MBCIA has officially been awarded GRAD certification for two industrial parks—Airport East Industrial Park and Interstate 75 Business Park! Now, what does that all entail? Let’s get into it.
GRAD stands for the Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development, and it’s all about providing confirmation the selected industrial sites meet a certain standard set at the state level. The process of achieving the GRAD certification was created by seasoned economic developers who are well aware of the intricacies of developing a site that is industry ready. Every aspect and every potential pitfall of a major industrial development has been thought of to ensure that this process clearly communicates to site selection consultants that our site is ready for development. Think of the GRAD certification as a stamp of approval for site selectors, which assures them we have developable property that can be fast-tracked and the community they are entering is providing a business-friendly environment for their industry.
In April of 2021, we were approved by the MBCIA Board of Directors for our own GRAD certification. Gary Wilson, our Project Manager, took the reins of leading two industrial parks through the GRAD certification process. While lengthy, the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) approved our application, and we have officially been given two GRAD certifications in July of ‘22. This is a great beginning to help attract more industry to Macon-Bibb County, as you know at MBCIA we are all about #MaconOpportunities.