Report: Cherokee County Has an "Innovation Economy"

Cherokee County is one in five Georgia identified by the Technology Association of Georgia as having an Innovation Economy that tops the national average.

TAG, the state’s leading association dedicated to the promotion and economic advancement of Georgia’s technology industry, recently revealed the news in its 2015 State of the Industry: Technology in Georgia Report at the Georgia Technology Summit at the Cobb Galleria.

The report contains key data on Georgia’s technology landscape and serves as a valuable resource for facts, statistics, trends and other insights into the state’s technology industry. More than 1,200 Summit attendees received key findings from the report, which highlights the achievements and challenges facing the state’s technology community.

Some of statistics from the report includes: Georgia’s tech sector has produced more than 25,000 net new jobs since 2010; Cherokee County is among five Georgia counties that have an innovation economy that tops the national average; and Georgia’s total technology payroll for 2014 reached $23 billion.

Other counties cited for having an Innovation Economy include Gwinnett, Forsyth, Fulton and Oconee.

As one of the Cherokee Office of Economic Development’s target sectors, COED President Misti Martin was pleased to see that the efforts to make Cherokee County a desirable home for the technology community are being validated by the TAG findings.

“The technology sector in Georgia has grown by over 10 percent in the last five years,” she said. “COED’s goal is to nurture that growth in Cherokee by being an attractive location for the tech community and by cultivating the talent that would help the community thrive.”

Chris Crapps, managing partner of Prologic ITS, a trusted source for IT products and solutions headquartered in Cherokee County, weighed in on the innovation economy announcement by stating

“Cherokee County has been a great place for our technology business to grow,” he stated. “ We have been able to staff locally due to the large amount of skilled candidates in the area, which allows us to keep up with the fast growth we have experienced. Couple that with a County that truly supports the small business community, and we have a perfect home for our company.”

According to the TAG Industry Report, more the 72 percent of survey respondents identified access to a skilled labor force the most important factor to grow the Georgia Innovation economy.

COED strives to connect education and industry, realizing the importance of prepared and skilled talent. Cherokee County School District recognizes this need as well, having expanded the STEM curriculum in the county schools. The school district has recently been named one of the 10 large school systems nationwide for its effective use in technology education.

“Understanding technology and how to best use it is a skill that every student must master in order to be successful in the careers of today and tomorrow,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo said in response to the school district’s recognition.

Cherokee County is positioned to be a budding location for the technology community, and COED is excited to see the community develop and succeed, the county agency said.

Click here to review the TAG Industry Report.

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