The story was painfully familiar across the United States, with more than 3 million jobs lost in the manufacturing sector over three years. More than 60 manufacturing companies closed in Georgia during that time, costing the state nearly 64,000 manufacturing jobs.

But it wasn't the final chapter for Bobs Candies, Albany's fourth-largest manufacturing employer. By December 2003, the company was back in the black — and doing so well that it was able to distribute profit-sharing checks to its employees for the first time in five years.

How did Bobs Candies do it? The company's management cites streamlined operations, enhanced communications and improved management skills — and gives a pat on the back to Georgia Tech.

"We went from having to shut down in 2002 to having one of the best years ever in 2003," says Jimmy Lindsey, human resources director at Bobs. "Georgia Tech's training and assistance has played a large role in that transformation. We went from unprofitable to profitable."

While Georgia Tech is nationally recognized as a research powerhouse and as one of U.S. News & World Report's top 10 public universities, its achievements in economic development are less well known. A 2002 study by the Southern Growth Policies Board found that Tech provides the most comprehensive program of support to state and local economic development of all research universities in the United States.

Much of that support comes from Tech's Economic Development Institute, which is part of the Office of Economic Development and Technology Ventures.

"Modern economic development takes a much more comprehensive approach than it did in the past. We now have business retention and business expansion, and there are nontraditional ways to attract jobs, such as tourism, downtown development and entrepreneurial development," explains Rick Duke, IM 74, director of EDI. "Our role is to make sure businesses are aware of the services and resources that this state team can deliver."

EDI delivers its assistance through a statewide network of regional offices backed by broad-based campus resources. Its objective is to grow Georgia's economy by providing technology-driven solutions to the state's businesses and communities.

It helps move the state's economy forward — attracting new companies, expanding existing enterprises, providing technical expertise, making Georgia business and industry more competitive and helping communities plan for growth.

E-Z-GO — the world's largest manufacturer of golf cars and utility vehicles — faced a potential traffic snafu in the workplace. Its 1,000 employees, 39 lift trucks, 40 maintenance vehicles, more than 25 golf cars and 35 incoming tractor trailers were competing for right-of-way.

Tim Pletcher, E-Z-GO Textron's recently retired vice president of operations, says there was serious potential for a workplace traffic jam.

"We called Georgia Tech and told them we would like some help in approaching the traffic problem as a civil engineer might," Pletcher says.

The Augusta regional office of EDI assembled a team of its engineers, E-Z-GO staff, a researcher from the Georgia Tech Research Institute and a professor from Tech's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Tech made recommendations for improving internal plant safety and the flow of traffic, including freeing pedestrian pathways, creating a "pull-off" area for narrow lanes, posting stop signs and using a flashing beacon to warn drivers of approaching vehicles where visibility was restricted.

Pletcher says that the safety improvements have also affected the bottom line, saving 20 percent in overhead costs.

EDI began offering product development assistance because of results from the 2002 Georgia Manufacturing Survey it conducted with Tech's School of Public Policy. The survey showed firms that compete based on innovative products and processes earn higher profits than competitors promoting lower cost.

Air conditioner manufacturer Trane called EDI for assistance when it wanted to expand its Vidalia plant facilities to bring in a second product line. Trane was considering an adjacent 60,000-square-foot building and needed accessibility between the two buildings, which were separated by a deep gulch.

EDI engineer Danny Duggar put together a proposal through the state's FaciliTech program.

EDI provided the local impact analysis necessary for a OneGeorgia grant and layout assistance that allowed Trane to competitively bid the project.

The OneGeorgia Authority, created by Georgia's governor and Legislature, utilizes one-third of the state's tobacco settlement to assist the most economically challenged areas. Duggar also called on Georgia Tech's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering to resolve a water leakage problem.

Tattnall County's successful partnership with EDI began through a meeting of the Georgia Economic Developers Association.

"GEDA got me into this network that enabled us to secure some grants and get some technical assistance," says John Cheney, executive director of the Tattnall County Development Authority. "I'm excited about Georgia Tech and what the economic development community has done for our county."

In recent months, EDI has helped launch a new outreach effort called Business InSight that utilizes a Web-based business analysis program to help allocate state resources toward growth opportunities and address issues that could signal future challenges.

The program — a partnership between EDI, the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism and the Department of Technical and Adult Education — was established to assist the state's manufacturers.

Duke stresses the need to move quickly.

"As a coordinated team of state service-delivery organizations, we want to approach those key companies and offer to assess where they are now and assist them with strategies and implementation that will make them as competitive as they can be."

©2004 Georgia Tech Alumni Association