On September 23, 2014, the Board of Commissioners of DeKalb County approved a resolution adopting the Economic Development Strategic Plan accompanied by a transmittal letter to the Development Authority.
The process included the approval of a contract in September of 2013 with Angelou Economics to create an economic development strategic plan for DeKalb County. The creation of the plan involved four phases:
I. Stakeholder Engagement: over 200 stakeholder interviews and focus groups, along with surveys from over 1,700 residents and over 120 businesses were included in this phase
II. Market Assessment: The SWOT analysis identified strengths to build on, such as the County’s strategic location and excellent institutions of higher learning, along with weaknesses that must be overcome, such as insufficient funding for infrastructure improvements
III. Target Industry Analysis: Based on local assets, as well as local, regional, and national growth trends, this report selected six industries (professional & business services, Life Sciences, Tourism, Logistics, Construction & Support Trades and Advanced Manufacturing) and associated niches to target for retention, expansion, and attraction
IV. Strategic Recommendations: Building on the data from the first three phases, the strategic recommendations are organized into three key objectives:
- Make DeKalb the most business-friendly county in Georgia – Addresses optimizing incentives, supporting entrepreneurship, and enhancing marketing, branding, and communications for DeKalb County and the Development Authority.
- Revitalize commercial corridors and embrace new employment centers – Proposes enhancing existing and creating new employment centers at strategic locations, and encouraging clustering through target industry support.
- Enhance quality of place – Proposes an expanded business support for our school system, implementing infrastructure improvements and crime reduction approaches, and developing an effort to enhance cultural identity in DeKalb.
The complete plan documents described below can be found at and downloaded from: www.dekalbcounty2020.com
Market Assessment
Market Assessment Supplement
Target Industry Analysis
Target Industry Analysis Supplement
DeKalb County Strategic Recommendations Final
The Development Authority of DeKalb County is primarily responsible for the implementation of this strategic plan working in conjunction with DeKalb County Government. The plan proposes the formation of specific Committees to move forward the implementation process. The committees composition and approach are further discussed in the transmittal letter.
To view the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategic Plan, Click HERE.
To view the Transmittal Letter to DADC Economic Development Plan, Click HERE.