Neatly tucked in between the metro-Atlanta area and Alabama lies Floyd County, a region of Georgia steadily moving towards progress and economic growth. Since its establishment in 1832, the county has been drawing in visitors and residents with its commercial ventures in its county seat of Rome and beyond.
With Rome, a key hub of northwest Georgia’s education, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, and retail, Floyd County enjoys access to promising economic opportunities. Situated in the middle of the three populous cities of Atlanta, Birmingham, and Chattanooga, Rome receives thousands of incoming travelers every year. The influx of visitors and new residents fuels Floyd’s growing economy, which currently boasts over eight thousand businesses and thousands of jobs.
Three of the county’s largest employers – the Floyd Medical Center, Redmond Regional Medical Center, and Harbin Clinic – focus on the healing and health of the county’s people. Large corporations like Kellogg’s, F&P Georgia, Hillshire Brands, and International Paper stimulate Floyd’s economy, employing hundreds of Floyd residents. Several educational institutions from Augusta University to Berry Elementary School shape the minds of people of all ages and supply careers for students and teachers alike. Floyd County’s warm Georgian sun and rolling green hills is also perfect for countless recreational activities from watching tennis tournaments to enjoying Sunday afternoon picnics. The county’s economic promise and progress has been reflected in its median personal income of over $30,000 – a figure 10% higher than that of the entire nation.
Despite Floyd’s booming sales and increasing wealth, the chamber of commerce is far from finished with helping the county’s growth. Members are continuing to develop and promote programs that will help adapt Floyd’s businesses to a twenty-first century economy. One of those programs is “All Things Digital,” a county-wide initiative to increase digital education and attract software companies in an effort to strengthen Floyd’s technological sector and diversify its economy. The chamber also follows a “20-20 Strategic Plan” in which members identify twenty goals like establishing a skilled workforce and improving infrastructure to accomplish in twenty years. The chamber meets every five years to adjust and evaluate the plan. Chamber president Al Hodge is optimistic about the plan’s progress and future advancements. In a recent interview with Southern Automotive Alliance, Hodge explains that it is important that the county “continue to raise the bar.” “We will not settle for the status quo. Every five years we either fine-tune or overhaul our plan and set higher sights,” he says.
For now, Floyd’s economic growth shows no signs of stopping. In the future, the county may very well be at the heart of Georgia’s commercial progress and development, with its promising signs of thriving businesses and industries.
Note: All information in the article were taken from Rome’s Chamber of Commerce, Floyd County’s websites, census data, and Southern Automotive Alliance.
Photo Credit: Georgia’s Rome Office of Tourism
