Cherokee County Celebrates Economic Development Week

WOODSTOCK, GA -- New corporate headquarters, box office hit movies and business expansions have

been a part of Cherokee’s ever-increasing economy over the last few years, and economic development is the catalyst behind part of the county's success.

National Economic Development Week kicks off Monday, and the Cherokee Office of Economic Development will be highlighting key successes of the ongoing efforts in the county May 8-13.

Created by the International Economic Development Council in 2016, the goal of Economic Development Week is to increase awareness for local programs that create jobs, advance career development opportunities and increase the quality of life.

Throughout the week, COED will be highlighting efforts each day on its Facebook page.

“Economic development is more than just numbers,” said COED President Misti Martin. “It takes strategy, dedicated leaders, partnerships and a community willing to experience more. We are very appreciative of the wonderful partnerships built on the county, state and national levels, as well as the budding partnerships that continue to grow.”

Cherokee County will see an influx of jobs with the relocation of Jaipur Living’s corporate headquarters, the continued expansion of Inalfa Roof Systems, and the opening of the first U.S. based adidas SPEEDFACTORY .

In addition, movie crews have spent a great deal of time and money in the community since Cherokee County became a certified Camera Ready community. Cherokee County has seen a 464 percent increase in film prospects since 2011. In fact, look for Cherokee filmed “Champion” and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid-The Long Haul,” both set to release May 19.

Box office hit and Academy Award nominee “Hidden Figures” was one of the many movies filmed in Cherokee County. Starring Octavia Spencer, crews traveled to Canton for scenes outside of the old grammar school in downtown.

“The Founder,” starring Michael Keaton, was partially filmed at the historic Canton Theatre. Tom Cruise greeted fans in Ball Ground during the filming of his movie, “American Made,” which brought in over $400,000 to the City of Ball Ground alone. Also, Jason Bateman has been spotted mingling with fans near Lake Allatoona during filming of the soon-to-be-released Netflix series “Ozark.”

Since Georgia legislators made the move to make Georgia an attractive venue for Hollywood films, billions of dollars have flowed into the state. In 2015, Gov. Nathan Deal announced the film industry generated $6 billion for the state’s economy. That number jumped to $7 billion in 2016.

To encourage film making in Cherokee, COED officials, along with county and city partners, are making the process as seamless as possible for producers looking to film in the county. More than 130 properties are listed on the state’s Reel-Scout database. By forming a “think tank” of county and city leaders, the COED also is helping to streamline the permitting process.

COED is Cherokee’s leading organization for business and film recruitment, and industry retention and expansion. For more information, visit www.cherokeega.org.

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