Cherokee County an Innovation Economy
CANTON, April 7, 2015 – Cherokee County is one in five Georgia Counties identified by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) as having an Innovation Economy that tops the national average. The average is taken from the Innovation Index sponsored by the U.S. Commerce Department.
As one of the Cherokee Office of Economic Development’s (COED) 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. 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,” said Martin.
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. 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% 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 (CCSD) recognizes this need as well, having expanded the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) 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,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank R. Petruzielo according to a CCSD press release regarding the top 10 recognition.
Cherokee County is positioned to be a budding location for the technology community. COED is excited to see the community develop and succeed.
Click here to view the TAG Industry Report.