ATLANTA – (May 5, 2003) – Gov. Sonny Perdue today announced the creation of Hemisphere Inc., a nonprofit enterprise designed to spearhead “Atlanta, Georgia – Gateway to the Americas,” the state’s efforts to locate the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Secretariat permanently in Atlanta. Additionally, he announced the Georgia General Assembly has appropriated an initial investment of $250,000 in this year’s state budget in support of the effort.
“The leadership of this new entity represents the State’s best and brightest from both the public and private sectors who, collectively, can secure the permanent headquarters in Georgia,” said Gov. Perdue, who will serve as chairman of the board. “Targeting the FTAA Secretariat is just the latest in Georgia’s investment in international economic growth.”
Hemisphere Inc. will harmonize all the activities necessary to showcase Atlanta as the right choice for the secretariat headquarters. These activities include building greater international awareness of Atlanta’s candidacy and strategic advantage, continuing to develop strong grassroots support and fundraising.
“Atlanta and the state of Georgia are rising stars in international business and continue to gain momentum as a leading destination for trade, investment and tourism,” said Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, who will serve on the board. “The Secretariat will need a strong business, transportation and hospitality infrastructure and Atlanta has the resources in place to serve as the leading commercial center in the Southeast and the business and trade capital of the hemisphere.”
Georgia’s corporate community, including giants BellSouth, CNN, the Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Equifax, ING, and UPS, has deep and long-standing relationships in Canada and Latin America. This strength as a global business center, coupled with Atlanta’s superior infrastructure, geographic position and a diverse and fast growing Latin American and international community, make Atlanta the most strategic location in the hemisphere for the Secretariat. Additionally, Atlanta’s unique and successful practice of partnership between the public sector and business community has historically been the key for attracting international business and world-class events like the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games.
According to Tom Chapman, chairman and CEO of Equifax Inc. and vice-chair of the board, nearly $2 million has been raised toward the effort to locate the Secretariat in Atlanta to date and additional commitments from other civic and corporate partners have been secured. The next steps involve marketing efforts to promote the eighth round of FTAA negotiations that will take place in November in Miami.
“We have the winning team and strategy in place to make this effort a success,” Chapman said. “The FTAA is vital in the future economic well being of the region.”
Georgia’s effort to locate the Secretariat to Atlanta was begun two years ago when the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade, & Tourism, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport and Georgia’s business leaders came together to define a strategy for attracting the Secretariat here to Atlanta.
Once implemented in 2005, the FTAA will comprise 34 countries, approximately 800 million consumers and create a gross annual product of more than $14 trillion. The headquarters of this organization will be charged with administering the world’s largest trading bloc and ensuring efficient, trouble-free flow of business between the member countries. The FTAA Secretariat will be the crossroads for trade and business connections in the Americas, positioning Atlanta and Georgia in a role similar to that of Brussels in the European Union.