The Development Authority of Polk County shared their 2022 Annual Report of economic progress to their Board and other community stakeholders at their regular monthly meeting on April 14, 2023.
The leading industry sector in Polk County remains to be Manufacturing with a total employment of 3,287, contributing the largest in Gross Regional Product (GRP) for the county of over $431 million in goods and services produced plus the sum of employment earnings, property income, and taxes on production, an increase from last year’s GRP of $365 M. Average earnings per job in manufacturing for 2022 was $66,187. Leading industry sectors for employment followed by Manufacturing are Retail (1,931 jobs; $137M GRP), Government (1,901 jobs, $138M GRP), Food Services (1,100 jobs; $48M GRP), and Health Care (932 jobs; $69M GRP).
Existing industries who invested in their employees and/ or facilities included: Tip-Top Poultry with facility improvements in Rockmart with additional employment, and Cobb Industrial Fabricators added new jobs and capital investments to their facility in Cedartown.
In partnership with the Cedartown Development Authority and Rockmart Development Authority, the Development Authority of Polk County continues to market approximately 402 acres to potential businesses creating quality jobs and capital investments that will positively impact economic growth for Polk County.
Administrative highlights in 2022 included a year with lean operations, and general progress as outlined in the Short-Term Work Program. Thanks were given to Polk County Board of Commissioners for their ongoing leadership and financial support.
The Authority recognizes and thanks the many partners involved and their roles in community development, economic development, workforce development, and the companies themselves that create the jobs and make the investments.
The Development Authority of Polk County (DAPC) is a government entity charged with economic development for the county, supported by the cities, and provides a single point of contact for business and industry looking to relocate or expand within the footprint of the county. Its mission is to support the creation of jobs and opportunities for the citizens of Polk County through continued growth in new and existing industry and the redevelopment of areas of commercial blight or underuse. For more information, visit www.ChoosePolk.com