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Home to 48 major industries, including the largest employer in the six-county
Ben Hill Area designated by the Georgia Department of Labor, Fitzgerald
stands out as a friendly home for top-quality businesses. The city's
recent commercial boom led The Wall Street Journal to refer to Fitzgerald
as "the recruiting colossus from nowhere" in a December 1995
article.
But how did Fitzgerald gain its current stature? A survey of local
business and industry captains yielded six common answers:
Strategic Location
Fitzgerald's location, with its access by rail, road, water, and air, is ideal for all types of businesses. Some attribute's of Fitzgerald's location:
- 178 miles south of Atlanta, the commercial hub of the South.
- Located along one of the main lines of the CSX Seaboard System railroad (Atlanta-Jacksonville line).
- Piggyback rail service available in Cordele (48 miles) and Savannah (155 miles).
- Only 20 miles east of Interstate 75, the Southeast's major north-south artery.
- Georgia Highway 107, the direct connector to I-75, accommodates trucks of every size.
- Nearest navigable river, the Flint (9-foot channel depth), has a barge dock at Bainbridge (100 miles).
- Major ports at Savannah, Brunswick, and Jacksonville (FL) are within 150 miles.
Fitzgerald Municipal Airport provides a 5,000-feet paved, lighted runway
with parallel taxiway for corporate aircraft. The airport is equipped
with modern navigational and weather aids including Rwy 1/19 NDB approach
w/ODALS, VASI, ground communications outlet and AWOS-III. The fixed-base
operation located in the new 4,500 SF Terminal provides 24-hour fuel service
(Jet-A; 100LL), tie-down, Tee Hangar and local ground transportation.
Certifies A&P mechanics serve local and transient customers with airframe
and power-plant needs. Commercial Air Service is available at Albany's
Southwest Georgia Regional Airport. http://www.airnav.com/airport/KFZG
Hard-Working Labor
Force
Our people provide a head start to industries wishing to settle here.
The stability and productivity of our recruitable labor force (greater
than 4,400 persons) are an impressive base upon which to build a business.
Reasonable Business
Costs
Coachman Industries (trailers), Aeroquip (plastics), and Gilman Paper
Company have been repeatedly cited for their low production costs and
high efficiency ratings when compared to similar plants across the country.
This record of efficiency can be attributed to several positive factors:
low tax rates, low utility costs, reasonable wages in a non-union atmosphere,
a conscientious labor force, and low-interest development authority
financing packages for land, buildings, and equipment. Incentives such
as the availability of land sites and utilities below market value make
Fitzgerald even more attractive. The multiple advantages of the 100%
freeport exemption also save our industries' tax dollars.
Excellent Educational
Facilities
To help train your employees, the East Central Technical College (located in southern Ben Hill County) provides
students with Georgia's innovative "Quick Start" program.
This exciting concept saves industries valuable time and money, both
before and after the plant start-up date. More than 20 diverse programs
of study are available at ECTC. More important, specific corporate needs
can be met if an industry has a special training requirement. Incoming
business persons will be happy to know that the Fitzgerald public school
system consistently ranks as a statewide leader. There are also four
junior colleges and four state universities within a 90-mile radius
of Fitzgerald:
To accommodate people who work during the day, evening/distance learning
courses are available from several of the institutions.
Innovative Financing
Packages
As they have been for the past 25 years, financing packages are utilized
to assist 95% of the industries located in Fitzgerald. Such tools as
Industrial Revenue Bonds, SBA, conventional financing, and local equity
are available, and a combination of several of these financing options
may be required. The leaders of our Industrial Development Authority
continually monitor tax law regulations to ensure that we are able to
provide the best new techniques for prospects or existing industries
desiring expansion.
Exceptional
Quality of Life
The quality of life you and your family will enjoy is one of the most
visible and pleasing assets of Fitzgerald. Expect caring neighbors,
well-groomed neighborhoods, and endless recreational opportunities--not
to mention a year-round moderate climate.
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