Rome, Floyd Co. makes top 10 list
♦ Site Selection magazine ranks metro areas nationwide by new capital investment.
Rome and Floyd County are still searching for that next large industry to bring jobs to the community, however, efforts to assist local companies to grow are not going unnoticed.
Site Selection magazine has pegged Rome as the No. 5 metropolitan area with a population under 200,000 for new capital investment, on a per capita basis.
“I knew that our team had been very busy, but didn’t realize that the success of our existing industries would place us fifth in the top 10 metros in the country per capita,” said Missy Kendrick, president of the Rome-floyd County Development Authority. “The honor truly belongs to the industries who have chosen to invest and expand and who have chosen to do so in Rome and Floyd County.”
To qualify for the list, a community must meet at least one of three criteria: capital investment of at least $1 million, at least 20 new jobs, or the addition of at least 20,000 square feet of new floor area.
Ranking the top metro areas on a per capita basis is a new method for the magazine this year.
Sioux City, Iowa, was No. 1 in the under 200,000 ranking, with 20 projects that met the criteria. Lima, Ohio, was No. 2, followed by Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and Decatur, Alabama. Rome has five projects that met the criteria.
Rounding out the top 10 were Janesville-Beloit, Wisconsin; Mansfield, Ohio; Odessa, Texas; Auburn-Opelika, Alabama; and Midland, Texas.
The Kerry Group expansion at its facility on Douglas Street in the Lindale area led the way locally. It ranked No. 7 among the top 20 projects in Georgia during 2020 with a capital investment of $125 million and the creation of 100 new jobs.
Kendrick said the other projects that contributed to Rome and Floyd County making the prestigious list include two projects at Ball Container and one each at F&P Georgia and Marglen Industries.
“We know that making an announcement is only the first step — and then the work begins,” she said. “We will continue to tell the story of Rome and Floyd County and will be proudly displaying the “2020 Top 10 Metro” award as we do so.”
Savannah ranked No. 1 in the nation among metro areas with a population between 200,000 and one million. Officials in Savannah listed 30 projects that met one or more of the criteria. Jefferson, Georgia, ranked No. 2 in the nation in the micropolitan category — communities with a population between 10,000 and 50,000. It listed 14 projects that met one or more of the criteria.