THOMASVILLE — While the Georgia Chamber of Commerce representatives at Glen Arven Country Club on Thursday morning acknowledged how much they enjoy visiting Thomasville, it was a trip to focus on business — in particular, business in southwest Georgia.

The Georgia Chamber’s Reimagined New Georgia Economy tour made a stop in Thomasville, all part of the organization’s effort to glean information and data across the state. That input will help map the state Chamber’s outline a strategy for the future.

Georgia Chamber President and CEO Chris Clark said he wants people to understand that parts of the economy, such as small businesses and minority-owned businesses, need attention.

“We want them to understand what’s going to happen now in the economy over the next 10, 20, 30 years,” he said, “so they can be better prepared in their own business and their own communities to make the changes we need.”

Among the questions asked of attendees were their thoughts on businesses taking stances on social justice and equality, what qualities they look for in political candidates and what can be done to better remedy workforce and labor hurdles for legal immigration. Attendees also were asked if they think the next generation of workers is being properly prepared for jobs of the future and on health care access.

“We go through about 25-30 questions of policy, and that all goes back to give us the pulse of what businesses are thinking in the state right now,” Clark said. “And that leads us to policy and in how we engage and the types of changes we need to make.”

The state Chamber has made rural Georgia an emphasis in recent years, and Clark pointed to the opening of a Georgia Chamber office in Tifton focused on rural issues.

“The Georgia General Assembly, since that time, has passed 30 different bills, from tax credits to education to help rural Georgia,” he said. “On top of that, you have a governor who is focused like a laser on rural Georgia every single day.”

Clark said he met recently with the state’s economic development commissioner, Pat Wilson, and they reviewed the interest rural Georgia has garnered — a 47% increase in investment since last year and a 40% increase in the number of projects.

“Those are spread all over Georgia,” Clark said. “Southwest Georgia had a ton of new announcements. We weren’t seeing that effort five or six years ago. We’re seeing the benefit of that focus on rural Georgia.”

Clark also lauded the efforts of the region’s economic development professionals in collaborating.  

“Having great economic developers who work together that regional approach, working with Georgia Allies, working with our utility partners, all of that is finally coming together,” he said. “We’re seeing some really promising advances in that area. 

“Regionalism matters,” Clark added. “Southwest Georgia is probably the best example. They market the region together. Let’s get em here and we’ll fight for em once we get them here.”

The Georgia Chamber and local Chambers, Clark said, are concentrating on helping businesses and helping small businesses grow. One of the stumbling blocks, he acceded, was workforce development. 

“Not getting the workers we need back in the system is going to be a problem for us,” he said. “But people are aware of it. We’re talking with state leaders on how to address it. Working together, it’s critical.”

Now hiring and help wanted signs have been prevalent not only in Thomasville and Thomas County but across the state. Clark pointed out there are 275,000 people getting unemployment in the state — and there are more than 600,000 jobs available. 

“The jobs are there,” he said. “We are seeing, to their credit, businesses may be paying too little before, they are raising wages. The market is driving them. We have to be careful we don’t get to a point where we have an inflationary effort and we hurt the very people we are trying to help.” 

The Georgia Chamber will host a one-day rural prosperity forum on challenges facing rural Georgia at its Tifton office on July 20. The Chamber also will make a stop in Columbus on August 10 for its Future of Georgia and Reimagine New Georgia Economy tour and hold an equality and equity forum at its Tifton office on September 9.

Editor Pat Donahue can be reached at (229) 226-2400 ext. 1806.