June 2019 Features

• Atlanta’s Star Medical Marijuana Startup Raises $100M, Plans to Expand Workforce

  June 28, 2019

  Surterra Wellness (Surterra), one of the fastest growing health and wellness companies in the United States (U.S.) announced the initial closing of a $100 million Series D funding round and the expansion of its Board of Directors. Surterra plans to use the proceeds to fund strategic acquisitions and infrastructure capital expenditures.

• Shan Cooper and Frank Blake Elected to Georgia Historical Society Board of Curators

  June 28, 2019

  The Georgia Historical Society announced that Shan Cooper and Frank Blake have been elected to serve as the newest members of the GHS Board of Curators.

• Harry Norman Launches Philanthropy Fund with Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

  June 28, 2019

  Harry Norman, REALTORS has launched Harry Norman, REALTORS Philanthropy Fund in partnership with the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta to showcase the firm’s commitment to Atlanta’s people and neighborhoods throughout the metro Atlanta region.

• Georgia Tech Satellite Successfully Launched Into Space

  June 27, 2019

  Years of planning, design, and testing have finally paid off for hundreds of Georgia Tech students and young alumni who make up the brain trust behind the latest Tech-built satellite sent to space.

• Atlanta MBDA Advanced Manufacturing Summit is August 11th-13th

  June 27, 2019

  Robotics, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality drive today’s advanced manufacturing businesses. How can minority business enterprises (MBEs) in the manufacturing sector harness these technologies to grow, attract customers, and become more efficient?

• Current Signs of the Times in Corporate Responsibility: A Conversation with Coxe Curry's Ann W. Cramer

  June 26, 2019

  The goBeyondProfit team had the privilege to sit with Ann and hear her perspective on trends in Corporate Responsibility. Ann has identified several signs of the time based on the Five Corporate Social Responsibility Trends to Watch in 2019, that are published annually by her friend and colleague Tim McClimon, president of the American Express Foundation.

• WorkSource Atlanta to Integrate in to Invest Atlanta

  June 26, 2019

  The City of Atlanta announced the integration of WorkSource Atlanta in to Invest Atlanta—aligning the City’s workforce development arm with its economic development arm.

• Allen, Hice Help Secure Ft. Gordon Cyber Instructional Facility Funding

  June 25, 2019

  The budget process has been out of regular order for several years now. Under normal rules, Congress would pass 12 appropriations measures that form the annual budget. These 12 separate spending bills offer a lot of chances for disagreement and possible partisan wrangling. It is much easier to pass much, much larger bills that combine spending into a package – thus, the “omnibus budget.”

• The Outlook for the U.S. Housing Market Hits its Highest Point in Three Years

  June 25, 2019

  Last year's sales slowdown, combined with the decidedly mixed data through the first half of 2019, certainly suggested that housing had passed its peak in this cycle. But the latest Health of Housing Markets Report (HoHM Report) from Nationwide Economics sees more positive, sustainable trends for the housing sector for at least the next year.

• Fort Mac Selected By the Food and Drug Administration as Location for FDA Laboratory at Former Forces Command HQ Building

  June 24, 2019

  Fort Mac LRA announces that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will relocate its Atlanta operations to the former Fort McPherson Forces Command Headquarters building, bringing approximately 350 high-paying scientist and staff jobs to the site.

• Georgia's Largest Technology Showcase Scheduled for March 2020

  June 24, 2019

  The premier showcase event for Georgia's technology industry, The Summit, returns March 3rd & 4th, 2020 at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta to shine a spotlight on the state's industry strengths and gather top leaders and innovative companies at the Technology Association of Georgia's (TAG) annual meeting.

• AT&T Invests Nearly $5.4B Over 3-Year Period to Boost Local Networks in Georgia

  June 21, 2019

  At AT&T, we’ve invested nearly $5.4 billion in our Georgia wireless and wired networks during 2016-2018. These investments boost reliability, coverage, speed and overall performance for residents and businesses.

• Emory Healthcare Innovation Hub Expands with New Industry Partners

  June 21, 2019

  The Emory Healthcare Innovation Hub announced Konica Minolta Healthcare, Novo Nordisk, Philips and Stryker as its newest strategic partners committed to improving the patient care and provider experience by using information technology to solve the most pressing problems facing health care.

• Georgia Smart Communities Challenge Selects Four New Community Projects

  June 20, 2019

  After a successful launch in 2018, Georgia Tech’s Georgia Smart Communities Challenge named four new grant recipients at a special event at the government center in Macon June 18. The 2019 winning proposals are Columbus Smart Uptown, Macon Smart Neighborhoods, Milton Smarter Safer Routes to School, and Woodstock Smart Master Plan and Corridor Study.

• Congressman Tom Graves Introduces Active Cyber Defense Certainty Act

  June 20, 2019

  Congressman Tom Graves (R-GA-14) is concerned about criminal hackers in cyberspace. The Republican Congressman from Ranger, GA teamed with Democrat Congressman Josh Gottheimer (N.J.-05), to introduce a bipartisan bill that gives American businesses and consumers more tools to defend themselves online.

• Nearly 9 in 10 Atlantans Confident about City’s Future, With Many Planning to Retire in Greater Atlanta Area, Finds Merrill Edge Report

  June 19, 2019

  Bank of America announced local findings from the latest Merrill Edge Report which reveal that Atlantans are highly optimistic about the local economy over the next five years (89 percent), and many plan to retire in the greater metro area.

• Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Submitted by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Unanimously Approved by City Council

  June 18, 2019

  Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ Fiscal Year 2020 budget was unanimously approved by the Atlanta City Council. The balanced budgets total $2.2 billion with a focus on the Administration’s priorities including compliance, ethics and transparency, code enforcement, and public safety.

• GMA Convention Guest Speakers Share Unique Roads to Success

  June 18, 2019

  The GMA 2019 Annual Convention themed: “Cities United: Lead to Succeed.” will take place this week at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center.

• Georgia Awarded Gold Shovel for Jobs and Investment

  June 18, 2019

  Governor Brian P. Kemp announced Georgia was awarded a Gold Shovel by Area Development Magazine for generating the most jobs and investment in the United States for the eight to twelve million population category.

• Georgia Small Business Leaders Profit from Speakers' Expertise/Experience at U.S. Chamber of Commerce Event

  June 17, 2019

  This past Wednesday nearly two hundred small business leaders from across Georgia had the opportunity to benefit from attending the U.S. Chamber of Commerce “Small Business Series” held in Atlanta: a notable list of fifteen, experienced peers and experts in the small business market segment shared practical advice, anecdotal narratives, and statistical information to help inspire owners, who might want to incorporate them in their business models and plans.

• MARTA Board Approves Sequencing of Historic Expansion Program

  June 17, 2019

  The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Board of Directors has unanimously approved the sequencing of the transit projects in the More MARTA Atlanta program.

• London-Based DS Smith Opens North American HQ in Atlanta

  June 17, 2019

  DS Smith plc, a leading provider of sustainable packaging, announces its further expansion in North America with the opening of its new headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Its growth into the North American market follows its acquisition of Interstate Resources and Corrugated Container Corporation, and The Display Connection.

• Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Announces 100 Men to Mentors Challenge

  June 14, 2019

  Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the City of Atlanta is seeking volunteers to mentor local boys ages 6-14. As a prelude to the launch of the City’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative, the City of Atlanta is partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta to help secure mentors for the 100 Atlanta boys who are currently on a waiting list to be matched with mentors.

• ChooseATL Brings Careers, Community and Culture Together for More than 1,000 Atlanta-based Summer Interns

  June 13, 2019

  The ChooseATL After 5 program launches for its fourth consecutive year, providing interns from 14 of metro Atlanta’s top companies, including Delta Air Lines, Turner, Cox Automotive and more, with valuable experiences outside of the office that illustrate Atlanta’s rich lifestyle and culture. After 5 is the first program of its kind in the nation – a six-part summer series of events at cultural hotspots around metro Atlanta, allowing interns to build relationships with their peers while enhancing their perception of the region.

• Merger of Equals Between BB&T and SunTrust Will Create Truist

  June 13, 2019

  BB&T Corporation and SunTrust Banks, Inc., announced Truist as the name for the combined company to be created through their merger of equals. Truist will be the sixth-largest U.S. bank holding company serving more than 10 million households in the U.S., with a leading presence in many of the most attractive, high-growth markets in the country.