On Friday, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced that he and First Lady Mary Kemp would be leading an international mission to Italy to strengthen economic ties with the country and develop new partnerships that will bring additional opportunities to Georgia.
“For decades, Georgia has enjoyed close economic and cultural ties to Italy,” said Kemp. “Marty and I look forward to building on that foundation of success during this trip and bringing our message of the Georgia Way to job creators looking to locate or potentially expand operations in the No. 1 state for business.”
Kemp and the First Lady, along with representatives from the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), will conduct meetings with existing industries operating or under construction in Georgia. Notable Italian companies already employing Georgians that are on the itinerary include La Regina di San Marzano, Beretta, Elemaster, Pirelli, Luxottica, TMC Transformers, Aquafil, Epta, and MAPEI Group.
A press release from Kemp’s office summarizes the Italy-Georgia connection, it says, “The State of Georgia has had continuous representation in Europe since 1973. Italy is a top 15 trade partner for the State of Georgia, with $3.4 billion in total trade moving between Georgia’s global gateways and Italy in 2023. Italy was also in the list of top 10 sources for international investment in Fiscal Year 2023, and Italian companies have invested more than $411 million in Georgia since 2010 through projects with state involvement. An estimated 90 Italian-owned facilities support approximately 5,000 jobs for hardworking Georgians across the state.”