Since the time of journalist Henry Grady (1851–89), spokesman for the New South, Georgia has courted industry. Corporate taxes have traditionally been low, wages also low, and unions weak. Georgia's main attractions for new businesses are a favorable location for air, highway, and rail transport, a mild climate, a rapidly expanding economy, tax incentives and competitive wage scales, and an abundance of recreational facilities. During the 1990s, Georgia governors aggressively sought out domestic and foreign investors, and German, Japanese, and South American corporations were lured to the state. The state offers loans to businesses unable to obtain conventional financing, provides venture capital to start-up companies, and extends loans to small businesses and to companies in rural areas.
The Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism (GDITT) is the lead agency for promoting economic development in the state, tasked with recruiting businesses, trade partners, and tourists. The GDITT was established in law in 1949 as the Department of Commerce (replacing the Agricultural and Industrial Development Board), and then renamed in 1989. In 2003, the GDITT had 201 employees, deployed in the state at 11 service delivery locations and in 13 foreign countries. The GDITT is overseen by a board of 20 members appointed by the Governor. The main operational units are Trade, Economic Development, Tourism and Film, Video and Music. In 2003, the creation of jobs was its stated major goal. The state funds city and county development plans, aids recreational projects, promotes research and development, and supports industrial training programs.