125 Candles: Happy Birthday GAM!

It’s 1901.  

Members of the newly formed Georgia Industrial Association gather at their first annual meeting to reflect on the inaugural year. Bowler hats, top hats, hoop skirts and parasols are everywhere. I’ve seen the pictures.  

Year after year, they keep gathering. In 1912 they do so under the banner of a new name: The Cotton Manufacturers of Georgia. Cotton is still king. The name change makes sense.  

And around this time, tufting (raised “tufts” of thick yarn) is invented. Americans fall in love with tufted bedspreads as much as radio – so much so that by the 1950’s, tufting is the third largest consumer of Georgia cotton. 

Members gather and keep gathering until 1960 when the Association’s name changes again. This time to the Georgia Textile Manufacturers Association -- no doubt in recognition of this segment’s titanic growth.  

Fun fact: By the 1980’s, Georgia’s Swift Textiles (then later, Swift Denim) uses enough cotton in one year to circle the earth 85 times. Share that with your friends! 

But like Kudzu, the industry continues to grow and add new segments. The Association’s members believe yet another name change is needed. This time, a name to represent the transformed industry and the full breadth of its manufacturing muscle.  

So in 2011, the Association becomes known as the Georgia Association of Manufacturers (GAM). I think we are done with name changes – at least for a while. 

Ok, full disclosure: I’m a sucker for GAM’s history. I find it very interesting and I believe it matters. 

GAM’s history reminds us who we were, defines who we are, and reveals what we can become.  

Georgia’s incredible manufacturing history – the invention, the investment, the ingenuity – is also a story of incredible resilience amid a swirl of unpredictable change. At the same time, it is also a reminder that over 125 years the core needs of our manufacturing members remain the same:  

• The need for GAM to be the voice of the industry – if not GAM, then who?  

• The need for GAM to take the lead on issues that matter most to manufacturers.  

• The need for GAM to bring together the community of manufacturers in the spirit of competitive friendship – and to simply have a good time.  

Here we are in our 125th year of continuous service. Our advocacy now covers 10,000 manufacturing entities that generate nearly $80 billion in annual economic output, contribute nearly 10% of the state’s GDP and employ 435,000 workers.   

Pretty impressive. 

Now, it’s time to pause and celebrate who we are, and what we are set to become. An even bigger, more impactful Association.  

2025 is going to be a very special year. On March 5th, we start by celebrating “GAM Day” in the State Capitol with a public reading of a GAM resolution and networking with our state elected officials. We want all our members to attend and enjoy the moment.  

But that’s only the beginning.  

We have some special announcements to share (more on this latter) and we promise to continue delivering signature events that bring good times.  

Join us! 

 

Click here to RSVP for GAM Day.