Dear Fellow Chamber Members,
I am honored to serve our business community during such an exciting and pivotal time in the history of Forsyth County. By virtually every measure, we live in one of the greatest communities in Georgia and one of the most celebrated regions in the nation. Outstanding neighborhoods do not develop by chance. They are built on a foundation of leadership and partnerships. The Chamber serves as an integral part of fostering and facilitating these elements in our area.
Our community’s future is bright—largely because of the 16 commercial project announcements in Forsyth County last year. These relocation or expansion developments generated $106 million in new capital investment and approximately 630 jobs in 2023. Additionally, a $2 billion destination endeavor known as “The Gathering at South Forsyth” continues to draw excitement.
The top concern expressed by nearly every business the Chamber engages with continues to be accessing and retaining talent. 2023 marked the first year of the Chamber’s partnership with Forsyth County Schools to hire a Director of Workforce Development charged with leading the FOCOWorks initiative. Some remarkable steps were taken to support employers in addressing their number one problem. We will continue building on early successes in creating solutions for employers.
New leadership is driving the Chamber’s tourism development work, Discover FOCO. 2023 was a solid year of growth for tourism with the addition of a new landmark hotel at Halcyon. This momentum is expected to continue in 2024 with anticipated announcements of at least one new hotel property, destination restaurants, breweries, and sports venues.
The Chamber is leading the initiative in 2024 to create Forsyth County’s second Community Improvement District (CID) at Exit 14 (Ga. 20) and Marketplace Boulevard. We can expect once the CID is up and running, it will provide similar projects to the South Forsyth CID at Exit 12 (McFarland Road). Which includes much-needed beautification, landscaping, congestion reduction and road-safety improvements.
In closing, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as Chair of the Board for the Chamber. In 2023, we saw this organization is our community’s venue to channel the incredible collective resources of great businesspeople to find solutions and create economic opportunity. To achieve the Chamber’s goals, we require support from many sources, but it all begins with you. Thus, I extend my sincere gratitude for your commitment to the Chamber, Forsyth County and look forward to our continued collaboration in 2024.
Sincerely,
Steve Cooper
2024 Board Chair
Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce
