others in the area include Atlanta Metropolitan State College, Gainesville State, Georgia Gwinnett, Gordon State and Georgia Highlands.

In addition to the two two-year colleges in the university system, the Technical College System of Georgia runs 25 other two-year colleges and technical institutes that graduate more than 32,000 students annually. While many students aspire to a four-year or advanced degree from a major university, the two-year and four-year colleges offer another alternative to attending all four years at one of the larger universities. For example, students whose grade point averages are not high enough to be accepted into the top schools can attend a two-year college, improve their grades, and then seek transfer to a four-year institution. Others might earn their bachelor’s degree from a four-year school and gain acceptance to a post-graduate program at a larger university.

Private Educational Institutions

In addition to a broad range of public education choices, Georgia and the Atlanta area are home to numerous private colleges and universities. Many are non-profits, while some operate as private businesses. The private schools range from small liberal arts colleges to universities offering post-graduate degrees in many subjects.

The largest is Emory University, a research university with more than 13,000 students in the Atlanta suburb of Decatur. Emory is recognized internationally for its outstanding liberal arts colleges, graduate and professional schools, and its healthcare system. While maintaining its emphasis on teaching, Emory also generates more than $500 million in research funding each year.

Other important private schools in the Atlanta area include:

- Oglethorpe University, a liberal arts and sciences university, with more than 1,000 students representing 28 countries. Oglethorpe features internship opportunities in Atlanta, which is home to a large concentration of Forbes 500 corporations and more than 1,250 multinationals.

- Brenau University, a liberal arts school with some 1,800 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students at three Atlanta area campuses and two other sites in western Georgia. Areas of study include business, education, management and accounting.

- Agnes Scott College, an independent national liberal arts college for women with more than 900 enrollees – 11 percent of which are international students. The college offers 34 undergraduate majors and 31 minors in such areas as computer science, engineering, pre-law and pre-medicine.

- Life University in Marietta, which specializes in health science and chiropractic education.

- Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) with more than 10,000 students. While headquartered on the Georgia coast in the historic city of Savannah, non-profit SCAD has a major campus in downtown Atlanta. In addition to visual and performing arts, majors at SCAD include education, communication, natural resources, and architecture.

These are only a few of the dozens of private colleges and universities that can be found throughout Georgia – all of whom attract the top students from around the world. Whether students are seeking a high-profile research university in a busy metropolitan area; a quiet college in a sleepy small town; or anything in between, Georgia truly has a school for every student’s needs.

Bobby L. Hickman is an Atlanta-based freelance business journalist who regularly contributes to various print and online publications. He can be reached through his web site, www.blhickman.com.

Photo credit: destination360

The name “Atlanta” brings to mind a bustling cosmopolitan city that is home to Coca-Cola, CNN and “Gone with the Wind”. But don’t be fooled by the big city: there are hundreds of exciting outdoor adventures and quaint small town treasures within a few hours’ drive of the metropolitan area.

Outdoor enthusiasts can find white water rafting, zip lining, mountain hiking and biking, snow skiing, kayaking, horseback riding and boating – all less than four hours from Atlanta in northern Georgia, or neighboring Tennessee, Alabama, and North and South Carolina. Others may prefer picking apples and strawberries fresh from the farm, panning for gold, visiting historic villages or shopping at outlet malls.

Some 700,000 international tourists come to Georgia each year, making it the second fastest-growing state for global tourism, according to government statistics. Most visitors come from Europe and the Americas, but a growing number are from Asia. South Korea and Japan now ranks in the top five countries of origination, with China/Hong Kong ranking ninth.  Many of the one million international visitors each quarter come for business and educational opportunities, while others visit Georgia strictly for relaxation and recreation.

Exploring the Great Outdoors

Whether tourists come to Atlanta to attend classes or take a vacation, they find a number of outdoor activities within a couple of hours’ drive from the city. Those opportunities include:

White water rafting:Only two hours north of Atlanta is the Chattooga River, which forms part of the border between Georgia and South Carolina. Three companies offer half-day and overnight rafting excursions on the federally-protected “wild and scenic river” through the Blue Ridge Mountains. Section III of the Chattooga is best for beginners, with mostly Class II and III rapids ending at the Class IV “Bull Sluice”. For greater thrills, Section IV offers faster-paced Class III and IV rapids. Drive another hour north and you can raft through national forests on Tennessee’s Ocoee River (site of the 1996 Olympics paddling competitions) or the Nantahala River in North Carolina.

Kayaking and canoeing: There are thousands of miles of rivers and dozens of lakes where you can explore the water with a guide or on your own. Small outfitters, marinas and resorts such as Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain rent kayaks and canoes. The Altamaha River, one of the last unspoiled, undammed rivers in the country, is a popular padding destination about three hours southwest of Atlanta. The river -- one of the Nature Conservancy’s “75 Last Great Places on Earth” -- flows through secluded woodlands, marshes and preserves. The Ridges Resort Marina in Hiwassee rents boats and jet skis for excursions on Lake Chatuge. Or you can “shoot the ‘Hooch” –local slang floating on an inner tube down the Chattahoochee River in suburban Atlanta or Helen in the northern mountains.

Zip lining:The world’s longest and largest zip line eco-canopy tour course is at Historic Banning Mills in Whitesburg, some 45 minutes west of Atlanta. Banning Mills has more than nine miles of zip lines, towers, sky bridges and other challenges up to 300 feet in the air. The centerpiece is the half-mile Screaming Eagle over Snake Creek Gorge. Nestled in 1,200 acres of preserved woodlands, Banning Mills also boasts the tallest freestanding climbing wall in the world. Prefer a less challenging course? Try North Georgia Canopy Tours in Lula; Chattooga Ridge Canopy Tours in Long Creek, South Carolina; or Foxfire Mountain Adventures near Sevierville, Tennessee.

Hiking, biking and skiing:National forests cover much of northern Georgia, eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, providing plenty of opportunities for mountain hiking in the Blue Ridge and other mountain ranges. The Appalachian Trail begins at Springer Mountain, Georgia, and climbs more than 2,000 miles to Maine. The trail passes through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina, providing breathtaking vistas of snow-capped peaks, deep wilderness forests, roaring creeks and cascading waterfalls. Miles of hiking trails wind through north Georgia at Tallulah Gorge State Park (a two-mile canyon more than 1,000 feet deep); Amicalola Falls and Anna Ruby Falls. Mountain biking trails are also found throughout the area, along with conventional biking paths such as the Discovery Trail at Callaway Gardens and the Riverwalk in Chattanooga, Tennessee. While Georgia does not have its own ski resort, it is less than four hours’ drive from Atlanta to the slopes at Ober Gatlinburg in Tennessee, or Cataloochee, Sugar, Beech, Sapphire Valley and other lodges in North Carolina.

Historic Small Towns and Shopping Destinations

In the rural areas surrounding Atlanta, there are hundreds of small towns with their own unique histories and modern stories. The American Revolution and the Civil War were both fought on Georgia soil, leaving battlefields, museums and other sites paying tribute to those conflicts. You can pan for gold at Dahlonega (the site of the first gold rush in the United States); trace the steps of Native Americans along the 300-mile Chieftains Trail; explore the Etowah Indian Mounds in Cartersville; or enjoy Oktoberfest at the alpine village of Helen. Tour antebellum homes, such as the Jarrell Plantation Historic Site in Forsyth and the Gordon-Lee Mansion in Chickamauga. Many towns also feature a variety of shopping experiences in a less hectic atmosphere, from Scott’s Bookstore in Newnan to High Country Art & Antiques in Blue Ridge. Most areas also host annual fairs and festivals where local arts, crafts and jewelry are displayed and sold.

Bargain hunters will enjoy the many outlets malls near Atlanta. North Georgia Premium Outlets in Dawsonville, Calhoun Premium Outlets, and the Tanger outlets in Commerce and Locust Grove are only an hour away. The Smoky Mountains is home to on the largest concentrations of outlet malls in the country, hosting two Tanger Outlets, Pigeon Forge Outlet Mall and Belz Outlets. There are many traditional shopping malls as well, headlined by Lenox Square in Atlanta, the first enclosed mall in the southeastern United States.

Wine-tasting is another relaxing weekend endeavor. The Georgia winery industry has grown dramatically over the last decade, with dozens of new wineries opening and winning awards. The North Georgia Wine Trail links eight established wineries in the mountains, including Crane Creek Vineyards in Young Harris, Three Sisters Vineyards in Dahlonega, Habersham Winery in Helen and Tiger Mountain Vineyards in Tiger. Just 40 miles from Atlanta is Chateau Elan in Braselton, a full-service resort with an inn, spa, cooking classes, golf, tennis, winery tours and wine tastings.

Wineries are only one of the many agricultural products that are grown across Georgia, where agriculture is the top industry (followed by tourism). Gilmer County produces more than 600,000 bushels of apples each year, with eight apple producers featured along “Apple Orchard Alley” near Ellijay. During the growing season at Mercier Orchards, you can take a tractor tour of the farm and pick your own apples, strawberries, and blueberries. Lane Southern Orchards in Fort Valley has more than 4,000 acres of pecans and peaches. You can see corn and wheat being ground on grindstones at Nora’s Mill in Helen and Logan Turnpike Mill near Blairsville 

If you have a long weekend and want to drive a little further, it’s only five hours to reach the lush gardens of historic Savannah and the sparking beaches of Tybee Island. Golfers will be drawn to Augusta, home of the Master’s PGA Tournament. The beaches of northern Florida are less than six hours from Atlanta, including historic St. Augustine on the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico resorts of Panama City, Destin, Seaside and Pensacola.

However – aside from the ocean – you can find mountains, forests, streams and other natural settings within a two-hour drive of Atlanta.  To learn more about what you can see and do in Georgia, visit www.exploregeorgia.org.

Bobby L. Hickman is an Atlanta-based freelance business and travel journalist who regularly contributes to Georgia Trend and other publications. He can be reached through his web site, www.blhickman.com.

Photo Credit: Jaunted

Georgia’s film, television, music and entertainment industry has grown by more than 1,000 percent over the past five years, helping build the metropolitan Atlanta area into a vibrant center for creative professionals from around the world.

The Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Office reported for the entertainment industry spent a record $879.8 million in the Peach State during fiscal 2012 (which ended on June 30). The entertainment sector had a $3.1 billion economic impact in Georgia, a 29 percent increase over the previous year.

“Our competitive incentives, talented crew, diverse locations and accessibility give us an edge when productions are picking a location,” said Lee Thomas, director of the state film office. “All of these assets build upon an infrastructure that is increasingly positioning Georgia among the go-to locations for entertainment purposes.”

During fiscal 2012, Georgia hosted 333 feature films, TV series and movies, and music videos. Stars such as Clint Eastwood, Denzel Washington, Harrison Ford, John Travolta, Justin Timberlake, Reese Witherspoon, Woody Harrelson and Robert DeNiro have worked in the state over the past year. They joined Robert Redford, Robert Downey Jr., Jennifer Anniston and others who have worked in the “Hollywood of the South” since 2010. Recent global hits filmed in Georgia include “The Blind Side,” “Zombieland”, “X-Men: First Class”, “The Last Song” with Miley Cyrus and “Fast Five,” the state’s first $100 million-grossing production. Other movies now shooting or scheduled for work in fiscal 2013 include the second “Hunger Games” movie and other projects starring Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Georgia is also home to several ongoing television series, including “The Walking Dead,” which launched its third season in October with 10.9 million viewers, a record for a basic cable show. Other series include “The Vampire Diaries”, “Drop Dead Diva”, and “Family Feud.” Atlanta’s Tyler Perry has a studio in the city where he produces all his movies and TV shows, including the “Madea” films.

The growth in film and video entertainment productions in the Atlanta area has also propelled the growth of studios and other infrastructure to support those productions. EUE/Screen Gems is building 40,000 square feet of new sound stages at the former Lakewood Fairgrounds near downtown Atlanta to support future projects. Riverwood Studios in Senoia, about 30 minutes from downtown, has grown over the past five years as it hosts a growing number of film and television projects. Turner Networks – which includes CNN, TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network and other cable channels – has been based in Atlanta since the 1970s and operates a number of studios around the city.

As Georgia’s industry has grown, the entertainment professionals who formerly lived here but worked elsewhere – cameramen, stunt women, grips, foley sound artists, set designers, editors, musicians, and other creative technicians – have been able to stay closer to home to pursue their careers. More production support companies have been launched, providing more employment opportunities for local talent. In turn, more and more entertainment companies are establishing more permanent offices here to be part of the action.

Tax Credit Drives Growth

Georgia has always hosted some productions, including the “Smokey and the Bandit” movies, the TV series “In the Heat of the Night”, “Fried Green Tomatoes” and “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” However, those were mostly projects that required a strong Georgia setting, such as the gardens of Savannah. In early 2007, the state was only hosting one production, an MTV reality series that had a $244 million economic impact.

So what changed to launch the booming industry that exists today? The main factor is a highly competitive 30 percent tax credit introduced by state government in mid-2008. Production has grown by more than 1,100 percent since that time, with hundreds of millions spent annually on entertainment projects across the state. More than 60 new entertainment-related businesses have moved to Georgia or expanded here since 2007, officials say.

While state officials say they are grateful for the many projects that have located here, their long-term goal is to continue building a permanent entertainment infrastructure that will support the industry for many years to come. New studios, soundstages and other facilities encourage filmmakers to “drop in for a few months” to shoot a picture. But Georgia is also seeing a growing permanent residence by television producers, music video directors, animators, commercial photographers and others who are drawn to the vibrant, creative entertainment community that is developing in the Atlanta area.

The growing entertainment industry provides a “cool” factor – such as visiting the nightclub where dancing scenes were filmed for “Footloose” in Kennesaw, sitting on the park bench in Savannah where Forrest Gump observed, “Life is like a box of chocolates,” or running into a movie start at a popular Midtown restaurant. But the film, television, animation, computer games and music sectors also provide exciting career opportunities to seasoned professionals as well as young people just breaking into the business.  Industry leaders and local officials say the outlook is bright for the “Hollywood of the South.”

Bobby L. Hickman is an Atlanta-based freelance business journalist who regularly contributes to Georgia Trend and other publications. He can be reached through his web site, www.blhickman.com.

Photo credit: The Augusta Chronicle

The Port of Savannah – long one of Georgia’s best-kept secrets for facilitating international trade – is getting new attention as a long-overdue project to deepen its harbor access moves closer to reality.

Savannah boasts one of the busiest ports in the country, but it is also the shallowest on the East Coast. Final federal approval is expected later this year for a $652 million project that would deepen the harbor to handle larger ships. However, the project still faces political and legal challenges.

The Port of Savannah is the largest single-terminal facility in North America and has been the fastest-growing U.S. port over the past decade. It ranks as the fourth-largest container port in the United States and the fourth busiest. It is also second only to Los Angeles in exports. One of every eight U.S. export containers passed through Savannah in fiscal 2011, according to the Georgia Port Authority (GPA), which operates the port.

“With the Southeast leading all regions of the USA in population and investment growth,” GPA stated on its web site, “the Savannah area is a major location for retailers sourcing China. Savannah offers immediate access to China’s largest customers, including Wal-Mart, Target, Pier 1 Imports and Kmart-Sears.” There are more than 220 import distributions centers within five minutes to five hours of the port, GPA noted. With immediate access to two interstates (I-16 and I-95), “Chinese cargo via Savannah is connected to key inland locations such as Atlanta, Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas, Memphis, Orlando, St. Louis and points beyond.” The port’s rail and highway networks “put more than 80 percent of the U.S. population within easy reach,” GPA added.

Exports make up 53 percent of Savannah’s traffic, with China, Australia and South Korea the top three export markets. For example, in 2010, foreign exports from the Port of Savannah exceeded $24 billion. China was the top destination with $3.4 billion, followed by Australia at almost $2.9 billion and South Korea at just over $1 billion. Japan, Brazil and Italy followed, all with more than $900 million in export values. According to GPA, there are 18 sailing schedules that depart Shanghai for Savannah each week, and 76 ships call from the greater China ports for Savannah on a weekly basis.

The port is also a major economic engine for the state of Georgia, ranking second for economic development only behind Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. A recent study by the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business found that in fiscal 2011, deepwater ports in Savannah and Brunswick accounted for 352,148 jobs – or one of every 12 positions in the state. The ports represented for $66.9 billion in sales and $32.4 billion (7.8 percent) of Georgia’s gross domestic product (GDP). 

The Port of Savannah is one of the major factors which has made Atlanta a vital logistics center for the transportation industry. The port is a four-hour drive from Atlanta, where three interstates converge (I-75, I-85 and I-20), along with several major railways and Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. The University of Georgia study found more than 150,000 jobs in the metropolitan Atlanta area are tied to Georgia deepwater ports, with businesses in the area shipping $6.12 billion in exports and receiving $2.5 billion in imports through the facilities.

Governor Nathan Deal stated the findings are “a testament to the ports’ sustaining power to create jobs. Our transportation and logistics industry drives statewide and regional commerce while our deepwater ports generate revenue, create jobs and offer opportunities for growth in every corner of the state through our global transportation network.”

Expanding the Port, Deepening the River 

Two projects are currently underway to prepare the Port of Savannah for future growth. GPA is engaged in a $1.36 billion expansion plan that will increase capacity from the current 3.2 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units, the common standard for intermodal containers) to 6.5 million TEUs by 2018.

The second project, which should begin construction in 2013, would deepen the Savannah River, the port and its harbor. Traffic at the Savannah Port is already constrained by the port’s 42-foot depth. Larger ships must often wait hours for high tide before entering the channel or exiting the port -- particularly those laden with exports. (Most imports are lighter-weight retail items, while exports are often heavier machinery, chemicals, or forestry and agricultural products). Deepening the channel would reduce shipping costs by 15 to 20 percent, according to Georgia officials.

The harbor depth constraint will become more important within a few years. When the Panama Canal expansion is completed in 2014, it will be able to handle cargo ships with three times the capacity as those using the canal today. While the larger ships are not generally a problem for the deeper ports on the Pacific Coast, the only Atlantic port that can handle the huge “post-Panamax” ships is Norfolk, Virginia. Ports like Savannah; Charleston, South Carolina; Jacksonville and Miami, Florida; and even Norfolk are now working to deepen their ports to handle the new breed of freight ships.

In April 2012, the U.S. Corps of Engineers announced their approval in April 2012 for a $652 million project to deepen the harbor to 47 feet. (Congress originally approved dredging the 38-mile channel to 48 feet, but the Corps determined it would be more cost-effective to only deepen the channel to 47 feet.) The Corps estimates deepening the Savannah harbor will provide $174 million in net annual benefits.

Final approval by President Barack Obama and the Corps is expected by autumn 2011. Construction would begin in early 2013 and be completed by 2017.

Georgia has been seeking federal approval to deepen the Savannah port since 1996, and the battle is not over yet. Georgia and neighboring South Carolina have been vying for federal dollars to expand their competing ports in Savannah and Charleston. While the governors of Georgia and South Carolina reached a compromise allowing both ports to expand, South Carolina legislators are still resisting. Both Georgia and South Carolina have allocated local funds towards their respective dredging projects. The state of Georgia will fund 30 percent of the Savannah project cost, already setting aside $181.1 million. However, the federal government has not yet allocated its portion of the construction funds.

The Savannah project also faces environmental challenges. Environmental groups claim the work will dredge toxic cadmium from the river bed. Marshlands, drinking water, habitat for an endangered sturgeon and the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge would also be affected by the dredging. Those groups have filed legal challenges in federal court and with state permitting agencies, attempting to block the work.  

Despite those potential obstacles, Georgia officials remain confident that, having reached a milestone with last spring’s Corps approval, the remaining issues will be resolved and the Port of Savannah can continue growing as a vital gateway for international trade.

Bobby L. Hickman is an Atlanta-based freelance business journalist who regularly contributes to Georgia Trend and other publications. He can be reached through his web site, www.blhickman.com.

Photo credit: Victor San Martin, Wikitravel

Latin America’s economy continues to forge ahead while America and Europe slumber. The first of a three-part series.

At APG, we are obsessed with staying informed, and nothing satisfies our hunger more than trying to answer the age old question: “What’s going on in the world?” At a quick glance, the state of the world is colored by impending European economic disaster, a slowing China, an ever-unstable Middle East and the ongoing malaise of the American marketplace. But there are bright spots for those who choose to dig deeper, and foremost on the list of silver linings is the strong, continued growth among the nations of Latin America.

From the Rio Grande to Tierra del Fuego, the countries of Central and South America have long had their troubles. From military juntas to civil wars, the past century was not always kind to the region. But it seems too often the biggest problem facing Latin America is its reputation. After all, the threat of Marxist governments and unruly drug violence are hardly music to the ears of the entrepreneur, investor or traveler. But for the more intrepid-hearted, looking beyond conventional wisdom presents a range of opportunities in the southern half of the Americas.

To start, the numbers are good. Estimates point to a tripling of middle class consumer spending in Latin America over the next decade. And compared with advanced countries, the region’s principal economies have less debt, and low fiscal account deficits, meaning that even during the current global downturn LatAm is likely to keep growing. Demographically, the populations are growing, too, and while this was once considered a bad omen for an economically challenged region, improved education and access to health care is turning population trends into a big advantage.  

But it’s not just in the numbers. Opportunities are evident in the rise of a commercially significant middle class, the abundant diversity of new and rapidly growing industries and the increasingly business-friendly positions of several key LatAm markets. In short, attitudes are changing for the better.

In this post we will discuss some of the prominent nations of South America, their various attributes and why you should care about them. In upcoming entries, we’ll cover the remaining economies of South America, as well as Mexico and Central America.

Argentina

Argentina is a nation rich in history and culture, possessing vast natural resources and a vibrant, highly educated populace. It is the 8^th largest nation on earth by area with a diverse geography that encompasses tropical jungles, 5,000-meter mountains, prime agricultural plains and frozen tundra. In other words, Argentina has the capabilities and conditions necessary to produce just about anything you can think of.

Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital, is one of the most important commercial, intellectual and artistic hubs of the Spanish-speaking world. It is a large and ethnically diverse city that has been home to a fair share of internationally renowned movements (tango, gauchos) and personalities (Jose Luis Borges, Che Guevara, Evita Peron). Visitors to Buenos Aires are often struck by its colorful urban setting, itself a mix of cosmopolitan modernity and elegant old-world charm.

Through much of the past decade, Argentina saw an economic renaissance fueled by high world demand for Argentine commodities (soy, beef, etc.), rapid growth of its biggest trade partner (Brazil) and favorable exchange rates with the US dollar. During this time, the country also experienced a boom in tourism and foreign investment.

In addition to its status as a literary, film and media capital, “BsAs” has recently become a major player on the high tech scene. The list of tech brands with offices in the city is now exhaustive and includes the likes of Google, Microsoft, IBM, Hewlett Packard and Intel. With a glut of qualified engineering talent available at favorable costs relative to other Western nations, Argentina is keen on building South America’s answer to Silicon Valley.

The success has not come without warning signs on the horizon, however. Recently, Argentina’s government has moved decidedly leftward, leading to increased levels of borrowing and spending. The nation also continues to flirt with high inflation. Moreover, political decisions made by some nationalistic leaders have precipitated complicated import/export laws and a resulting drop in imports and foreign direct investment.

Bottom Line: Despite its problems, Argentina is the third most powerful economy in Latin America, and Buenos Aires remains an influential, global city. The nation’s GDP per capita is the highest in all of LatAm, making it an obvious market for new products and services.

Brazil

When it comes to LatAm, Brazil is the undisputed big kid on the block. It is one of the world’s largest nations geographically, endowed with an incredibly vast assortment of natural resources. And with more than 200 million people, it’s the fifth largest country on earth by population. It is also now the world’s 6^th biggest economy by GDP and at current growth rates is expected to be the 4^th biggest within 20 years. Speaking of growth, Brazil’s economy has seen 5% annual growth in GDP over the past decade, and moved an estimated 40 million people out of poverty and into the middle class. Amazing.

Gaudy numbers aside, Brazil offers an attractive opportunity for myriad reasons. First, it has timing on its side. As the home nation for the 2014 World Cup and with Rio de Janeiro hosting the 2016 Olympic Games, Brazil will have two mega-popular events in the next four years to pitch itself on the world stage. And as a member of the BRIC, G20, WTO and Mercosur, Brazil will get a number of opportunities for self-promotion and to push hard for international trade policies beneficial to its economy. In short, the time to invest in Brazil is now.

Like any nation of similar economic clout, Brazil possesses a highly complex economy and has a growing presence in nearly every industry imaginable, from manufacturing to services, agriculture to technology, transport to energy. The country’s biggest brands include Petrobras and Globo, but it is also home to huge markets for international corporations like Shell, GM, Carrefour and DaimlerChrysler, among others.

Philosophically, Brazil offers an interesting economic model for world economies to watch. The nation sports a slew of pro-growth policies and private investment incentives while also taking care to balance its relationship between the state and markets. In other words, while the Brazilian economy is growing rapidly, government regulation is substantial and efforts to correct economic disparity are always popular.

Brazil is unique in that it is an island of Portuguese speakers in a hemisphere of Spanish and English speakers. To some extent this has influenced the perception of the Brazilian people and culture in its own region, where language differences have contributed to cultural separation. Probably few outsiders, for example, are aware that there are more than 20 cities in Brazil with metropolitan areas of more than 1 million people. The implication here is that there are more than 20 cities with highly sophisticated economies sporting a range of options for entrepreneurship and foreign investment.

Bottom Line: The growth policies of the past two ruling administrations have begun to reveal to the rest of the world some of the secrets that the Brazilian people have known all along. Chiefly, that the country is diverse and innovative with world-class cities, advanced infrastructure, skilled labor, modern amenities and a multifaceted people and culture. Additionally, Brazil has one of the fastest growing middle classes on earth. With a $2.5 Trillion annual GDP and counting, this is a market that cannot be ignored.

Chile

Chile prides itself on being one of Latin America’s most stable nations, both economically and politically. Having one of the region’s fastest growing economies, Chileans enjoy modern infrastructure and a high quality of life. First-time visitors are often surprised and impressed by the country’s staggering natural beauty and clean, well-run cities. With the second highest GDP per capita of any South American nation, Chile’s residents enjoy an uncommon prosperity relative to its neighbors.

Buoyed by a wealth of natural resources, Chile has developed a strong export culture attributable to its focus on mining and hydrocarbons—industries that have profited immensely from high demand in Asia. Chile has been traditionally strong in tourism, wine and agriculture, areas that have also seen growth in the past decade. In fact, its diverse economy has earned the nation an A+ credit rating from Standard & Poor’s.

Recently, the capital city of Santiago has begun to cement a reputation for investment and emphasis on high tech industries. Government projects like Start-Up Chile, which funds cutting edge entrepreneurs, and a healthy influx of venture capital have helped encourage a small boom in successful new technology businesses.

With liberal immigration and Visa laws, Chile is a relatively easy nation to relocate into. It offers a range of tax breaks and financial incentives for startups, too. With that said, Chile has also demonstrated a good record of environmental stewardship and regulatory protection that has been a bonus to investors looking to get into the market.

Bottom Line:As the only country in South America that is a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, it is clear that Chile’s government policies encourage foreign economic interest and investment. Overall, this is a country that wants to make doing business easy.

Colombia

For much of the past half century, the international reputation of Colombia centered on two things: cocaine and coffee. In fact, the consistent portrayal in American pop culture of Colombia’s drug culture has in the eyes of some made the country’s name synonymous with bloodthirsty drug cartels and the covert jungle guerilla operations that supply them. 

To be certain, the nation’s history is inextricably linked with these two products and will continue to be for many years to come. But falling victim to these reputation-based fallacies only obscures a great story of a sophisticated people, dynamic culture and welcoming, business friendly economy.

As the largest Spanish-speaking country in South America, Colombia has a diverse population spread primarily throughout several modern, urban metropolitan areas—Bogota, Barranquilla, Cali, Cartagena and Medellin. Each of these cities plays a major role in both the economic output and the collective psyches of Colombians.

Bogota is the nation’s largest city and financial center, as well as the political capital. Barranquilla is the nation’s primary industrial city and biggest port. Cali is a cultural hub, home to the country’s biggest sporting venues, hottest music and dance scenes, and a large network of some of Latin America’s most advanced universities. Cartagena is the heart and soul of Colombia’s colonial history and one of the biggest tourist draws in all of the Caribbean. Medellin is Colombia’s commercial, industrial and agricultural powerhouse and serves as the gateway to the “zona cafetera,” or coffee zone.

Colombia is a rapidly modernizing country that has made great strides to wipe out drug violence and put its civil war legacy behind it. The FARC guerillas, at one time an influential separatist group, now consist mostly of a few stray bands of small militias hiding out in remote rainforests in the far eastern Andes. An infusion of close to US$2 Billion over the past 10 years under Plan Colombia has pushed the organization to the brink of extinction and resulted in one of Latin America’s statistically safest nations.

Moreover, Colombia is making a concerted push to attract tourists, investors and new industries. A recently signed free-trade agreement with the U.S. is expected to create a bonanza in foreign investment as companies looking for unfettered access to American consumers set up offices in the country. The Colombian finance department expects a 10% increase in exports and 300,000 new jobs in 2012 alone. The Colombian government is currently negotiating a similar deal with China.

Bottom Line:A nation that longs to break free from its troubled past, Colombia is literally sprinting into a phase of prosperity. When you step off the plane at El Dorado International Airport in Bogota, you can palpably feel this energy and passion. A skilled labor force, business-first government and rapidly expanding consumer class are tag-teaming to make Colombia one of LatAms can’t miss investment opportunities.

Opportunities for residential real estate investment in the Atlanta metro area have never been better.  Home prices have fallen to levels not seen in almost 20 years.  While this brings pain to many homeowners in the area, it presents a modern day gold rush for savvy investors seeking multi-unit rentals.  Buyers outside the area, especially international residents from Asia, are shocked to learn what a relatively modest sum of money in Atlanta can get them. 

Speaking at “The Bridge to China” seminar at the Georgia Association of Realtors, Mr. Henry Yu of East West Bank talked about his recent trip to China with Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.  Shanghai residents are accustomed to purchasing 1 bedroom apartment units for around $500,000, and Yu spoke of the pleasant surprise many Chinese express when they learn that only 10% of that investment will get them the same size apartment in the Atlanta area. 

Many Koreans in Seoul often have the same feeling of surprise as those in Shanghai, especially when they learn about the affordable single family homes and large plots of land that come with them.  We would like to show those investors and individuals what they can buy for $55,000.  A colleague of ours recently purchased a foreclosed home in the Atlanta area near the airport.  This 5 bedroom / 3 bath, 3,183 square foot home was built in 2006 and was last sold for $208,000 in 2008.  Please see pictures of the home below:

Master Bedroom

Master Bath

Upstairs Bedroom 1

Upstairs Bedroom 2

Upstairs Full Bath

Front Door and Stairway

Dining Room

Family Room

Downstairs Guest Bedroom and Full Bath

Foyer

Meet the Neighbors

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrecLjplnsE&feature=youtube_gdata

Manufacturers, dealers and suppliers of consumer goods from around the globe are flocking to the AmericasMart in downtown Atlanta – the world’s largest permanent wholesale marketplace.

The facility provides both permanent showrooms and temporary exhibit space where exhibitors can display their products for retailers and buyers from across the United States and Latin America. Exhibitors come from Asia, Europe, and the Americas to take part in the largest single product collection in the U.S. “As the leading international source for consumer goods, AmericasMart remains unmatched in convenience, amenities and professional,” the group states on its web site (www.americasmart.com).

AmericasMart Atlanta is the nation’s only global marketplace. It offers the largest collection of home, gift, area rug, and apparel products within the biggest trade mart and tradeshow complex in the world. The complex has four buildings housing more than seven million square feet of space specifically designed for trade shows, conventions, and special events.

The center hosts 13 major markets and shows each year, including spring and fall gift markets, holiday markets, and bridal markets. The largest is the January Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings Market and the Atlanta International Rug Market, which draws buyers from every U.S. state and more than 90 counties. Products are displayed in the more than 1,400 permanent showrooms, with another 2,500 temporary exhibiting companies taking part in the event. AmericasMart also hosts a number of other events throughout the year.

Another major show is the Atlanta Apparel Market in early February. Retails can shop three floors of temporary booths and eight floors of permanent showrooms with products in such categories as women’s and men’s contemporary, ready-to-wear, shows, jewelry and accessories, and children’s products. “From established brands to up-and-coming names, the local, national and international designers that retail seek will be in Atlanta,” the center stated. A schedule for all the events during the current year can be found at www.americasmart.com/market-info/market-dates.

While some companies only participate through the temporary exhibits available at the large market events, others find having a permanent showroom at AmericasMart is more beneficial. A permanent facility provides improved access to the large crowds that flock to the major shows. However, the permanent location also provides a year-round sales outlet for buyers who prefer quieter times, longer shopping opportunities, and more personal attention outside of the hectic market events.

AmericasMart is not open to the general public, focusing instead on wholesale customers and buyers for retailers ranging from major department stores to small boutiques. Only buyers who have provided proof of a valid business license and provided identification when they register are admitted. Security officers are on duty to escort parties without valid buyer or exhibitor badges from the buildings. Buyers who want to bring guests can obtain a badge for those visitors for $50. Children under the age of 12 are not admitted.

The complex is easily accessible to visitors from around the world. It is located in downtown Atlanta only a block away from MARTA, the public transit system. The MARTA subway system provides direct access to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and international flights spanning the globe. The AmericasMart complex is connected to the 1,100-bed Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel. There are also more than 10,000 hotel rooms within walking distance in the downtown area.

AmericasMart began more than 50 years ago, and has grown in both size and stature over the years. It was founded in 1957 as the “Atlanta Market Center” by John C. Portman Jr., the Atlanta-based architect. (His work around the world includes the Shanghai Center, the Beijing Yintai Centre, Marina Square in Singapore, the New York Marriott Marquis, and several landmark hotels and office buildings in Atlanta,) Portman has served as board chairman and chief executive officer of the Atlanta marketplace since its inception. His son, Jeffrey, is president and chief operating officer of AMC Inc., the parent company of AmericasMart Atlanta.

AMC brings tens of thousands of visitors to the city each year, contributing more than $478 million in economic impact and allowing Atlanta to claim the title of America’s wholesale/retail trading capital. AmericasMart provides “a huge global stage on which manufacturers, designers and sales representatives unveil new lines, launch new designs and introduce new categories – for the benefit of buyers seeking all that is fresh and first in the home, rug, gift and apparel arena,” the company states on its web site.

By providing a unique, world-class facility specifically tailored to the international consumer products industry, AmericasMart offers manufacturers and distributors with sales, marketing and branding opportunities that cannot be overlooked – and that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Bobby L. Hickman is an Atlanta-based freelance business journalist who regularly contributes to Georgia Trend and other publications. He can be reached through his web site, www.blhickman.com.

The U.S. Congress is considering several bills to encourage foreign students to remain in the United States after completing their college education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The proposed legislation – with names like the “STEM Visa Act” and the “BRAIN Act” – would provide temporary visas for foreign students who obtain employment in the United States, or “entrepreneur visas” for foreign nationals who start U.S. companies that hire local workers.

While STEM-related immigration reforms have had little success in previous legislative sessions, supporters are optimistic that prospects are more positive this time around. While details of the proposals vary, the bills have bipartisan support and plenty of common ground – particularly their focus on creating jobs for the sluggish economy. Observers feel the Senate and the House of Representatives should be able to combine the various bills into one legislative package that makes it easier for STEM students to remain in the U.S. after graduation.

The most comprehensive proposal is the STEM VISA Act, introduced in December 2011 by Sen. Michael Bennett (D-Colorado) to “reform our outdated visa system to drive economic growth, inspire entrepreneurship and create jobs right here at home.” Bennett said the country faces a high-tech worker shortage. At the same time, “more and more of our STEM degrees go to foreign students who leave the United States to work. It only makes sense to keep international talent in our economy.” Bennett’s bill would create a new category of visas for students graduating with advanced degrees in STEM specialties. It would also fund initiatives to improve STEM education for America students; “make commonsense reforms” to current H1-B and L visas; and simplify the EB-5 program to encourage more foreign investment.

In a blog entry concerning his bill, Bennett added, “Every year an increasing number of foreign students graduate with advanced degrees from our universities and colleges. Many of these students want to stay in this country, work and contribute to our economy. But our broken immigration system forces them to return home.” 

Bennett’s proposal has drawn support from such groups as ImmigrationWorks USA, a non-profit organization working on immigration reform and employment issues. Tamar Jacoby, the group’s president, stated the STEM Visa Act would “reform the high-tech visa system, eliminating the obstacles that make it all but impossible for American companies to recruit and retain the workers the nation needs to remain a globally competitive knowledge economy.” Jacoby added the bill includes “several ingenious steps to expand the number of green cards available to highly skilled workers” and “multiple good ideas for streamlining the skilled-visa process.”

Bennett’s announcement of the bill cited support from several Colorado residents. Ralph Christie, CEO of Merrick & Company in Aurora, said US demand for engineers and scientists is strong, “and will continue to grow with the upcoming retirement of many baby boomers.” Noah Finkelstein of the University of Colorado-Boulder said Bennett’s bill “will address a long known problem for American higher education – why force our best and brightest students, those whom we have invested in so significantly, to leave just as they are best positioned to contribute to our society?” Waqas A. Qazi, a foreign aerospace engineering graduate student in Boulder, termed student visa and immigration regulations “very convoluted and laborious.” Qazi said many STEM students from his country who had been interested in studying and working in the U.S. are unable to attend graduate school here, “primarily because of the non-supportive visa and immigration laws. This legislation will offer a way forward for young engineers like myself to study in the U.S. and, one day, work here and contribute to the economy.”

According to Bennett, more than half of all PhDs awarded by U.S. universities in physics, economics, computer science, chemicals and similar technical fields are earned by international students. “The United States loses many of these individuals – some of the world’s brightest – due to inflexible and outdated immigration policies.”

While Bennett’s bill takes a more comprehensive approach, several other proposals introduced in 2011 address smaller parts of the STEM education issue. U.S. Reps. Adam Schiff (D-California) and Charles Bass (R-New Hampshire) introduced the INVEST Act to “make it easier for foreign students” graduating with U.S. degrees in STEM areas “to stay in the country if they start their businesses here and create American jobs.” The legislation would provide permanent residency for immigrant entrepreneurs with STEM degrees from U.S. universities. “To qualify, the immigrant entrepreneur must start a new business relevant to the area of study; create two new jobs or invest $200,000 after two years; and create five jobs or invest $500,000 in the business within five years,” they stated.

The congressmen cited a Kauffman Foundation study that shows 60,000 foreign students graduate with a STEM degree each year from U.S. universities. “Many of these talented individuals are being forced to return to their country of origin at the expiration of their student visas, where they then take their entrepreneurial ideas, build on them in those foreign countries, and boost those economies instead of ours,” they added. Schiff and Bass also cited another report that found, “As many as 262 additional native-born workers are employed for every 100 foreign-born workers putting advanced U.S. degrees to work in STEM fields.”

Both entrepreneurs and STEM students would benefit from the Startup Act, introduced by Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) and Mark Warner (D-Virginia). The Consumer Electronics Association, which supports the legislation, noted it would create STEM visas for up to 50,000 immigrants graduating from U.S. universities, and an entrepreneur’s visa for up to 75,000 immigrate entrepreneurs who start businesses that employ American workers.

The BRAIN (Bringing and Retaining Accomplished Innovators for the Nation) Act would also make it easier for foreign-born graduates to remain in the U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin (R-Arkansas), one of those drafting the proposal, said the bill would provide green card opportunities for legal immigrants who graduate with a PhD or master’s degree from a U.S. university and then obtain a job in the STEM fields. In a recent speech to the American Enterprise Institute, Griffin noted 63% of PhD degrees and 55% of master’s degrees in electrical engineering are received by foreign-born students. He added STEM-trained foreign students can help fill open jobs and create new businesses if they stay in the U.S. after graduation.

Whether Congress passes any of these measures into law remains to be seen. Previous STEM reforms have stalled in Congress. Bickering between Democrats and Republicans is expected to intensify as the presidential election looms this fall, which may mean continued gridlock on a number of initiatives. However, the various STEM visa proposals do have bipartisan support. Also, with high U.S. employment expected to be a major issue this year, STEM supporters are emphasizing how the proposed reforms would create more American jobs, enhance foreign investment and help restart the slow economy.  2012 could provide the ideal timing for the U.S. to finally modify its immigration policies to encourage foreign students to stay in the country after completing their STEM studies.    

Bobby L. Hickman is an Atlanta-based freelance business journalist who regularly contributes to Georgia Trend and other publications. He can be reached through his web site, www.blhickman.com.

Photo credit: ERA Sunrise Realty

Prices in the battered Atlanta residential real estate market have fallen to levels not seen in almost 20 years. While this is certainly bad news for local landowners, it also provides great opportunities for buyers seeking to enter the market at its low point.

And the fourth quarter of 2011 could be that low point in the metro area, experts say. After plummeting for several years, prices should stabilize over the winter, start slowly climbing next year, and move towards more normal levels by 2013.

Atlanta was one of the country’s hottest real estate markets during the 1990s and early 2000s. However, both residential and commercial development stalled with the 2008 economic meltdown. Georgia’s economy was heavily tied to the development market, so the state was hit by both bad financial times and a severe drop in new construction. Now land is selling for record-low prices, attracting developers, passive investors and potential homeowners looking to lock in a deal before prices rebound.

Statistics Reflect Poor Market Conditions

“The Atlanta metro area was one of the hardest hit areas in the nation following the housing market downturn,” according to the Obama Administration’s Housing Scorecard, released in early December by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Treasury Department. The administration said Atlanta is “under pressure from a high percentage of distressed mortgages, deeply discounted foreclosed properties, low property values, and many severely underwater mortgages.”  {“Underwater” refers to the situation where a homeowner’s mortgage balance is higher than the current market value of the underlying property.} Atlanta has exceeded the national average for distressed mortgages since mid-2000. The government added, “The home sales market remains sluggish in Atlanta as local home prices have shown signs of rebounding since early 2009, but remain at low levels not seen in more than a decade.”

Several national studies released in early December rank Atlanta as one of the poorest performing markets in the United States. Clear Capital reported that from August to October 2011, Atlanta home prices fell 9.7% -- and dropped 18.9% over the preceding 12 months. The Atlanta area also had a 42.8% REO (real estate owned) saturation rate during the preceding three months. “The increase in REO as a percentage of all sales is the result of a decrease in overall transactions and inflow of distressed properties,” Clear Capital stated, “and is most likely creating the downward pressure on prices.” With national home sale prices increasing 0.3% during that period and the country’s REO saturation rate averaging 25%, Clear Capital ranked Atlanta as the lowest performing major U.S. market.

Another study by CoreLogic found metro Atlanta residential prices fell 7.9% from October 2010 to October 2011. For the same period, Georgia ranked fifth worst among the 50 states with a 7.3% decrease. Those numbers are almost double the average 3.9% national price drop year-to-year.

Similarly, Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller Home Price Indices report in September showed that Atlanta prices are now averaging 4% below the baseline prices set in 2000. Factors in that downward trend include heavy foreclosure activity (almost 30% of the Atlanta total, according to some media reports), increased short sales (where homes are sold less than their loan value), and a large volume of purchases by investors taking advantage of those market conditions.

Opportunities for the Future

Despite the current pain in the market, investors with cash to spend are stepping in to scoop up homes and land in anticipation for an eventual recovery. Interest rates are also at historic lows, with the Federal Reserve promising to maintain current levels until at least mid-2013. Any improvement in the general economy – particularly in the job market – could also reignite housing prices and restart stalled development, although substantial progress is not expected in job creation through 2012.

Current conditions, however, may not last much longer. Local realtors say the inventory of available homes fell from their peak in 2010 to about 11 months’ supply by early 2011, and have dwindled further as the year progressed. Atlanta experts expect residential foreclosures will finally start to decline in 2012 – if only because there are fewer candidates for foreclosure. (Equity Depot, a real estate analysis company, said Atlanta’s foreclosures dropped 14% in December 2011 to the lowest total in almost three years.) Experts also see good deals on infill residential properties and lots near the interstates, both of which will again be in high demand once the Georgia economy rebounds. Local governments are also reportedly showing more flexibility in promoting building projects of all types as they seek any means possible to stimulate the state’s economy.

For the U.S., Bloomberg Businessweek is predicting home prices may begin to rise by the fourth quarter, adding, “Even the worst-hit markets will begin to see improvement by 2012.” With Atlanta topping many lists as one of those worst-hit markets, the metropolitan area should also be among those with the most growth potential when the long-awaited recovery finally returns the Atlanta area to its traditional role as the economic engine of the southeastern United States.

Bobby L. Hickman is an Atlanta-based freelance business journalist who regularly contributes to Georgia Trend and other publications. He can be reached through his web site, www.blhickman.com.

South Korea’s General Assembly approved the Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) this week in a party-line vote, sidestepping political squabbles and a Congressional stalemate in a closed-door session on November 22.

The ratification came some 50 days after the U.S. Senate ratified the trade agreement (with Republicans backing the pact introduced by President Barack Obama, a Democrat). The U.S. and Korea have been working towards approval since 2006. Korea’s ratification means the new trade agreement will become effective January 1, 2012. However, political opponents are threatening to overturn the approval after next spring’s Korean elections.

President Lee Myung-bak and the ruling Grand National Party have been trying unsuccessfully for several weeks to overcome stiff political resistance from the Democratic Party, the Democratic Labor Party, and three other opposition parties. Myung-bak at one point last week offered to renegotiate KORUS with the United States over the Investor-State Dispute provision which has drawn much of the fire. The president has also charged his administration with addressing the concerns of farmers, small businesses, labor unions, and other groups concerned that KORUS will give U.S. businesses an unfair advantage. However, the opposition – with an obvious eye towards gaining momentum going into the April 2012 parliamentary and presidential elections – refused to budge and negotiations between the two sides failed the morning of Nov. 22.

Later that day, the ruling Grand National Party called South Korea’s first closed-door plenary session in 15 years to force passage of KORUS. Only 170 of the National Assembly’s 295 members were present. KORUS was approved with 151 votes in favor, seven “no” votes and 12 legislators abstaining. The raucous session featured noisy debate, shouting, fighting, a sit-in protest – and a first for the National Assembly, tear gas canister set off by the DLP’s Kim Seon in the main assembly hall.

After the ratification, political opponents vowed to appeal the decision to the Constitution Court, charging that the closed-door vote without advance public notice made the approval invalid. The opposition also vowed they would not participate in further legislative activities, threatening another stalemate that will likely delay approval of Korea’s budget this year. Some politicians also voted to renegotiate the agreement if they win control of the National Assembly in the next election cycle, with one even threatening to reject KORUS outright.

The ruling party responded that it had to act decisively to pass KORUS, as the January 2012 implementation date is approaching quickly. Leaders also said minority parties had no legitimate grounds for blocking the legislation. The Grand National Party had tried unsuccessfully for the preceding 20 days to conduct committee votes on the trade pact.

Ironically, the Democratic Party had backed KORUS under the earlier Roh Moo-hyun administration (just as U.S. Democrats had opposed the proposal when it was negotiation by Republican President George W. Bush). A number of DP legislators actually favored passing KORUS, according to reports. Also, other free trade agreements adopted by the General Assembly have contained the same types of investor-state dispute clauses without generating the controversy that accompanies KORUS. Many observers feel than even if the DP and DLP parties can join forces to take a majority position in the upcoming elections, there is little chance they will be able to stop KORUS.

KORUS to Boost Georgia-Korea Ties

KORUS has strong backing from large businesses in both the United States and Korea. The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Federation of Korean Industries, and the Korea International Trade Association released statements this week urging the National Assembly to quickly pass KORUS. The groups predicted the agreement would add 350,000 new jobs in South Korea and boost its GNP by 5.6%.

KORUS approval would also provide ample new opportunities in Georgia for expanded trade between the state and South Korea. Georgia’s exports to Korea directly support 1,849 jobs, according to the Business Roundtable. The American Farm Bureau estimates that direct agricultural exports from Georgia to Korea would increase by almost $39 million annually under KORUS. More than $6 million would come from the poultry industry alone, which has been hammered by protectionism in some of its major Asian markets. Exports of fruits, vegetables, nuts and processed food products would also increase under the proposed free trade agreements, the Farm Bureau stated. In addition to agriculture, KORUS would provide Georgia and the rest of the United States ample opportunities to expand trade with Korea, which is already the seventh largest trading partner for the U.S.

KORUS will also provide more opportunities between the two countries, according to He-bem Kim, South Korea’s new consul general in Atlanta. Speaking this week to the Korea-Southeast U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Kim noted that the number of Koreans in Atlanta has grown from 250 in 1968 to more than 100,000. He said more than 120 Korean firms are operating in the Southeast, led by the Kia and Hyundai automotive plants. KORUS will also offer more chances for U.S. companies to offer services such as legal and accounting consulting to Korean firms, he added.

Concluding KORUS could also be a first step towards more free trade agreements throughout Asia, opening up more opportunities for Georgia and U.S. businesses in the region. “As the first U.S. FTA with a North Asian partner,” the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative stated, “the KORUS FTA could be a model for trade agreements for the rest of the region, and underscore the U.S. commitment to, and engagement in, the Asia Pacific Region.”

Bobby L. Hickman is an Atlanta-based freelance business journalist who regularly contributes to Georgia Trend and other publications. He can be reached through his web site, www.blhickman.com.

Photo Credit: guamevents

A federal program that allows international investors to gain permanent residence in the United States is expected to continue growing as more international businesspeople take advantage of the financial and personal opportunities it presents. In fact, the success of the EB-5 program has sparked a proposal to grant temporary residential visas to certain investors who purchase homes in the country.

The Immigrant Investor Program, also called “EB-5”, is administered by the U.S. government’s Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  Created in 1990, the program aims to stimulate the national economy through job creation and capital investment by foreign investors. EB-5 began as a temporary program and has been extended several times. The next expiration date is September 9, 2012, although there is a movement underway to make it a permanent program.

In general, EB-5 investors must invest in a new commercial enterprise (defined as one established after Nov. 29, 1990), or substantially restructure an existing enterprise. A minimum $1 million investment is required, although the qualification threshold drops to $500,000 for projects located in rural areas or those with high unemployment rates. The projects must also “create or preserve at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying U.S. workers within two years,” the agency states on its web site. EB-5 investors receive a temporary, conditional green card once approved. They can apply for permanent U.S. residency after a two-year waiting period -- assuming the project creates enough jobs and otherwise continues to meet eligibility requirements.

Investors can find their own projects for investment, or use an EB-5 regional center to find “shovel ready” projects. An EB-5 regional center is a public or private economic unit that focuses on economic development and job creation. The U.S. government has approved some 180 regional centers across the country, with applications for another 50 pending.

Georgia has six regional centers, including one for the entire state, plus others for specific counties. The Georgia Center for Foreign Investment and Development focuses on such industries as real estate construction, bio-science and technology, tourism and hospitality, manufacturing and trade, health services, education, transportation, and commercial office. Others have a narrower concentration: the Southeast Regional Center targets on the automotive and manufacturing sectors in Troup County, Georgia, and Chamber and Lee counties in Alabama.

According to government statistics, 2,608 petitions for EB-5 visas were filed during the first three quarters of 2011 – a sizeable increase over the 1,955 filed during fiscal 2010. About 82% of the petitions have been approved thus far this year, according to published reports. Mainland China is responsible for a large portion of the increase, with much of that effort fueled by parents who want to place their children in U.S. schools, officials say. While the program is projected to continue growing, there is still plenty of room for more applications: the government had never come close to its annual allotment of 10,000 EB-5 visas.

The Immigrant Investor Program has supported a number of successful U.S. projects, ranging from ski resorts in Maine and Vermont to a marina/entertainment center in Jupiter, Florida; revamping two Philadelphia hospitals; and redeveloping the downtown theater district in San Bernardino, California. Economists estimate EB-5 will create 25,000 jobs and bring $1.2 billion in new investment in 2011 – plus provide a fast track to U.S. residency for thousands of investors and their families.

However, as with any other investment, there are risks – even when using a certified regional center. USCIS decertified one regional center in California after complaints such as inadequate job creation. A group of South Korean investors reportedly lost millions on a financially troubled string of dairy farms in South Dakota. Middlemen eager to cash in on the EB-5 program have created web sites in several languages and launched hotel seminars designed to gain hefty fees from interested investors. Since there are so many new centers and so many pitchmen crowding the market, experts suggest doing careful research on a potential partner’s track record and their potential projects.

Residential Visas to Homebuyers?

Unlike EB-5, the proposed new residential visa law does not put participants on a fast track to U.S. citizenship. The program would grant a three-year residential visa to those who spent at least $500,000 to acquire residential real estate. However, participants must pay cash for the house and spend more than the current appraised value. They would also be required to live there for at least six months per year; pay federal and local taxes; and obtain a work visa if they have a job in the country.

The residential visa plan is part of the Visa Improvements to Stimulate International Tourism to the United States Act (VISA-USA), introduced in Congress in mid-October. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, one of the bill’s co-sponsors, said the concept is modeled on the Canadian practice of providing visas to non-Canadians who purchase property in that country. Other VISA-USA provisions include loosening visa requirements for Chinese and Canadian citizens. For example, Chinese tourists now must apply for a new visit each year they want to visit the United States. The proposal would authorize five-year visas covering multiple visits.

Canada and China accounted for 32% of internationally oriented home sales in the 12 months ended March 2011, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). A recent NAR survey found foreign nationals bought $41 billion in U.S. homes, while recent immigrants and those with visa exceeding six months spent another $41 billion. Of the total $1.07 trillion U.S. market, NAR added, internationally oriented sales totaled $82 billion – 8% of the current total, and a significant increase over the $66 billion spent in 2010. Canadian citizens were the top buyers at 23%, with China second at 9%.

Florida had 31% of total international sales, followed by California at 12% and Texas at 9%. Georgia was tied for fifth place with 2% in 2011 – a significant drop from 5% in 2010, but equal to the state’s 2% average over the past five years.

NAR noted that foreign buyers primarily look for three factors when looking for U.S. property: proximity of their home country, convenient air transportation, and climate. Recently, the group noted, its members noticed additional factors in those decisions. “Many U.S. colleges and universities have a significant number of international students, and some foreign families are purchasing U.S. properties in college areas so their child has a place to live,” the group stated. Also, foreign executives on temporary assignment are increasingly deciding to purchase a home rather than renting a residence.

VISA-USA has bipartisan support in Congress, as well as backing from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and such tourism trade groups as the U.S. Travel Association. While the main goal of the residential visa plan is boosting demand in the abysmal housing market, it is also drawing fire from groups opposed to national immigration policies. Others question whether a flood of wealthy buyers will drive up prices for U.S. residents. Some dismiss the plan as simply selling U.S. visas to the wealthy, allowing them to sidestep the normal citizenship requirements. Despite the criticisms, the legislation seems to have favorable prospects for passage.

Bobby L. Hickman is an Atlanta-based freelance business journalist who regularly contributes to Georgia Trend and other publications. He can be reached through his web site, www.blhickman.com.

The KORUS ratification came amid a formal state visit by Lee Myung-bak, the president of South Korea. The U.S. Senate also ratified the nomination of a new ambassador to South Korea, Sung Kim, on Thursday – just minutes before Myung-bak made a rare speech to a joint session of both houses of Congress.

The U.S. and South Korea have been working towards approval of a free trade agreement since 2006. Early versions of the treaty were revised to address U.S. Democrats’ concerns about labor issues. The agreement (plus two other free trade pacts with Panama and Colombia) passed Congress this week with strong Republican support and few Democratic votes. (All the Senate votes against the agreement were cast by Democrats, who also provided 130 of the 151 “no” votes in the House of Representatives.) President Barack Obama, who has championed KORUS since taking office, formally submitted the latest version of KORUS to Congress only six days before passage – a rare show of Congressional speed and bi-partisan agreement.

State Visit Brings Results

Much of the credit for the speedy approval process was given to this week’s formal state visit by Myung-bak. The visit was also a factor in the Senate approval of Kim, the first Korean-American to serve as U.S. Ambassador to South Korea. Kim, who replaces Pamela Stephenson in the role, is a career U.S. diplomat who was the special U.S. enjoy to six-country talks concerning the nuclear program in North Korea. Republican Sen. Jon Koyl of Arizona had blocked consideration of Kim’s nomination, citing concerns over possible direct U.S.-North Korea negotiations. However, the U.S. State Department convinced Koyl to drop his objections, allowing Kim to be approved while Myung-bak was in Washington D.C.

Myung-bak’s official visit to the United States spanned six days. Obama took Myung-bak to a private dinner on Tuesday night at an upscale Korean restaurant in northern Virginia. The two leaders visited an automotive plant in Michigan on Friday. Obama also hosted a formal state dinner Thursday evening which was attended by such notables as CNN anchor Candy Crowley and Seoul-born actor John Cho, who starred in recent movies including “Star Trek” and the “Harold and Kumar” series. Entertainment included Janelle Monae, the R&B singer from Atlanta, and the Ahn Trio, three sisters born in South Korea and trained as classical musicians at Julliard.

Approval Faces National Assembly Battle

However, once the pomp and circumstance ends, Myung-bak will return to the final battle for KORUS approval in the National Assembly. Hong Joon-pyo, chairman of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP), announced he will seek Korean approval this month. The GNP holds the majority of the Assembly’s 299 seats, making passage of the agreement highly likely.

However, opposition parties led by the Democratic Party (DP) promise to fight the agreement. Small and medium-sized businesses, fisherman, farmers, retailers, and other parties have expressed concern that U.S. goods and services may threaten their future.

KORUS has strong backing from large businesses in both the United States and Korea. The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Federation of Korean Industries, and the Korea International Trade Association released statements this week urging the National Assembly to quickly pass KORUS. The groups predicted the agreement would add 350,000 new jobs in South Korea and boost its GNP by 5.6%.

In the U.S., the free trade agreements with South Korea, Panama and Colombia were expected to bump up U.S. exports by more than $12 billion annually and create more than 300,000 jobs. Under KORUS, each country would drop 95% of their tariffs within five years, and most tariffs would be gone in 10 years. The agreement would particularly benefit the agricultural, automotive and manufacturing industries. It is also expected to enhance the export of services from the U.S. to South Korea and bring more direct investments between the two nations.

Georgia’s Expects Benefits from KORUS

KORUS approval would also provide ample new opportunities in Georgia for expanded trade between the state and South Korea. Georgia’s exports to Korea directly support 1,849 jobs, according to the Business Roundtable. The American Farm Bureau estimates that direct agricultural exports from Georgia to Korea would increase by almost $39 million annually under KORUS. More than $6 million would come from the poultry industry alone, which has been hammered by protectionism in some of its major Asian markets. Exports of fruits, vegetables, nuts and processed food products would also increase under the proposed free trade agreements, the Farm Bureau stated. In addition to agriculture, KORUS would provide Georgia and the rest of the United States ample opportunities to expand trade with Korea, which is already the seventh largest trading partner for the U.S.

Concluding KORUS could also be a first step towards more free trade agreements throughout Asia, opening up more opportunities for Georgia and U.S. businesses in the region. “As the first U.S. FTA with a North Asian partner,” the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative stated, “the KORUS FTA could be a model for trade agreements for the rest of the region, and underscore the U.S. commitment to, and engagement in, the Asia Pacific Region.”

Bobby L. Hickman is an Atlanta-based freelance business journalist who regularly contributes to Georgia Trend and other publications. He can be reached through his web site, www.blhickman.com.

Lee Myung-bak, the president of South Korea, will make a state visit October 13 to Washington and meet with U.S. President Barack Obama. The White House is only saying the two leaders will “review progress” towards legislative approval of KORUS. However, the meeting is sparking speculation that approval by the U.S. Senate and the General Assembly of South Korea could be at hand after six years of delays.

Under KORUS, each country would drop 95% of their tariffs within five years, and most tariffs would be gone in 10 years. Dropping the tariffs are expected to add up to $12 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product; spark $10 billion in annual exports to Korea; and create thousands of jobs. The agreement would particularly benefit the agricultural, automotive and manufacturing industries. It is also expected to enhance the export of services from the U.S. to South Korea and bring more direct investments between the two nations.

The treaty was initially negotiated in 2006 and 2007 during the George W. Bush administration. Although the leaders of both countries signed KORUS FTA June 30 2007, it will not take effect until approved by legislators in either country. During the Bush administration, Democrats who controlled the U.S. Congress blocked the agreement over the potential impact on the automotive and beef industries. After Obama took office in 2009, a new KORUS FTA was negotiated that addresses labor concerns in the automotive sector. (The beef issues were tabled.) U.S. and Korean leaders signed the revised treaty in December 2010. While there are still some Democrats with concerns about labor issues, Republicans generally support free trade agreements, and the enabling legislation has already begun working its way through Congress. Once the U.S. approves the bill, Korea’s General Assembly will then take up the measure. While there is some opposition from Korean legislators, the treaty is expected to gain approval in that body as well.

For the United States, KORUS would be the largest trade agreement since 1993’s North American Free Trade Agreement. The confrontational U.S. legislative climate in recent years has stalled all trade treaties for several years. Leaders hope approval of KORUS would help move pending agreements with Panama and Colombia forward as well.

For South Korea, KORUS would be the country’s second largest FTA, trailing only a recent trade agreement with the European Union. Trade Minister Kim John-hoon has already said South Korea’s next FTA target is China (already Korea’s top trading partner with an 18% market share). The U.S. State Department ranks Korea as the world’s 15th largest economy and the United States’ seventh largest trading partner. Keeping trade ties strong with the almost $1 trillion Korea economy – and keeping other countries from infringing on that relationship – is a top priority for U.S. trade officials. The U.S. was once South Korea’s top trading partner, but now trails China, Japan and the European Union. The U.S. share of the Korean import market fell from 21% to 9% from 2003 to 2010.

Korea is a particularly important market for Georgia, where exports to South Korea directly support 1,849 jobs, according to the Business Roundtable. The American Farm Bureau estimates that direct agricultural exports from Georgia to Korea would increase by almost $39 million annually under KORUS. More than $6 million would come from the poultry industry alone, which has been hammered by protectionism in some of its major Asian markets. Exports of fruits, vegetables, nuts and processed food products would also increase under the proposed free trade agreements, the Farm Bureau stated. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative  (USTR) stated KORUS would immediately eliminate or phase out tariffs and tariff-rate quotas on a broad range of products, with almost two-thirds (by value) of Korea’s agricultural imports from the United States becoming duty free” when the agreement takes effect.

In addition to agriculture, KORUS would provide Georgia and the rest of the United States ample opportunities to expand trade with Korea, which is already the seventh largest trading partner for the U.S. Other areas impacted by the proposed agreement include:

- Services exports. The Brookings Institute stated that services represent “one area where the U.S. should reap significant economic benefits from KORUS.” The group expects “increased exports of services such as finance, legal, accounting, telecommunications, health care and education, and areas of specialization and knowledge intensity that the U.S. excels in.” USTR valued the Korean services market at $560 billion. The office pointed specifically to foreign legal consulting, financial services companies and international delivery services (such as Georgia-based UPS, which backs KORUS) as significant beneficiaries.

- Manufacturing. KORUS eliminates duties charged when U.S. exports come into Korea, as well as addressing non-tariff barriers, the USTR stated.

- Government procurement. The treaty will also expand U.S. firms’ access to the $100 billion Korean government procurement market, USTR noted.

- Direct investment. USTR Brookings suggested the “bilateral investment relationship between the U.S. and Korea is arguably underdeveloped,” pointing to 2007 investment of $38 billion versus $81 billion in trade that year.

- Automotive. The agreement creates more job-creating export opportunities in Korea by several areas of contention, including safety and environmental standards. It also phases out tariffs on cars, trucks and electric vehicles in coming years.

Concluding KORUS could also be a first step towards more free trade agreements throughout Asia, opening up more opportunities for Georgia and U.S. businesses in the region. “As the first U.S. FTA with a North Asian partner,” the USTO stated, “the KORUS FTA could be a model for trade agreements for the rest of the region, and underscore the U.S. commitment to, and engagement in, the Asia Pacific Region.”

Bobby L. Hickman is an Atlanta-based freelance business journalist who regularly contributes to Georgia Trend and other publications. He can be reached through his web site, www.blhickman.com.

Photo Credit: Dean & Deluca Japan

Could growing crops and producing food actually become cool again – not to mention lucrative?

Experts say the growing middle class populations in developing countries around the world are driving up demand for meat, vegetables and prepared food products from the United States. Rising demand and the resulting higher prices are drawing people back to the farm in record numbers. After decades of declining profits and fewer family farms, producing food is starting to become the “in” thing again.

With Georgia leading the nation in producing poultry and pecans, residents of the Peach State have a great opportunity to get in on the leading edge on an agricultural rebirth. And it’s not just farmers who stand to profit. Sophisticated consumers in countries like China and India have money to spend and a hunger for prepared foods and gourmet specialties. Even small mom-and-pop businesses in Georgia can succeed by exporting unique regional products like peach preserves, authentic Southern BBQ sauce and muscadine jelly.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the nation’s agricultural exports are forecast at a record $135.5 billion in fiscal 2011. That estimate represents a $26.8 billion increase over the prior year and $20.6 billion more than the previous record set in 2008. The USDA also anticipates a record $20 billion in exports to China, which will surpass Canada and Mexico to become the United States’ top market this year. U.S. agricultural exports to Asia are expected to hit a record $58.5 billion, with Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong rounding out the top five Asian markets in the forecast.

The USDA added the “world macroeconomic environment supports growing U.S. agricultural exports. Solid world growth and a weaker dollar support U.S. agricultural product export growth through increased demand for U.S. agricultural commodities.”

Agriculture is Georgia’s largest and oldest industry, contributing more than $65 billion to the state’s $786.5 billion economy in 2009, according to the Georgia Farm Bureau. The state Department of Economic Development noted that agriculture was a major factor in 2010’s record $28.7 billion in total exports.

Georgia ranked 17^th among the 50 states in agricultural exports, contributing $1.78 billion of the fiscal 2010 total of $108.7 billion, according to the USDA’s Economic Research Service. Georgia led the nation in the exports of poultry and peanuts. The state’s top crop exports in 2010 include cotton ($572.5 million); poultry, eggs and related products ($468.7 million); peanuts and related products ($154.6 million); pecans and other tree nuts ($76.4 million); vegetables ($70.4 million); wheat ($55.9 million); tobacco ($47.2 million); peaches and other fruit ($46.7 million); soybeans ($44.8 million); coarse grain ($34.1 million); live animals and meat ($26.5 million); cottonseed ($14.1 million).

Miscellaneous food products accounted for $104.2 million of the Georgia total. Prepared foods and food ingredients fall into the “other” category, which includes wine, beverages, sugar, and “horticultural products such as starches, soy sauce, condiments, soups, gelatins, yeast, baking powder, vinegar and food preparations,” the USDA stated. Georgia’s exports in the “other” category have more than doubled over the past 10 years, and grew by almost $10 million from $95.2 million in fiscal 2009 to $104.2 million last year. Georgia also ranked ninth among the states in the “other” category of exports.

Georgia is known as the “Peach State,” but perhaps it should consider changing its nickname to the “Pecan State.” Georgia actually ranks third in U.S. peach production, but produces more pecans that any other state. (The other top pecan states are Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Louisiana). With 80% of the world’s pecan crop grown in the United States, farmers through the Southeast and Southwest have been scrambling to put thousands of new trees into production. Rising prices, coupled with new demand from Asia, are making pecans and pecan-based products an attractive option for farmers and food producers.

The growing middle class in Asian countries has driven up demand for pecans, pushing prices up around the world, expects say. Pecans first became popular in China less than a decade ago, but consumption boomed in 2007 and has slowly doubled again since that time. Hilton Segler, executive director of the National Pecan Growers Council, said health-conscious Chinese are drawn to the high antioxidant levels in the nut. Pecans are also starting to take hold in India, where Segler predicts demand could catch up to China within three years.

Asia is also driving up demand for meats like chicken, pork and beef. According to published reports, the average U.S. citizen consumes 250 pounds of meat annually, while the average in China is 100 pounds and less than 10 pounds in India. Experts say those lower consumption totals indicate there is plenty of room to sell more meat products in Asia.

A lack of farmland, higher demand, increasingly sophisticated consumers and more disposable income are providing opportunities to expand U.S. exports of meats and other agricultural products. The time is ripe for Georgia farmers and specialty food producers to take advantage of favorable trends and move into the growing Asian export market.

Bobby L. Hickman is an Atlanta-based freelance business journalist who regularly contributes to Georgia Trend and other publications. He can be reached through his web site, www.blhickman.com.

Photo Credit: Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images AsiaPac

Many Georgia universities and colleges are stepping up their efforts to lure foreign students to their campuses. But they are not alone: while the number of foreigners studying in the U.S. continues to climb, more domestic educational institutions are also looking overseas to increase their revenues.

The number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by 3% to 690,923 during the 2009/2010 academic year, according to the Open Doors report, which is published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE) with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. Those figures represent a record high number of international students that year. While the 3% is down from the double-digit increases for the preceding few years, early trends indicate the 2010/2011 numbers will also be up when they are released later this year.

The 2009/2010 growth was primarily driven by a 30% increase in Chinese student enrollment in the U.S. Chinese students totaled nearly 127,628, or more than 18% of the total international student population. China is the top sending country, with India second at 104,897 and South Korea (the leader until 2008) ranking third at 104,897 students. Canada, Taiwan and Japan occupy the next three spots, with the five Asian countries in that list responsible for 52% of foreign students in the U.S.

The report also shows Georgia ranking 13^th among U.S. states with 14,707 foreign students – a 4.9% increase. The top five Georgia institutions with the highest foreign student enrollment are Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia (UGA), Emory University, Georgia State University (GSU) and Savannah College of Art and Design. China accounted for 17.6% of the state’s foreign students, followed by India (17.2%), South Korea (13.9%), Taiwan (3.2%) and Canada (2%).

Some Georgia colleges are far along with successful international student recruitment, while others are just getting started. GSU in Atlanta claims students from more than 160 countries, while Georgia College in Milledgeville has more than 100 international students from 50 countries. The incoming 2011/2012 class at UGA lists 223 freshmen from 51 home countries among its 5,500 freshman class.

Colleges struggling with lower revenues are eager to bring foreign students -- and the higher tuitions they pay. Private and public institutions are seeking new income to offset the lower state and federal revenues for educational institutions. While domestic financial troubles are forcing more U.S. students to postpone post-secondary education, rising prosperity in Asia provides families the funds they need to obtain a highly-prized American education.  In China, 4% of high school students are exploring options for studying overseas, which means some 400,000 are considering foreign studies.

Also, foreign students have an economic impact beyond colleges. According to Open Doors, foreign students spend an estimated $383.9 million dollars in the state annually. (Around the world, the average Korean student spends more than $30,000 annually while at an overseas institution.) More exposure to Georgia may also help bring more business to the state, such as when a parent’s company decides to invest here or the student returns after graduation to represent his new employer.   

China and Korea are both working to build world-class centers of learning, but many families still send their students overseas to school – and the United States still leads the world in educating foreign students with an 18.7% market share. Students who study aboard now total about three million, with the market expected to reach eight million by 2025.

Georgia educational leaders who hope riding the international wave will help their bottom line are finding that competition among U.S. institutions is already heating up. Many colleges are recruiting overseas for the first time – particularly private schools, smaller public universities and even community colleges. (International enrollment at two-year universities rose 10.5% in 2008, while the national overall average climbed by 7.7 %.) Top institutions such as Rutgers, the State University of New York, Tulane and several California state schools are active internationally. However, success is also being reported by smaller schools like Northern Illinois University, Plymouth State in New Hampshire, Foothill-De Anza Community College in California, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach and Angelo State in Texas (which partners with Korean schools to find students). Fifteen schools (including Wake Forest, and the University of Maryland) recently formed an alliance to work directly with Chinese high schools.

U.S. institutions are also finding recruiting Asian students requires an approach that it tailored differently that what they use to reach domestic teens. The flashy web site that brings in savvy Americans may have little effect in China, where parents are heavily involved in the decision-making process. Parents respond better to a glossy marketing brochure in Mandarin, for example. Most Chinese families are cost-conscious. They look for brand awareness (such as “Ivy League) and national rankings (i.e., the U.S. News and World Reports lists). They also perceive the U.S. as a dangerous place, so they need reassurance that a given campus is safe for their children.

Recruiting in Korean also presents challenges as well as opportunities. Experts say materials should be translated into Korean and look similar to locally produced marketing collateral. South Koreans in particularly want to be sure that the culture at their target college will welcome them. On its web site, the University of Utah – which has targeted Korean high school and college students for years – states, “Our college is a welcoming environment for Korean students with outstanding educational programs and a comprehensive on-campus program of support.”

Another challenge in the Asian market is commission-based education agents who help students select and apply for universities. While the use of educational agents is controversial in the U.S., some 80% of Chinese students use agents to find their schools. An Asian cultural tradition of using go-betweens (like matchmakers) for major transactions leaves many families believing an agent gives them the best opportunity to get into a good school. The Chinese government has licenses more than 400 agencies. More U.S. schools are now working with these agencies, paying them a fee such as 10% of first-year tuition. In some cases, agents also get 10% of any financial aid they can help the student acquire. Some agencies allegedly push students towards the school which pays the agent the largest commission.

While there are cultural differences and logistical challenges to effective recruit in Asian markets, effective foreign student recruitment can also bring rewards to Georgia’s educational institutions. Between the continuing increase in foreign students and the financial stresses that force the state’s colleges to look for new revenue streams, we can expect to see Georgia educators continuing to step up their efforts to compete for foreign dollars in the international market.

Bobby L. Hickman is an Atlanta-based freelance business journalist who regularly contributes to Georgia Trend and other publications. He can be reached through his web site, www.blhickman.com.

For many of us in the United States it is difficult these days to find positive news about our neighbor to the south. With seemingly daily coverage of drug cartels and murders raging across Mexico, a casual observer of news and foreign affairs cannot help but view the country in a negative light. These stories infuse images of violence sweeping the country and cause Americans to think twice about travel to Mexico.

The drug trade is admittedly a huge problem for Mexico, but we at Atlanta Pacific Group feel that this is a small part of the story and is relegated to the periphery of the country. Mexico is a country with a long, storied history along with rich cultural traditions. It offers more than dusty border towns and beach resorts. On our latest excursion into the country, we discovered more of Mexico’s interior and explored Guadalajara. The city is Mexico’s 2^nd largest and is a significant center of culture and industry.

While the cultural and historical aspects of Guadalajara are indeed spectacular, I was intrigued by the economic opportunities and prosperity that abound in the region. Since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994, Guadalajara has witnessed the buildup of manufacturing facilities serving the software, telecom, electronic and digital components industries. In fact, the region has come to be known as the ‘Silicon Valley” of Mexico.

For many, NAFTA remains a contentious issue, and some argue that it has hurt Mexican farmers and U.S. industry. But one thing seems apparent—this buildup and investment in manufacturing is responsible for the growing middle class in Mexico and contributes to the 5-6 percent annual growth of their economy. This expansion of manufacturing and job growth in Mexico will only continue as multinational corporations shift their production from Asia. As China battles wage inflation and higher transportation cost, some are wondering if Mexico is the “new” China when it comes to global manufacturing.

What does this mean for us in the United States? The rising middle class and growing population of 112 million Mexicans presents continued economic opportunity for U.S.-based companies to export products and services south of the border. According to Mexican President Felipe Calderon in the interview posted below, “Millions of American jobs depend on the demand of Mexican people.” And certainly many more jobs could be created in our country by entrepreneurs and businesses that are able to serve the demand of this growing populace.

But this opportunity greatly depends on our ability as a nation to develop and educate young Americans to have the sensitivity and knowledge of cultures and foreign lands. At Atlanta Pacific Group, we believe this education is acquired through international work and study abroad opportunities. Inspiring future leaders of America through international education is a path for us as a nation to strengthen our country and restore our economic vigor.

For more discussion about Mexico and its challenges and opportunities, please check out this insightful Charlie Rose interview with Mexican President Felipe Calderon:

http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11664

Photo Credit: Miguel Martinez, Mundo Hispanico

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports today that Nathan Deal is expected to travel to China and South Korea in October to seek out investment for Georgia.  With the state unemployment rate hovering around 10%, the local government is aggressively courting investment from Asia and Europe.  They are hoping to attract high-value manufacturing that will bring us more white-collar jobs.

We at Atlanta Pacific Group applaud the efforts of Governor Deal to make the rounds with foreign governments and businesses to land jobs for Georgians, but we wonder if he is sending the right message with his recent anti-immigration bill.  Just last month, Mr. Deal signed into law House Bill 87, which is a measure to clamp down on illegal immigration.  Next to Arizona and Alabama, this legislation is one of the toughest measures imposed on undocumented workers by a state.

Georgia, like many other states, is feeling the pain of decreased revenue due to the recession.  And the Governor believes the taxpayer should not have to shoulder the burden of illegal immigrants.  While we also agree that Georgia must manage its affairs in accordance with the interest of its taxpayers, it seems the short-term financial benefits of this bill could be overshadowed by the negative publicity brought to the state. 

Just yesterday, thousands gathered upon the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta to protest House Bill 87.  The estimated crowd of 10,000 included not only Latinos, but members of Atlanta’s Korean and Chinese immigrant community.  While listening to coverage of the rally yesterday on Atlanta’s 105.3 El Patrón, I listened as a young woman of Korean heritage gave an impassioned speech about how the bill will affect her.  Born in South Korea, but having lived in Georgia for over 10 years as an undocumented immigrant, she considers herself an American.  She has been accepted to a state university; however, the bill could deny her from attending school in the fall.

It can easily be argued that an illegal immigrant like her should not have access to the state’s resources such as a public university.  But I take a more pragmatic view, and wonder why Georgia has gone out of its way to put our state in the spotlight, especially when we are actively pursuing business investment from abroad.  On his trip to Korea this fall, what will Governor Deal tell the CEOs of Kia, Hyundai and Korean government officials—we want your money but don’t want your fellow countrymen to stay here?  That should be an interesting conversation.  Why can’t we just let the Arizonas and Alabamas of the world take on this battle?  Anyway, aren’t we here in Atlanta the city too busy to hate?  Or is that just when times are good?

Photo Credit: China Mike

Let’s face it—our economy is sick.  With official unemployment hovering close to 10% and GDP growth of around 2%, the United States is barely creating enough jobs for new entrants into the job market.  And let’s not forget about the 8 million jobs that were lost during the Great Recession.  Those jobs have evaporated.  The casualties can be found in almost every neighborhood across the United States, from shuttered factories in Ohio to the eerie silence of abandoned construction lots in Nevada.

As we further survey the landscape of today’s American economy, we find a nation continuing to face unpleasant realities and suffering from chronic ailments.  The housing market is a mess.  Although the latest numbers show an easing of the foreclose rate, the reality behind the numbers may have more to do with the muddled foreclosure process that only serves to prolong the housing crisis.  Housing prices are now at their lowest level since the crisis began in 2006.  This makes Americans feel poor and hinders consumer confidence.  Weak consumer confidence impedes hiring by the private sector.  The vicious cycle continues.

Oh, and did we mention the looming financial crisis among state and local governments?  States such as California, New York and Illinois are at severe risk to default on their loans.  They simply do not have the money to continue paying for programs they cannot afford.  States cannot print money and Uncle Sam cannot scratch any more checks to the states without further adding to our national debt.  The federal government is on the brink of facing a “sudden fiscal crisis” as warned this week by the Congressional Budget Office’s latest study.  If the United States continues with its profligate spending and Congress maintains its adolescent behavior, investors will eventually lose faith in our system and we could see a Greek-style crisis. 

United States = Greece?  Theoretically, yes, it is possible that we are on the precipice of a financial crisis similar to Europe and risk sustained economic misery.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  In fact, we at Atlanta Pacific Group envision a United States in the long-term that is even stronger and more prosperous than the one our parents and grandparents enjoyed.  According to former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Gordon Brown, in the interview posted below, “there are choices available to us.”  We have the power to determine our own future, and Mr. Brown discusses a growth plan for the next 10 years that can pull us out of our economic stagnation. 

In the interview, he explains that the biggest “driver of growth over the next 10 years is going to be the growth of middle class consumers in Asia, Brazil, Russia and elsewhere.”  And he goes on to say that those “companies that are export oriented, that see the future, will do very well.”  But we must make investments in education and develop our people so that America remains the leader in innovation and technology.  We must also promote international travel and study abroad opportunities for young people so that they main gain cultural insight and knowledge of emerging markets. 

It is through these means that we will have future leaders of science and business that will have the knowledge and education to develop products and services for the world economy.  America has a choice: Will we rise to the challenge and invest in our future to become a great export nation again or will we bury our heads in the sand and become isolationist, thereby accepting mediocrity and decline?  We at Atlanta Pacific Group believe in the future of America and will do our part to reinvigorate our economy and spur the next great round of American prosperity.

For more discussion about the growth of consumer markets overseas and the opportunities they present for the United States, please check out this insightful Charlie Rose interview with Gordon Brown:

http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11343

The Hyundai Americas headquarters will be used to operate its business in Latin America as well as the United States. The company was attracted to the Atlanta area because of its ability to serve as a gateway to the entire Americas region. The Georgia Department of Economic Development and Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce also played an important role to develop economic incentives to lure Hyundai to Atlanta.

For further information about the deal, please check out yesterday’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution article:

http://www.ajc.com/business/norcross-snags-hyundai-heavy-983667.html

So you want to expand your business outside of Asia and setup shop in the United States to further develop your export business.  Have you considered Atlanta as your headquarters for the Americas?  Here are the top 5 reasons why Atlanta should be on your shortlist:

Location

Atlanta is located in one of the fastest-growing regions of the United States.  Located in the Southeast, the region has experienced tremendous economic growth and prosperity over the last several decades.  Atlanta is now home to more than 5.4 million people and continues to welcome migrants from all over the county as well as the world. 

The city is centrally located to serve the Americas and is one of the largest distribution hubs in North America.  The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport in the world.  The airport is not only a hub for air service to the United States and Canada, but also serves over 42 locations in Latin America and the Caribbean, making Atlanta the perfect base of operations to develop your international business.  In the Asia Pacific region, Atlanta has nonstop service to Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo.

Owing to its history as a distribution hub for the Confederacy during the American Civil War, Atlanta has remained a center of transportation for rail and truck service.  The United Parcel Service (UPS) has its world headquarters here, where 80% of the U.S. market can be served within 2 days by truck.  Three major interstate highways intersect in Atlanta along with numerous rail links making Atlanta an excellent location for your warehouse and distribution center.

The Port of Savannah is considered an extremely fast and reliable port.  Just a few hours away by truck from Atlanta, it is the fastest growing port in the United States and second largest on the East Coast.  Containers arriving by ocean vessel from Asia can be unloaded and transferred via train or truck to your Atlanta operations facility. 

Educated Talent Pool

A steady stream of Chinese and Korean students continue to make Atlanta their new home.  They are attracted to the world-renowned universities located in the Atlanta metro area such as the Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Georgia State University and University of Georgia.  The metro area also boasts several other universities and technical colleges including the Savannah College of Art and Design and Kennesaw State University which is aggressively developing Asia-USA Partnership Opportunities.

These institutions create energetic and talented professionals that are not only capable of running your operations, but have the technical know-how and vision to take your company’s global operations to the next level.  Atlanta attracts young people from all over the country with its low cost of living, vibrant lifestyle and economic opportunities.  Atlanta’s economic mix of Fortune 500 companies, small business and entrepreneurial activity provide an array of talent and human resources for your business.   

Cost of Living / Lifestyle

Atlanta offers homes that are much larger and much less expensive than other major cities in the United States.  Considering New York or California for you company’s operations?  Don’t bother.  While those places are great for a visit, Atlanta and the Southeast offer the picturesque and comfortable American lifestyle at a fraction of the cost.  An individual making $50,000 annual salary in Atlanta will need to make over $71,000 in Los Angeles to maintain the same standard of living.  That same person would need to make over $85,000 to maintain the same standard of living in San Francisco!  Check out Bankrate for the comparison.  

And did we mention the attractive quality of life in Atlanta?  The climate is moderate and the city enjoys all four seasons with winter being relatively mild.  Atlantans enjoy the outdoors where there are plenty of entertainment options from sporting events to community festivals.  There is something for everybody in Atlanta.  Check out 50 Fun Things to Do in Atlanta.

Business Friendly

Atlanta and the state of Georgia is an extremely business friendly climate that welcomes your company from Asia.  Georgia is a right-to-work state, meaning that the law secures the right of employees to decide for themselves whether or not they want to join a union.  Here in Georgia, business is not impeded by the demands of the unions which is one reason why Georgia and the other Southeastern states continue to receive Korean, Japanese and Chinese capital investments. Kia, Toyota, Nissan and Honda are just a few of the many Asian companies that are finding a happy home in the Southeast.

The local government has been aggressive in courting foreign investment from Asia.  Gwinnett County, which is one of the counties that comprise the 5 county core of the Atlanta metro area, has been effective in reaching out to Chinese and Korean companies.  The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce Global Business Council has conducted numerous activities to develop the county’s strong ties with the Korean business community in Georgia and is working in Korea to identify more investment opportunities into the United States.  On the China front, Gwinnett County has opened an international trade office in Wuxi and has made several economic development trips over the past few years.  The county’s efforts are paying off with the expansion of Hisense Co. Ltd and other Chinese firms into the area.  

Growing Asian Community

The Asian community in Atlanta is growing by leaps and bounds, and the Asian population in the metro area is quickly approaching 250,000 residents.  Asians make up more than 10% of Gwinnett County’s population, which is comprised mainly of Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese and Indian residents.  Historically, the Doraville and Chamblee suburbs of Atlanta have been the center of the Chinese and Korean communities, but now the shift is toward the Duluth and Suwanee suburbs of Gwinnett County with the growth of white-collar professionals, technical workers and entrepreneurs seeking out more upscale neighborhoods.  Gwinnett and the Metro Atlanta area provide plenty of choices for Asian restaurants along with several Asian retailers such as H-Mart and Assi to provide you with a taste of home.  Asian community organizations, business organization and social groups are all well established in Atlanta to make your transition and investment into the community that much easier.