The Development Authority of Columbia County hosted its Business Appreciation Breakfast in which it strives to recognize our corporate citizens for their investment in our community through job creation, capital investment, and community involvement. Because the Development Authority understands that local businesses are key to the success and prosperity of Columbia County they strive to work with our local businesses to support their needs, address their challenges, and to thank them for all they do to make Columbia County great.

Hugh Hollar, Chairman of the Development of Columbia County stated “Every year the Development Authority of Columbia County sets aside a day to say thank you to all the businesses large and small, for their hard work throughout the year. We are thankful they choose to call Columbia County home and wish to help them succeed.”

This year, the Development Authority of Columbia County recognized three companies for their commitment to our community:

Company of the Year – Small Business

ACHS Insurance- ACHS Insurance is an independent insurance agency that has served the Greater Augusta since 1993 when they first opened in Martinez.  Since then the ACHS has been committed to providing its customers with the best coverage and quality service.  Over the past two years, the company has doubled its revenue, increasing its staff size by approximately twenty-five percent to 35 full-time employees. In 2016, ACHS Insurance built a 21,000 square foot Class A office building in the heart of Columbia County and returned back to their beginning.

Company of the Year – Professional Office

Gold Cross EMS- Gold Cross EMS, Inc. has been serving the CSRA since 1997 and will be celebrating their 20^th anniversary in Columbia County.  This year they will have transported over 50,000 patients. In 2015, they opened three additional locations in the CSRA, bringing the total number of locations to 18.  Gold Cross EMS gives back to the Columbia County community through their EMS Explorer program for young people age 14-20, CPR training, and volunteering as instructors with Columbia County’s Community Emergency Response Team.  In January 2016, they started their own EMS Academy to train aspiring EMT’s and have worked with the Georgia Department of Labor to retrain individuals who have lost jobs due to recent closings.  Their biggest accomplishment this year was becoming accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services. It is the highest honor an ambulance service can achieve; and there are less than 200 services in the entire world that have achieved this honor. 

Company of the Year – Manufacturer

John Deere Commercial Product- This year John Deere Commercial Products celebrates their 25^th anniversary in Columbia County. In 1991, John Deere Commercial Products began building utility tractors in a 200,000 square-foot facility on Lewiston Road in Grovetown, Ga., with less than 100 employees. Ten years later, another manufacturing site on John Deere Parkway was added to double their footprint. Today there are more than 1,200 employees and contractors working on site. Since 1991, the facility has produced more than 1 million tractors for the global market. Most recently, John Deere partnered to lease a newly built 524,700 square-foot warehouse on John Deere Parkway that allowed them to consolidate multiple warehouses around the area for improved efficiency. As John Deere continues to grow, so do the suppliers that serve them.

In addition to recognizing our local businesses, the Development Authority of Columbia County unveiled the economic development strategic plan titles “Harnessing Opportunities and Talent: An Economic Development Strategy for Columbia County, Georgia,” completed and presented by Atlanta based Garner Economics. This plan makes recommendations for enhancing economic development opportunity, marketing Columbia County, and operational improvements. The plan also identifies target industries which include: Cyber Security and Government Contracting, High-valued Professional Services, Innovative Manufacturing, Entrepreneurial and Retail Development, and Health Services.

“The recommendations from the new county wide economic development strategic plan sets aspirational goals and a strong vision for the future of economic development in Columbia County,” stated Robbie Bennett, Executive Director of the Development Authority of Columbia County. “The Development Authority looks forward to working with Columbia County and other strategic partners to prioritize and implement these recommendations.”