Governor Brian Kemp visits CORE Facility in Ellijay

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ELLIJAY, Ga. – Partnerships and people coming together, these are the ideas stressed by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp as he visited the CORE (Collaboration on River’s Edge) Facility this week along with Great Gilmer JDA Executive Director Kent Sanford.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, left, speaking with Greater Gilmer JDA Executive Director Kent Sanford, right, before entering the CORE Facility in Ellijay on September 29, 2020.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, left, speaking with Greater Gilmer JDA Executive Director Kent Sanford, right, before entering the CORE Facility in Ellijay on September 29, 2020.

Speaking to local officials, citizens, and media about business and thriving past the COVID-19 virus, Kemp began his remarks by commenting on Georgia’s status as the top state in the nation for doing business for the seventh consecutive year. A point that Kemp said isn’t something the state has done, but he said, “We only win that title because of so many people that are working on that every day at the local level.”

He made note of the Chambers, the economic development, university system, the technical college system, k-12 education, and small business owners as just a few of those people coming together to make Georgia such a powerhouse.

Kemp said he has been in the small business/entrepreneur position and he understands that people are looking for answers with concerns about their jobs and their businesses. He lauded these businesses and the connection that the CORE Facility holds in their future. Speaking on success and the outbreak, Kemp said the most successful projects that his office has been a part of have had good local support and community partners. “It makes us much more competitive.”

Rural Georgia was another focus during his remarks, bringing opportunity and innovation can bring better opportunities with people working hard towards providing the tools needed. Kemp pointed out projects like rural broadband as part of the push to provide the opportunities necessary to fuel that innovation.

Kemp called the CORE Facility an asset to the county as it has provided a great service in its collaborations with a small footprint. He said it is “pretty remarkable and very efficient.”

With four new projects yet unannounced, Kemp’s push for an economic pipeline in Georgia is seeing progress. He noted Papa John’s moving their headquarters to the state alongside a 30 percent increase in projects outside the metro area.

This is the evidence, Kemp says, that the efforts of the Georgia Legislature is paying off. He also included all Georgians in the level of growth as the state has set records in July and August amid the pandemic.

Kemp said, “I think it says a lot about who we are as a state and who we are as a people. We are resilient. We knew that we couldn’t continue to shelter in place forever. We had to figure out how to fight the virus and work on saving lives. But we also had to fight the virus and work on saving livelihoods.”

State Senator Steve Gooch, right, also attended the event alongside local officials like Gilmer Sheriff Stacy Nicholson, left, and Chamber President/CEO Paige Hutto, middle, as Governor Brian Kemp visited Ellijay, Georgia, to tour the CORE Facility.

State Senator Steve Gooch, right, also attended the event alongside local officials like Gilmer Sheriff Stacy Nicholson, left, and Chamber President/CEO Paige Hutto, middle, as Governor Brian Kemp visited Ellijay, Georgia, to tour the CORE Facility.

Just as devastating as the virus, Kemp said losing those is why he is looking at suicide rates, child abuse, mental illness, and so much other outlying effects.

Kemp said the state still has a long way to go in the future, but we cannot “take our foot off the gas.” He said the state is going to keep moving forward through the virus and through growing business.

Part of that business is tourism. He pointed that the best way to support that is to keep the virus numbers going down, but he was also glad to hear successes in rural areas of Georgia like the CORE Facility.

Kemp is pushing for continued reopening as he later said that we all need to continue following guidance in order to “methodically reopen the economy.” With lower numbers, he said we need to keep going on with what we are doing. It will take time for some businesses to recover.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, left, speaking with Greater Gilmer JDA Executive Director Kent Sanford, right, before entering the CORE Facility in Ellijay on September 29, 2020.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, left, speaking with Greater Gilmer JDA Executive Director Kent Sanford, right, before entering the CORE Facility in Ellijay on September 29, 2020.

Keeping those numbers down will include rapid-tests as Kemp said they are looking for places to deliver hundreds of thousands of those tests a week. He noted long-term care facilities, hospitals, and schools. He noted the citizens support and efforts to avoid a spike on Labor Day. Though not “declaring victory” yet, he is optimistic as Georgia moves forward through the virus.

Pleased with what he has been seeing in Gilmer County despite closing larger events like the Apple Festival, Kemp said certain industries are doing better than others, but he said its public confidence that can change and needs to be able to change to support industries like tourism.

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