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April 15, 2008

Magazine publisher upbeat about Georgia's economy

By Charles Oliver

Georgia is in much better shape economically than much of the rest of the country, despite the economic downturn, says Neely Young, publisher and editor of Georgia Trend magazine.

Young spoke at Dalton State College Tuesday as part of the Westcott lecture series.

“Georgia is a great place to be,” Young said.

He noted that Georgia, the Carolinas and Florida continue to gain population each year, while states such as Pennsylvania and New York are losing people.

“Here in Whitfield County, the population was 86,000 in 2000, and by 2007, it had grown to 93,000. By 2012, it is projected to grow to 103,000,” said Young, who was publisher of The Daily Citizen from the late 1970s through the mid-1980s.

But Young acknowledged some parts of the state are fairing better than others.

“Columbus is booming,” he said, noting it has benefited from defense spending and nearby military facilities.

“Augusta is on fire. They’ve reworked their downtown and made it a place that people want to come to,” he said.

He said that college towns are doing well.

“Mercer University used to be surrounded by a slum. But downtown Macon is now a vibrant area,” he said.

He also pointed to Athens and Statesboro as places that are attracting educated, high-income people.

“But North Georgia is having trouble with textiles,” he said. “And Atlanta has been overbuilt.”

He said the downturn in housing has hurt the floorcovering industry.

“But one thing Dalton has always had is tremendous leadership,” Young said. “There still a tremendous amount of pride in this county.”

Young had harsher words for Georgia’s General Assembly, criticizing lawmakers for doing nothing to address the state’s transportation needs in the recently concluded session.

“They did take a very small step with water,” he said, referring to the water plan passed by the Legislature.

Georgia Trend is a 50,000-circulation magazine distributed across the state that covers Georgia’s economic and business trends.

Young said the magazine strives for fairness and accuracy in its reporting.

“I learned that from (Daily Citizen editor emeritus) Mark Pace. He always just told it the way it is,” he said.

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