When a community offers a combination of resources (skilled and plentiful labor, accommodating tax rates, beneficial operating costs) you seldom see in a single location, that is something.
When these advantages are all wrapped around a highly-competitive and sophisticated telecommunications infrastructure - one that is expressly designed to accommodate the needs of both industry and office operations - that is something you would be wise to investigate.
For a quick overview of LaGrange, Georgia, read on. Then call Mike Criddle at (706) 883-2064 to learn everything we are doing to make our city your answer for the decades ahead.
It could just be the smartest business move you ever make.
LAGRANGE FAST FACTS
* Location
approximately 60 miles southwest of Atlanta, 45 miles north of Columbus
* Population (2010 Census data)
City of LaGrange: 29,588
Troup County: 67,044
7-County region: 317,339
* Population Mix
Diverse, with transplants from throughout the U.S. and other countries
* Topography
Gently rolling terrain typical of the lower piedmont region of Georgia.
* Time Zone
Eastern (10 miles east of the central time zone).
* Climate (Southeast Regional Climate Center data)
Avg annual temp: 63 deg F
Avg winter temp: 47 deg F
Avg summer temp: 78 deg F
Avg annual rainfall: 53"
Avg annual snowfall: < 1"
LABOR FORCE
* Total Labor Force (Dept of Labor, November 2011 data)
LaGrange: 14,334
Troup County: 33,562
7-County region: 148,201
* Unemployment Rates
Troup County: 10.1%
7-County region: 9.4%
Georgia: 9.3%
TRAINING & EDUCATION
LAGRANGE COLLEGE
* Private four-year liberal arts college
* Enrollment of 1,000 students
* Offers 43 academic and pre-professional programs, as well as graduate programs in education.
WEST GEORGIA TECHNICAL COLLEGE
* Full service vocational-technical school
* Enrollment of 1,200 credit students
* Offers 13 Associate Degree programs / 24 Diploma Programs / 63 Certificate Programs
* Directs QUICKSTART employee training programs.
QUICKSTART
* Nationally acclaimed technical training program for newly located and expanding companies. Quick Start worked with 266 companies and trained 33,967 people in 1999 statewide. Recent annual job trainees totaled more than 4,900. State funded and locally operated, the four-county regional office is located in LaGrange.
TRANSPORTATION & ACCESSIBILITY
AIRPORTS
* Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is 45 minutes away via Interstate 85.
* LaGrange-Callaway Airport features one 5,600-foot runway (with a planned expansion to 6,500 feet), and an additional 5,000-foot runway. ILS-equipped, the airport offers full-service maintenance and storage.
HIGHWAYS
* Interstates include I-85 and I-185.
* Federal routes are US Hwy 29 and US Hwy 27. Hwy 27 is a four-lane corridor in west Georgia running north to Chattanooga, TN and south to Tallahassee, FL.
* State routes are Georgia Hwy 109 and Hwy 219.
RAIL SERVICE
* Full-service rail facilities are provided by CSX (both East/West and North/South lines).
BUS SERVICE
* LaGrange is served by Greyhound Bus Lines.
TRUCK LINES
* Interstate carriers total - 9
* Intrastate carriers total - 30
* Three local terminals serve the area.
OVERNIGHT DELIVERY
* Delivery services are provided by UPS, Federal Express, Purolator, Greyhound, Emery, and Atlanta Air Cargo.
BUSINESS SERVICES
FINANCIAL
* Full service banks - 9
* Total assets - approx. $1 Billion (as of Sep 2002)
UTILITIES
* Water - supplied by the City of LaGrange (from the West Point Lake Reservoir).
* Natural Gas - distributed by the City of LaGrange (transported by the Southern Natural Gas Co.)
* Electricity - supplied by City of LaGrange (MEAG - Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia), Diverse Power, or Georgia Power (customer choice for large loads).
* Telecom - service provided by the City of LaGrange, BellSouth, Interstate FiberNet Multi-carrier POP, MEAG, and the City of LaGrange Fiber.
* Wastewater - treatment provided by the City of LaGrange
* Sanitation - solid waste handling for residential, commercial and industrial customers provided by the City of LaGrange, including assistance with marketing of recyclable materials.
GOVERNMENT SERVICES
FORM OF GOVERNANCE
* LaGrange is governed by a mayor, city council, and city manager.
FIRE PROTECTION
* Provided by 59 full-time personnel and 100 volunteers in both the city and county. The City Fire Department earned an ISO Class 2 rating in March 2004.
POLICE
* Provided by total city and county full-time forces numbering 130-plus. Both city and county operate 24-hour patrol and dispatch services through enhanced 911.
LOCAL TAXES
LaGrange is one of the few full service cities in America that provides traditional government services without levying municipal ad valorem taxes on property owners.
* Sales Tax
State 4%
Local option 1%
Special purpose local option 2%
7%
* Property Tax
State 0.25
County 10.56
School 18.85
City 0.00
29.66 mills
Total property tax for city and unincorporated areas = $29.66 / $1,000 assessed value.
Assessed value = 40% of appraised value.
* Inventory Tax Exemption ('Freeport')
100% exemption for out-of-state shipments
MAJOR EMPLOYERS
* Milliken & Co.
* Wal-Mart Distribution Center
* InterfaceFLOR
* Procter & Gamble / Duracell
* Sewon America
* Mountville Mills
* Freudenberg-NOK
* Kimberly-Clark
* Exxon-Mobil
QUALITY OF LIFE
HOUSING
* Median pre-owned home - $82,000
* Average new home (2,500-3,000 sq. ft.) - $175,250
* Average pre-owned home (2,113-2272 sq. ft.) - $141,000
SCHOOLS
The Troup County Public School System provides K-12 programs, preparing graduates for college or vocational/technical studies.
Distinctions:
* LaGrange High School - named by USA Today as one of the best high schools in the nation; #1 in Georgia (based on Advanced Placement classes)
* Cannon Street Elementary School named to the distinguished list of consistently progressing schools (eligible for National School of Excellence program)
* West Side Magnet School named #1 in national five year study of arts schools by Westat Foundation (Getty Trust and National Arts EducationFoundation); State and National History Day Winners - State Science Fair Winners
* Unity Elementary School accepted into state pay for performance program (one of 58 schools in state)
* Troup High School - Character Education Program, Principal Bill Parsonsand student recognized statewide (Georgia Magazine); Cheerleaders won National Championship
Three private schools provide K-12 education.
LaGrange College, an accredited 4-year liberal arts college founded in 1831, offers 24 undergraduate degrees and one post-graduate degree.
West Georgia Tech offers a comprehensive program of study ranging from statistical processcontrol to computer-aided design.
Twelve colleges and universities including Georgia Tech, Emory University, Georgia State University and Auburn University are within a one-hour drive.
CULTURAL ARTS
From lively dramatic theater to symphonic classics and ballet, the arts are showcased in the $2.5 million LaGrange College drama theater, a facility that is greatly appreciated and enthusiastically attended. The theater is one of the many facilities that the college extends to the community. The works of outstanding and emerging artists are displayed at the Lamar Dodd Art Center and the Chattahoochee Valley Art Museum. All of these activities receive energetic support from a strong local arts alliance. Parts of historic Downtown LaGrange are currently being transformed into an arts district.
RECREATION
Located less than 15 minutes from the heart of the city, West Point Lake provides 26,900 acres of bass and game fishing, boating and camping, plus a 6,397-acre wildlife management area.
Just 17 miles away is Callaway Gardens, a four-star recreation and nature resort with golfing, tennis, horticulture, and butterfly conservatories surrounding a conference center that hosts groups to 1,000.
HEALTHCARE
LaGrange has the second highest number of medical specialists per capita in Georgia, and is home to regional in-patient and outpatient facilities.
West Georgia Health, a federally designated Rural Referral Center, offers a fully accredited 276-bed hospital facility, a 92-bed independent assisted living facility, and a 16-bed Hospice.
Additional medical facilities include the Enoch Callaway Cancer Clinic, the Georgia Heart Clinic, the 150-bed Florence Hand Extended Care Facility, the Twin Fountain 116-bed extended care facility, three Chronic Renal Dialysis Units, the Clark-Holder Clinic and the Clinics of Medical Park.
SAFETY ASSURANCES
* LaGrange vs. National Average (per 1,000 population) - 3.15 vs. 2.5
* Violent crime arrest rate, (per 100,000 population) - 484 vs. 566
PROXIMITY TO OTHER METRO AREAS
* Atlanta - 60 miles
* Columbus, GA - 45 miles
* Montgomery, AL - 90 miles
PROXIMITY TO ATLANTA
In addition to taking advantage of a state-of-the-art telecommunications infrastructure, our abundant and skilled labor pool, and our low operating and labor costs, companies locating in LaGrange can benefit from our close proximity to Atlanta.
Less than an hour away via I-85, you can enjoy world-class cultural and sporting events. The symphony, ballet, High Museum of Art, and Fernbank Museum of Natural History are perfect for family outings. Year-round, sports fans cheer professional teams that include baseball, football and basketball.
Close-by urban education centers include Georgia State University, Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Living and working near Atlanta can create a positive impact on your bottom line.
A WELCOME PARTNERSHIP
The City of LaGrange, Georgia welcomes the opportunity to discuss your location goals and objectives.
From industrial and manufacturing to back office and information processing operations... to retail, professional or service sector business locations...we are confident LaGrange has what you want and need to make a smart move.
Our community offers a unique blend of resources:
* AMPLE LABOR (that is skilled or easily trained)
* STABLE UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE (including a telecommunications-rich environment that is advanced and highly cost competitive.)
* AFFORDABLE OPERATING COSTS (for sites, operations, labor and living)
* SUPERIOR QUALITY OF LIFE (education, housing, healthcare, culture, and recreation)
* STRATEGIC LOCATION (minutes from Atlanta, convenient to interstate highways, rail lines,and an international gateway.)
LAGRANGE, GEORGIA. A SMART MOVE.
Here in LaGrange, our economic development investment has been built on a strong foundation of vision and accomplishment. In addition, we are committed to a development strategy that utilizes a strong local partnership with our existing industry and citizenry.
Please let us know how we can aid your site selection process, and we will move smartly to fill your request.
City of LaGrange
Office of Economic Development
Mike Criddle
PO Box 430
LaGrange, GA 30241
Office: (706) 883-2064
Fax: (706) 883-2020
Email: mcriddle@lagrangega.org
Development Authority of LaGrange
Bobby Carmichael
200 Main Street
LaGrange, GA 30240
Office: (706) 298-4533
Email: bobbyc@downtownlagrange.com