Fulton County is considered one of the largest logistics hubs in the Southeast. Logistics service providers, transportation companies, and ecommerce fulfillment centers gain from the County’s access to rail, road, air, and sea as well as a dynamic labor force. Within Fulton County, there are more than 770 companies operating in logistics and supply chain, employing an estimated 49,742 employees, and generating $3b in annual payroll (2014 County Business Patterns).
Logistics/Supply Chain
The Logistics/Supply Chain industry is supported by a flexible, customizable network based on its intermodal hubs, international and regional airports, direct access to Georgia ports, and housing the juncture of several U.S. interstates and highway systems.
Goods and people can reach 80% of the U.S. population in 2 hours by air
Rail Road
CSX, Nortfolk Southern, and BNSF have intermodal facilities model facilities within Fulton County. Present day, Fulton County houses three rail terminals providing overnight service to the Savanna port, handling more than 500 trucks per day and reaching destinations throughout the United States. Georgia’s 4,900-mile rail network converges in Atlanta with 83 million tons of cargo passing through the state per year (Metro Atlanta Chamber).
Road
Fulton County is located at the crossroad of three U.S. interstates, being the nexus of one of America’s busiest systems of interstate highways I-75/I-85 north and south and I-20 east and west. The intermodal transportation, logistics and distribution system in Fulton County is enhanced by the I-285 Perimeter which facilitates movement around Fulton County and the Metro Atlanta Area.
This road system allows for cargo to reach the states within the southeast in a day; parts of the Midwest, south and northeast regions in two days; the southwest and parts of the Midwest in three days; the south Pacific in four days; and the north pacific in five days.
Sea
Georgia’s Port of Savannah is the 4th largest in the U.S., encompassing more than 1,200 acres and moving millions of tons of containerized cargo annually. Ocean Terminal, Savannah’s dedicated breakbulk and Roll-on / Roll-off facility, covers 200.4 acres and provides customers with more than 1.4 million square feet of covered, versatile storage. The Port of Brunswick is comprised of three Georgia Port Authority (GPA) owned deepwater terminals. More than 12 major auto manufacturers, supported by three auto processors, utilize the Colonel’s Island Terminal. The terminal is also home to the South Atlantic’s fastest growing bulk export / import operation.
Resources
Georgia Centers of Innovation – Logistics
The Center of Innovation Logistics provide a variety of services to assist companies. The centers focus areas are freight transportation, warehousing & distribution centers, and logistics technology. Click here for more information.
Labor Force
The Logistics/Supply Chain industry employs more than 49,000 workers with average annual wages of $79, 551. Over the next ten years, the industry is expected to grow by .3% per year and require 12,000 additional jobs due to replacement demand. As companies continue to focus on technology to improve operational efficiencies, a slower employment growth is anticipated coupled with the need for highly skilled workers.
Incentives
Local Incentives:
Fulton County offers local incentives that are based on location and/or leadership approval. Link back to http://selectfultoncounty.com/doing-business-here/business-location-incentives/
The State of Georgia: offers a variety of incentives that can assist in lowering the cost of doing business. Access full suite of incentives – http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/georgia-brochures/business-incentives-brochure/2016021701#0
Here’s a snapshot of available incentives:
Job Tax Credit
The State of Georgia provides a Job Tax Credit for any business or headquarters of any such business engaged in manufacturing, warehousing and distribution, processing, telecommunications, broadcasting, tourism, or research and development industries, but does not include retail businesses. Fulton County ranks as a Tier 3 designation, which allows for a $1,750 Job Tax Credit per 15 jobs created.
Port Tax Credit Bonus
The Port Tax Credit Bonus is available to taxpayers who qualify for the Job Tax Credit or the Investment Tax Credit, and they increase imports or exports through a Georgia port by 10 percent over the previous or base year. Credits may be used to offset up to 50 percent of the company’s corporate income tax liability. Unused credits may be carried forward for 10 years, provided that the increase in port traffic remains above levels established in year one for eligibility and that the company continues to meet the job or investment tax credit requirements. Note that the Port Tax Credit Bonus cannot be utilized with the Quality Jobs Tax Credit.
Sales and Use Tax Exemption
Georgia helps companies lower their cost of doing business by offering the ability to purchase various types of goods and services tax free. Exemption categories include Manufacturing Machinery & Equipment, Repair to Industrial Machinery, Industrial Materials & Packaging, Energy Used in Manufacturing, Primary Material Handling Equipment, Pollution Control Equipment, Computer Hardware & Software for High Technology Companies, Clean Room Equipment, Water Costs, and Telecommunications Services. Please note that stipulations apply.
Workforce Development Programs
The Fulton County Housing and Human Services Office of Workforce Development is dedicated to helping businesses achieve their hiring goals, while assisting our residents with finding a meaningful and long-lasting career. The employment assistance services are provided to our customers and employers at NO COST.
There are no fees required for the employer to access or receive the benefits of these services that include the following:
- no charge for advertising and recruitment;
- use of facilities;
- coordinating interviews and selection;
- pre-employment screenings (skill-based assessment, drug-testing and background checks); and
- customized new employee training/orientations.
Georgia Quick Start Employee Training
As the No. 1 workforce training program in the country, Quick Start develops and delivers fully customized, strategic workforce solutions for qualified companies investing in Georgia. Quick Start helps companies assess, select and train the right people at the right time for success. Services are provided free of charge as a discretionary incentive for job creation for clients opening or expanding manufacturing operations, distribution centers, headquarters operations and customer contact centers in a broad range of industries.
Georgia Department of Labor
Georgia’s Department of Labor (GDOL) assists employers with recruiting qualified employees by posting notices of their job openings, collecting and screening applications and resumes, referring qualified applicants to the employer for employment interviews, providing office space for interviews, and hosting job fairs and/or individual recruitments. The department’s Business Services Unit will plan and execute customized recruiting for new companies. The GDOL also works with private employment agencies that list job openings with the state.
Education
