Full Court Press: Celebrating GAM, Advocating for Manufacturing
GAM staff, members, and assorted dignitaries at GAM Day 2025.
In the 125-year history of GAM, there has never been a March like this. Let me give you a quick recap.
March 5th was GAM Day in the State Capitol.
Over 75 GAM members and guests were on hand to celebrate the anniversary of the Association, receive a commemorative proclamation from Governor Brian Kemp, and accept congratulations from House of Representatives Speaker Jon Burns and Senator Steve Gooch.
It was an honor for me to speak on behalf of GAM in the Capitol rotunda.
In my remarks, I thanked our members and guests for gathering to celebrate the past, present and future of our Association and industry. I noted that we gathered, just as our founders did in 1900, when they met to form the Georgia Industrial Association, the precursor to GAM.
I then took a moment to announce three major initiatives GAM is undertaking to commemorate its birthday. And these are “firsts” – GAM has never been done them before.
#1 is the forthcoming publication of GAM’s “Insights Report”. The report will spotlight five important – “need to know” -- insights about Georgia manufacturing. In just one report, our stakeholders will learn about where our industry has been, where it is, where it is going. It will be published in May.
#2 is the launch of “Manufacturing Georgia”. A first-of-its-kind digital platform designed to make a direct connection between Georgia manufacturers and future manufacturing employees. Its goals are to achieve measurable growth in the pool of skilled workforce talent and promote the modern image of manufacturing. The full public launch of the platform is slated for July.
#3 is the “Georgia Manufacturers’ Playoffs”. Think “March Madness for Manufacturers”. This bracket competition pits manufacturers against each other in a friendly competition to find out who makes what we’re calling the “peachiest product in Georgia”. Through the playoffs, we also showcase the tremendous array of incredible products manufactured right here – and the incredible people who make them. Voting is underway and a winner will be announced in May.
Presentation to the House of Representatives Rural Development Council
Also on March 5th, I represented GAM before this council which is comprised of Democrat and Republican House members. My team, GAM members and our guests were on hand.
Growing up in a small rural town and working on a family farm as a young boy, I have a deep and personal connection to rural communities. It was with pride that I noted the outsized impact manufacturing makes on rural Georgia.
The council heard that GAM advocates on behalf of 10,000 manufacturing entities across the state and 435,000 employees. Our industry generates nearly $80 billion in produced goods and contributes approximately 10% of the state’s GDP. A significant portion of this value comes from our rural manufacturers.
I provided a few more facts:
- Of those 435,000 Georgians who work in manufacturing, about 230,000 are in rural counties.
- Rural manufacturing provides a13% wage premium for workers without college degrees, and only mining offers higher wages.
- Among the top 20 fastest growing manufacturing sectors in Georgia, nearly half are in rural areas – offering new careers opportunities for rural Georgians well into the future.
- A study shows that rural manufacturers have higher survival rates than urban counterparts. Put simply, they are more durable and operate longer – oftentimes much longer.
I closed by sharing an opinion in two parts.
The first is that no industry creates more prosperity in rural communities and for longer than manufacturing. Because of the durability of rural manufacturing, it produces “generational prosperity” – wealth and opportunity that can be shared with workers and communities for decades.
The second part is that no industry is better suited to giving rural people sustainable, purposeful employment -- and thereby contributing to avoiding or breaking cycles of incarceration and poverty -- than manufacturing.
Manufacturing has a proud history in rural Georgia and its legacy continues.
Business Rally for Tort Reform
On March 13, GAM members came back to the Capitol Rotunda. This time they joined other business associations and their members to encourage House members to vote in support of Tort reform, specifically Senate Bills 68 and 69 authored by Governor Kemp.
GAM Board Chair Michael Edwards delivered remarks for our Association at a press conference and then joined several other members in meeting directly with House Representatives to state their cases for reform measures.
Our efforts paid off. On March 20, the House passed Senate Bill 68. A remarkable outcome for all Georgians.
Senate Bill 69 is currently making its way through the House. If passed, both bills will then move to the Governor’s desk for signing. We are cautiously optimistic this will happen in the coming weeks.
This past month has been a culmination of the transformation started over 2 years ago, and it's indicative of what is possible when leaders gather to work together. I think I can speak for the Board and staff when I say thank you for being a part of this journey. I hope you're ready for more.
