… Metro Atlanta business leaders are frustrated with the Georgia legislature’s failure to act on transportation funding for three years in a row.

Tom Bell says his decision to retire from the top job at one of Atlanta’s most prominent real estate firms is more about the company’s future than his.

Bell, chairman and chief executive of Cousins Properties, said the battered real estate market is nearing a point at which Cousins can start a new growth cycle.

Gary Stokan, who began his career as an assistant basketball coach at North Carolina State University, still thinks like a coach. Now president of the Atlanta Sports Council and the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Stokan refers to his staff as his team and said he manages employees the way he once coached players.
“You recruit people who have an expertise in a role, you make sure they understand their role on the team, you let them play that role,” he said. “You win more than you lose that way.”

The law allows Georgia to be competitive against Texas, Florida and North Carolina which previously held a significant advantage over Georgia, said Sam Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber.
“We’re so glad we finally passed the bill and we’re so glad it worked —- and we hope it continues to work,” Williams said.

Hans Gant, senior vice president for economic development for the Metro Atlanta Chamber, worked with development officials in Gwinnett and Fayette counties.
“I didn’t know whether the headquarters would ever relocate because of the difficulty of that decision for the company,” Gant said. “I felt good about the supporting operations and felt others would come. But the headquarters was a big decision, and we never took it for granted.”

“Brand names are very important to the identity of a city and to its cultural profile,” said Sam Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “When you begin to get brand names like Coca-Cola, Delta ... NCR — these brand names start to tell a message about what your city is ...

NCR corporation was founded in 1884 as national cash register. Today, it still handles money transactions just on a more high tech scale. Some of its largest local customers are a who's who of Atlanta businesses. That's one reason, NCR relocated here according to Sam Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. …

… Sam Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, says yes--the state’s investment outlay is large, but two lawmakers who sponsored the bill ensure its viability:
"Senator Ron Stephens and Representative Larry O’Neal scrutinized the numbers from a payback point-of-view to make sure that this was more than justified even in an economic downturn." …

… Hans Gant, senior vice president with the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, likened NCR’s decision to GE Energy’s announcement in the late 1990s that it was bringing a headquarters, good-paying jobs and international prestige to Atlanta.

“The message NCR sends around the world, in a recession, is that Atlanta is a great place for corporate headquarters, technology and talent,” Gant said. “Hopefully, it will stimulate others to bring their business here.”

NCR Relocating, Bringing Jobs To Georgia
WXIA TV 6/2/09
NCR Relocating, Bringing Jobs To Georgia
WSB TV 6/2/09

… A Georgia Department of Economic Development spokeswoman did not return calls Friday and Saturday. A Metro Atlanta Chamber spokeswoman said she had no information on the matter and a Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce executive declined comment. ….

he Metro Atlanta Chamber is making progress on its “New Economy” initiative, according to Rick Smith, the CEO of Equifax who is the current chair of the organization.

The New Economy Task Force was established at the beginning to the year to identify the top strategic industries for metro Atlanta’s future economic development. The task force is co-chaired by Southern Co. CEO David Ratcliffe and Regions Bank executive Bill Linginfelter. …

… The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce says those leap-of-faith decisions are common here.
"There are going to be winners and losers in any kind of economic storm like the one we're in," Sam Williams, chamber President, said. "I think we're seeing small business people being more aggressive and much more entrepreneurial.”

"If you don't need money, you can borrow money," Williams said. "But if you're a small business owner and a startup and you need money, it's a lot tougher credit criteria." His advice: "I think the success in any business, especially in small business, is never, never, never, never, never give up."

Although the Get Georgia Moving Coalition — a group of 50 or so organizations that include developers and environmentalists — has been around a couple of years, there’s evidence that agreement among members is fraying.

… The words of wisdom were offered by representatives from Chick-fil-A, The Coca-Cola Co., Turner Broadcasting System and Georgia Power Co. at the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s Small Business Day.
Many in the audience described how hard it was to get “face time” with purchasers, let alone a deal.

The Metro Atlanta Chamber is holding its Small Business Day downtown today. Several attendees will blog for Atlanta Business Chronicle during the day.

The top business groups in the state have started to work more closely together to figure out if there can be consensus on a possible transportation funding bill.

The Georgia Chamber of Commerce reached out to the Metro Atlanta Chamber saying it wanted to work on a transportation funding bill that would fit inside the new transportation governance structure for both metro and statewide projects, according to Michael Garrett, chairman of the Georgia Chamber and president/CEO of Georgia Power.

Metro Atlanta Chamber President Sam Williams said that part of the task will be to undergo comprehensive polling to find out what kind of transportation funding bill voters would approve and to figure out the best way to sell it.

The Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) realize that a strong educational system is critical to the success of Atlanta's economic development and school reform. In 1981, the Atlanta Partners for Education (APFE) was created to address this issue. …

… Atlanta Partners for Education is a joint partnership between the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and Atlanta Public Schools.

… Then Ms. Tome, the chief financial officer, took other emergency steps to make sure Home Depot would not have to borrow another nickel from the nation’s dysfunctional lenders. Within days, she and her boss, Frank Blake, the chairman and chief executive, had slashed capital spending and suspended a stock buy-back program, saving millions of dollars. …
 

... Thus far, Evans said, Georgia has had only “very minor” discussions with Jacksonville about games beyond 2010 and no negotiations with the Atlanta Sports Council, which wants the game in the Georgia Dome one year out of four.
“We respect the tradition of the game,” Sports Council President Gary Stokan said, “and we think [Atlanta] would liven up the tradition, bring a new twist to the rivalry.”

A statewide economic development team has worked for several years to bring BIO to our state. Led by the state of Georgia, we join our partners at Georgia BIO, the research universities, the Atlanta Metro Chamber, the Georgia Research Alliance, the Innovation Crescent and others to make this opportunity a success for our state.

… Charlotte, the Queen City, maintains pretensions of one day surpassing Atlanta as economic King of the South. Sam Williams, head of Atlanta’s Chamber of Commerce, says dream on.
“We don’t really compete tooth-and-nail with Charlotte because the companies we go after (are) in the international trade, logistics and biomedical fields and they’re not looking to go to Charlotte,” he said. “Dallas, Tampa and northern Virginia —- those are our consistent competitors.”

Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, added last week that Charlotte’s “business and political leaders have addressed some critical issues like transportation much better than we have.” …

Great final moments at the LINK trip
Sally Sears Blog 5/13/09

… Metro Chamber president Sam Williams gave a cheer for the Atlanta Regional Commission itself for leading MARTA’s temporary rescue. Then he pushed on transportation. “I’ll challenge ARC to put down on paper what you the local elected officials say you want done. And let us get behind it! I think ARC needs to take the initiative.” …

... Organizers extended the event for a fourth year after the initial three-year deal brought in a total of 40,000 fans. About 14,000 people are expected to attend this year.

And just how much sand does it take to create a beach in the middle of shopping and entertainment mecca?

About 2,000 tons, says spokesman Eric Oberman.

… Charlotte, the Queen City, maintains pretensions of one day surpassing Atlanta as economic King of the South. Sam Williams, head of Atlanta’s Chamber of Commerce, says dream on.
“We don’t really compete tooth-and-nail with Charlotte because the companies we go after (are) in the international trade, logistics and biomedical fields and they’re not looking to go to Charlotte,” he said. “Dallas, Tampa and northern Virginia —- those are our consistent competitors.”

Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, added last week that Charlotte’s “business and political leaders have addressed some critical issues like transportation much better than we have.” …

Bank turns to Massey
Atlanta Journal Constitution 5/4/09

... “He will be the perfect person to communicate with regulators, Congress and the White House,” said Sam Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce where Massey served on the executive committee earlier this decade. “He will also try to make sure the bank survives and, indeed, thrives going through this financial storm.”  ...

Georgia’s rail future lags behind rest of Southeast
Creative Loafing 4/29/09

…ransit and transportation advocates say if the state’s leadership doesn’t work to catch up, Georgia could miss out on a nationwide rail renaissance.

“We’re in a strategic spot,” says Sam Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, of Obama’s rail plan that would connect Atlanta to Charlotte and Birmingham. “That’s the good news. The challenge is that our state is way, way behind North Carolina and Virginia because they’ve been working diligently on [rail] for 10 to 15 years.” ...

ISSUE IN-DEPTH: THE 2009 GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
No leadership leaves voters stuck in traffic
Atlanta Journal Constitution 4/19/09

… The Legislature even flubbed the easy stuff, including a universally applauded bill to reform school boards. The need for the bill became apparent in the wake of the Clayton County debacle, where chronic and flagrant mismanagement by the board led to the system’s loss of accreditation. Sponsored by Perdue, the reform bill stalled in the House Rules Committee after Chairman Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs) used it as a bargaining chip.

The problem isn’t that Ehrhart played politics; that’s his trademark. But Georgia could use a speaker who would intervene in such situations, understanding that some things are too important to be halted by mere politics.

It could also use a governor willing to get his hands dirty on behalf of the people who elected him and pay his salary.  ...

ISSUE IN-DEPTH: THE 2009 GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
Transportation options other than taxes require study
Atlanta Journal Constitution 4/19/09

The perpetual poor mouthing by the Metro Atlanta Chamber, MARTA and the Atlanta Regional Commission about the Legislature’s refusal to adopt a transportation tax increase this year sounds like a bunch of spoiled children throwing temper tantrums because they didn’t get their way.

The General Assembly absolutely did the right thing by adjourning for its 2009 session without a plan to raise taxes for transportation —- either on a statewide or a regional basis. Neither proposal could have gone before the voters until 2010.

Maybe the Chamber, MARTA and the ARC aren’t paying attention but, ever since the federal bank bailouts last fall, taxpayers reject spending billions of dollars on government boondoggles. The Legislature wasn’t about to put a tax increase on the ballot without a comprehensive strategy. …

For high-speed rail, state may not be on fast track
Obama plan for network designates Atlanta as hub,
but Georgia’s concentration on roads over trains leaves it
well behind some regional rivals.
Atlanta Journal Constitution 4/19/09

… Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce President Sam Williams agreed.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for Atlanta,” Williams said. The chamber has been pushing the concept, he said, and years ago it put together a coalition of cities in the corridors. …

Despite recession, lobbyists still spending big
Atlanta Journal Constitution 4/19/09

… Some groups dramatically increased their lobbyist spending. The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce spent only $392 in 2008; this session it spent $19,477. By contrast, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce spent $3,821 this session, down from $13,491 last year. Neither organization responded to requests for comment. …

… John Rice , an Atlanta-based vice chairman of GE, fired off an AJC opinion piece on the bill this week that called out Rep. Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs) and “self-serving politicians.”

“I think there's been sort of a behavior standard from the business community in the past decade where we really didn't talk publicly about our disagreements with our lawmakers,” says Metro Atlanta Chamber President Sam Williams . “That's started to change.”

Be nice, he says, and “you're taken for granted” by politicians who only “pretend to support your task forces, studies and coalitions” then expect further campaign contributions.

But, thanks to the school bill and the botched transportation legislation, he says, “It's a new day.”

… “We're sick and tired of being told to wait another year,” said Sam Williams, president of the  Metro Atlanta Chamber . “We need action and we need it now.”

“There seemed to be a refusal to compromise, even given the overwhelming recognition of the need,” said Doug Hertz, CEO of United Distributors Inc. and co-chairman of a coalition of business groups pushing for a transportation funding solution. …

MARTA to receive ARC money for operating deficit
WABE Radio 4/10/09

Metro Atlanta Chamber's China Blog: Day 6 – By Hans Gant
Atlanta Business Chronicle 4/13/09

Beijing—Post Olympics

We arrived in Shanghai on Saturday evening April 4.

My first observation was that there were very few people at the Shanghai airport. Perhaps that is because it is a national holiday weekend, Tomb Sweeping Day, a day to honor your ancestors and celebrate springtime.

Evidence of China's fast growth is everywhere in the massive construction projects of highways, ports, and skyscrapers - although there are fewer new projects being started due to the economy.

Metro Atlanta Chamber's China Blog: Day 5 – By Henry Yu
Atlanta Business Chronicle 4/6/09

Economic & Banking Updates from China

The $586B stimulus package announced by the Chinese government in the fourth quarter of 2008 is already having a positive impact on the Chinese economy.

Doing Business in China

Think how business is done in Atlanta. Yes, relationships often play a role in securing business, but not always. A service or product may allow you to secure the business with or without any prior relationship. That does not happen in China. The Chinese believe that relationships will lead to partnerships and partnerships will lead to business. In China, forming a relationship built on trust is called "Guanxi"' and it takes both time and patience to properly develop. Respect and trust must be earned. Don't expect to introduce your product or service in China and enjoy immediate results.

Reality of the Current Economy in China
Many business leaders and economists are hoping that China can be the engine that restarts economic growth in the West. China, which now has the third largest economy in the world, certainly has the capacity to do so. The real question is whether China's own problems will permit it to do so. …

… “There is so much outrage,” says Bill Linginfelter, one of the metro chamber’s point people on transportation and lead executive of Regions Bank’s North Georgia operations.

“No state in 15 years has passed a statewide transportation sales tax,” says Sam Williams, president of the metro chamber.

 “If we can’t deal with this, you might as well close down the borders,” Linginfelter said. …

… At the request of the State Board of Education, dozens of business and community leaders formed the Commission for School Board Excellence and spent 10 months working on a common-sense bill to reform school board governance in Georgia. …

Growing Your Business in China

U.S. companies should take comfort in the fact that China is eager and willing to open its markets to U.S. investors and allow acquisitions that will mutually benefit both nations.…

Buckner said her measure, Senate Bill 36, was sent back to the House Education Committee, while Schrimpf said Perdue's Senate Bill 84 was returned to the agenda-setting Rules Committee. …

Schrimpf said Perdue has no plans to call for a special session of the General Assembly to deal with education issues because he has not received any calls for one. …

Metro Chamber's Sam Williams makes and urgent plea to state leaders for new transportation funding
The Saporta Report Biog 3/16/09

…Right now the General Assembly is considering legislation that would give voters a chance to approve funding for better roads, highways and transit. Log onto www.metroaltantachamber.com and click the “Take Action on Traffic” button to let your lawmakers know you support transportation funding. …

Delta ‘committed’ to Shanghai
Atlanta Business Chronicle 3/11/09

… Jorge Fernandez, a former Delta executive and vice president of global commerce for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, said the route has more than met the chamber’s expectations. Tweaks to capacity, he said, are normal within the first two years of an international route.

“China has not been immune from the global recession, however Chinese companies are using this as an opportunity” to grow within in the United States, he said. ...

Half-Empty Or Half-Full?
Georgia Trend Magazine 3/11/09

...At a press briefing late last year, Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Ken Stewart, Georgia Chamber of Commerce President George Israel and Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce President Sam Williams came together to make the point that things will get better. Their message contained a little reassurance, a little cheerleading – and some good information.

“Our message is that this is a good place to do business,” says Williams. …