Gwinnett launches five-year economic and community development plan to create over 65,400 new jobs
Gwinnett Chamber to implement Partnership Gwinnett Strategy creating more than 65,400 new jobs and $5.8 billion in net new wealth over next five years

Duluth, GA (February 27, 2007) - With a county population larger than four states and one that would make Gwinnett the 16th largest city in the U.S. just ahead of Austin, Texas, leaders from the public and private sectors of Georgia’s second-largest county joined Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and state economic development officials in announcing the launch of Gwinnett County’s bold new economic and community development initiative – Partnership Gwinnett: A Shared Vision for the Future – at a press conference at the Capitol on Monday, February 26.

   Partnership Gwinnett is the county’s first five-year, $10 million community and economic development initiative to develop a consensus vision for Gwinnett’s future growth and an action plan to achieve it. It represents a bold call-to-arms for Gwinnett’s public, private, economic and community development leaders and will be implemented by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. Leaders believe the initiative will result in a net increase of more than 65,400 new jobs and $5.8 billion in new wealth for Gwinnett alone.

   “Today, competition from highly financed economic development groups from rival communities and states are growing and local issues such as infrastructure, education and specific quality of life issues continue to increase in importance,” said Partnership Gwinnett Co-Chair and Scientific Atlanta, A Cisco Company V.P. of Community Relations Bill McCargo. “Partnership Gwinnett is the focused, well-defined program we need to compete in today’s marketplace.”

   Partnership Gwinnett will focus on five key initiatives: (1) Economic Diversification and Wealth Creation, (2) Education and Workforce Excellence, (3) Quality of Life Enhancements, and (4) Marketing and Outreach.

   Building on the success already achieved in Gwinnett by the Gwinnett Chamber and its partners in education, government, and healthcare, the initiative established a number of goals to be achieved within the next five years. 

Some of the initiative’s goals include:

   Generate 65,400 total net new jobs in Gwinnett County, with 50,000 net new high-wage jobs in the targeted industries of: (1) Health Care, (2) Advanced Communications, (3) Information Technology, (4) Distribution and Trade, and (5) Headquarters, Regional Offices and Professional Services. 
Generate $5.8 billion in net new wealth. 

   Increase graduation rates to 89.1 percent and the percentage of adults with college degrees to 45.4 percent. 

   Conduct 375 existing industry calls. 

   Market Gwinnett both nationally and globally. 

   "A well paying job gives Georgians a sense of purpose and allows our citizens to experience the American dream. Partnership Gwinnett is a great example - and a model for other communities - of an entire community coming together with a shared vision to create a better economic future and quality of life for all its citizens. I look forward to all Partnership Gwinnett will accomplish as we work together," said Lt. Governor Casey Cagle.

   Partnership Gwinnett is being led by several of the county’s distinguished business and community leaders that make up the initiative’s steering committee, led by Co Chairs Bill McCargo, Vice President of Community Relations for Scientific Atlanta, A Cisco Company, and Sharon Rigsby, President of Gwinnett Technical College.