Visible Momentum: Metro Atlanta CIDs - Georgia Trend Magazine
Across South Metro Atlanta, economic development is no longer defined solely by major projects and capital investment. It’s taking shape in the details – safer streets, cleaner corridors, clearer signage and more intentional design. Community improvement districts (CIDs) are reshaping how places look, function and compete, proving that how a place is experienced matters as much as where it’s located.
CIDs are districts in which businesses and property owners voluntarily tax themselves to pay for...
CIDs are districts in which businesses and property owners voluntarily tax themselves to pay for...
Patent Granted: Thomasville's Trailblazing Engineer
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2026 Economic Yearbook - Georgia Trend Magazine
Georgia’s fiscal year 2026, which began in July, has been one of record-breaking achievement. As many regions ramp up construction to support the manufacturing and artificial intelligence sectors, both domestic and international corporations are taking notice, launching new operations throughout the state’s 159 counties, even as existing companies expand.
“Georgia’s success comes from its deep partnerships throughout the state and focus on diversified economic development. From agriculture and m...
“Georgia’s success comes from its deep partnerships throughout the state and focus on diversified economic development. From agriculture and m...
South Metro Atlanta: The Next Chapter - Georgia Trend Magazine
For decades, South Metro Atlanta has been defined by proximity – close to the world’s busiest airport, threaded by major interstates and anchored by logistics and distribution. Today, that geography still matters, but it no longer tells the whole story.
Across Clayton, Fayette, Fulton, Henry and Spalding counties, local leaders are shifting away from growth-for-growth’s-sake toward a more intentional model of economic development – one that pairs industrial strength with workforce readiness, tra...
Across Clayton, Fayette, Fulton, Henry and Spalding counties, local leaders are shifting away from growth-for-growth’s-sake toward a more intentional model of economic development – one that pairs industrial strength with workforce readiness, tra...
Georgia Trend 2025 40 Under 40
Every year, Georgia Trend asks for you to nominate impressive, hardworking, community-minded people under the age of 40 who are making a difference in the state. And boy, do you deliver. Our team then has the tough task of narrowing down the nominations to 40 candidates that stand out above the rest.
These up-and-coming Georgians come from all over the state. They work in public service and private companies; they are CEOs and lawyers, culinary experts and medical professionals, educators and ex...
These up-and-coming Georgians come from all over the state. They work in public service and private companies; they are CEOs and lawyers, culinary experts and medical professionals, educators and ex...
Up Your Game
By Kristen Soles McCrackin | Photos courtesy of www.bckr.com
BCKR—pronounced Backer—may be new to the college sports apparel scene, but its founder Corey Maynard is no stranger to premium products or fan culture. A seasoned marketing and product development executive with experience at YETI Coolers and Ooni Pizza Ovens, Maynard has built his career around designing high-performance consumer goods. With BCKR, he’s now applying that same approach to college sportswear.
“I’ve been a lifelong fan...
BCKR—pronounced Backer—may be new to the college sports apparel scene, but its founder Corey Maynard is no stranger to premium products or fan culture. A seasoned marketing and product development executive with experience at YETI Coolers and Ooni Pizza Ovens, Maynard has built his career around designing high-performance consumer goods. With BCKR, he’s now applying that same approach to college sportswear.
“I’ve been a lifelong fan...
Seniors and Mental Wellness
Americus | Sumter County: The Americus Advantage
In the heart of Southwest Georgia, the small town of Americus has quietly emerged as a model for rural economic transformation. Once struggling with downtown vacancies and economic stagnation, Americus has flipped the script – revitalizing its historic core, attracting new investment and proving that even the smallest cities can make a significant impact with community vision and leadership.Not long ago, downtown Americus mirrored the decline in many rural towns: shuttered storefronts, deferred...
Stitched With Style
By Kristen Soles McCrackin | Photos courtesy of Bubo Handmade
Bubo Handmade derives its name from the owl of the goddess Athena. Owner and leather artist Kristen Faircloth says, “In the movie [Clash of the Titans], this little mechanical owl flies through stuff. When I was little, I always loved that owl .... So, when it came time to name my brand, that’s just what I went to.”
Faircloth’s journey to creating the Bubo brand began almost 25 years ago when she moved from Athens to Savannah with h...
Bubo Handmade derives its name from the owl of the goddess Athena. Owner and leather artist Kristen Faircloth says, “In the movie [Clash of the Titans], this little mechanical owl flies through stuff. When I was little, I always loved that owl .... So, when it came time to name my brand, that’s just what I went to.”
Faircloth’s journey to creating the Bubo brand began almost 25 years ago when she moved from Athens to Savannah with h...
One Mic, Many Stories
By Kristen Soles McCrackin | Photos courtesy of Rabbit Box
Live storytelling platforms enable the real-time creation and sharing of narratives, often incorporating interactive elements and audience engagement. These stroytelling platforms are used for various purposes, including accounting personal stories, creating educational content and fostering community. In recent years, this type of social art and entertainment has gained popularity in local communities nationwide.
Executive Director...
Live storytelling platforms enable the real-time creation and sharing of narratives, often incorporating interactive elements and audience engagement. These stroytelling platforms are used for various purposes, including accounting personal stories, creating educational content and fostering community. In recent years, this type of social art and entertainment has gained popularity in local communities nationwide.
Executive Director...
Holding Her Own
Healing Soles: Tallahassee Podiatry
Hands of Clay: Keaton Wynn
Avenue Style
By Kristen Soles McCrackin | Photos courtesy of The Avenue
Erin Gilmer and Brandy Martin graduated from the University of Georgia in 2000 with degrees in furnishings and interiors and embarked on successful careers in interior design. However, they always dreamed of having their own storefront where they could offer the freshest designs and décor to customers.
After honing their craft during the next two decades, in 2021, they opened The Avenue, a home decor gift boutique and full-service in...
Erin Gilmer and Brandy Martin graduated from the University of Georgia in 2000 with degrees in furnishings and interiors and embarked on successful careers in interior design. However, they always dreamed of having their own storefront where they could offer the freshest designs and décor to customers.
After honing their craft during the next two decades, in 2021, they opened The Avenue, a home decor gift boutique and full-service in...
Painted in Time - Athens Magazine
By Kristen Soles McCrackin | Photos courtesy of Alexia Nemecek
Wedding paintings have been popular since ancient times but have become more abstract and experimental in recent decades. This trend has taken the wedding industry by storm, and it’s no surprise. Live wedding painting adds a special element to the event.
A form of performance art, live painting is not just creating a painting, it is engaging with the guests and the environment. It’s a live creative experience that adds a persona...
Wedding paintings have been popular since ancient times but have become more abstract and experimental in recent decades. This trend has taken the wedding industry by storm, and it’s no surprise. Live wedding painting adds a special element to the event.
A form of performance art, live painting is not just creating a painting, it is engaging with the guests and the environment. It’s a live creative experience that adds a persona...
Madison | Morgan County: Charming and Industrious - Georgia Trend Magazine
Madison is known for its stately homes with beautiful gardens lining historic streets. It might seem like a remnant of simpler times, when it was common for people to sit on their front porch and greet neighbors walking by. And to some degree, that’s still accurate. Madison Mayor Fred Perriman says the thing Madisonians value most is its small-town feel.
“Some folks will describe that in terms of people connections; some in terms of natural beauty and historic architecture; some in terms of com...
“Some folks will describe that in terms of people connections; some in terms of natural beauty and historic architecture; some in terms of com...
Classic Christmas Favorite
A Charming Season - Athens Magazine
By Kristen Soles McCrackin | Photos courtesy of Betsy Pittard
When Betsy Pittard was 16, she took a small job after school with a do-it-yourself (DIY) jewelry bead shop in her hometown of Macon, Ga. Back then, she had no idea it would ignite her life’s passion and become a lucrative career. Instead, she was looking to make a little spending money. But, Pittard explains, she either had to learn how to bead or find another job, so she learned the technique and worked at the store throughout hi...
When Betsy Pittard was 16, she took a small job after school with a do-it-yourself (DIY) jewelry bead shop in her hometown of Macon, Ga. Back then, she had no idea it would ignite her life’s passion and become a lucrative career. Instead, she was looking to make a little spending money. But, Pittard explains, she either had to learn how to bead or find another job, so she learned the technique and worked at the store throughout hi...
Living His Best Life at Signal House
Anthony Smith was no stranger to Ponce City Market, often enjoying its many restaurants, shopping opportunities, and entertainment experiences. So, when Signal House opened, he was curious. After touring the residential community, he felt he had found an enclave of heaven sprung up along the Beltline.Signal House is located at 680 North Avenue in the heart of Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward. Smith loves the convenience of his apartment to bike trails, Piedmont Park, Historic Fourth Ward Park, art muse...
Homemade, Handmade, History Made - Athens Magazine
By Kristen Soles McCrackin | Photos courtesy of h.made studio
Southerners are big on telling stories. We never have a short conversation because even the answer to, “How was your day?” becomes an epic tale. Those stories are also deeply embedded in every aspect of our culture from passed-down recipes to family heirlooms, to the very homes in which some of us live.
Meghan Hudson of h.made studio incorporates all of this into her art. The UGA graduate and high school art teacher with deep fami...
Southerners are big on telling stories. We never have a short conversation because even the answer to, “How was your day?” becomes an epic tale. Those stories are also deeply embedded in every aspect of our culture from passed-down recipes to family heirlooms, to the very homes in which some of us live.
Meghan Hudson of h.made studio incorporates all of this into her art. The UGA graduate and high school art teacher with deep fami...
McDonough | Henry County: More Than Meets the Eye - Georgia Trend Magazine
If you pause in Henry County to take more than a passing glance, you may be surprised by how much there is to discover. The bustling city of Stockbridge offers many of the amenities you’d find inside the Atlanta Perimeter; in McDonough and Locust Grove, the strategy calls for slower, more measured growth to preserve their pastoral vibe.“Our four cities make us unique because they all have their niche,” says Henry County Commission Chair Carlotta Harrell. Henry County is comprised of Hampton, Loc...
Journey to Miss Georgia
Newnan | Coweta County: Town and Country - Georgia Trend Magazine
Founded in 1825, Coweta County was at one time one of the wealthiest communities in the country due to its manufacturing industry. That same industry is helping it thrive today. The county, located about 40 miles southwest of Atlanta, is home to approximately 153,000 people who benefit from small-town life with the conveniences of being part of the Metro Atlanta area.
Manufacturers have long been drawn to the county for several reasons: convenient access to an interstate, nearby Hartsfield-Jacks...
Manufacturers have long been drawn to the county for several reasons: convenient access to an interstate, nearby Hartsfield-Jacks...
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