Gwinnett County officials announced during a visit to Switzerland that Elma Electronic Inc. would hire 93 people at a new factory in Lawrenceville. The Swiss subsidiary with a U.S. base in Fremont, Calif., is consolidating cabinet manufacturing in Georgia, where it already had a facility inherited after acquiring a division of Scientific Atlanta in 2004. The […]
Economic Development
Hitachi Automotive to Invest $100 Million in Expansion
A division of Japan’s Hitachi Automotive that makes powertrains for electric and gas vehicles, control systems and other key components in Monroe, Ga., is investing $100 million in an expansion that will create 100 new jobs. Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of the Tokyo-based company, said it could increase the investment amount to about $330 million […]
Consul General: Despite Trade Challenges, U.S.-Canada Ties ‘Too Big to Fail’
President Trump’s approach to trade may have strained the U.S.-Canada relationship, but these “best friends and allies” are in no danger of breaking up, according to Canada’s top diplomat in the Southeast. Nadia Theodore, a trade expert-turned-consul general, said both countries may be pursuing independent trade priorities, but the primacy of their neighborly relationship has never faded, […]
Ambassador: Liberia Can Be Georgia’s ‘Springboard’ to the African Continent
Liberia’s determined efforts to solidify its ties with Georgia were energized by the mid-May visit of its ambassador to the U.S. who encouraged the state to play a dominant role in establishing a cargo hub for the African continent. George S. W. Patten Sr., a veteran Liberian diplomat who assumed his position in January, met […]
Savannah’s JCB Expands Canadian Government Ties With Excavator Deal
JCB, the British-owned provider of construction equipment with a plant in Savannah, has won an order from the Canadian government valued at CAD 2.5 million (about $1.85 million). The order for 10 large excavators and wheel loading shovels will go to the Canadian army and the country’s agriculture department, as well as to the Blanc […]
Quebec’s ‘Smart Mobility’ Sector to Shine During Annual Canada-Southeast Conference
It’s an opportunity that comes around just once every 12 years, and Quebec, perhaps more than some provinces or states, knows how to make the most of it. From June 2-4, the Southeast U.S.-Canadian Provinces Alliance annual conference will land in Montreal, where it originally began thanks largely to a commitment by the leaders of […]
Europe Day: European Investment in Georgia Strong Despite Trade Tiffs
Trade tumult isn’t exactly undermining Georgia’s foundational relationship with the European Union, but volatile U.S. policies are causing some firms to rethink the timing and intensity of their investments here. That was the somber undertone of a Europe Day luncheon at the Metro Atlanta Chamber that otherwise served as a celebration of deep historic linkages […]
Spanish Auto Supplier Picks Augusta for $12M Factory Investment
A Barcelona-based company supplying components that absorb vibration to reduce noise in car interiors has pledged to spend $12 million on an Augusta factory, hiring 45 people. Spain’s Acoustics and Insulation Techniques makes soundproofing materials for the automotive and building sectors, counting among its customers BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo — all of which have manufacturing […]
Atlanta’s Fintech Ecosystem Matures With Global Investment, Outreach
Looking at Georgia’s financial technology industry, it wouldn’t seem like there’s much more room to grow. The sector employs more than 38,000 people the state, and industry-leading companies that have helped generate the “Transaction Alley” moniker process 57.7 billion payments a year — about two-thirds of the total in the U.S. But the areas where […]
World Trade Day Panel’s Crystal Ball Reveals Future Challenges for the U.S.
A panel of savvy trade and foreign policy experts boldly prophesied the future of economic developments around the world during a lead-off discussion at Atlanta’s celebration of World Trade Day on May 3 at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel and Convention Center. While crystal ball gazing can be fraught with false predictions resulting in crushed reputations […]
