Thanks to increased partnership and cooperation among community stakeholders, the stage is set to address these challenges. The Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce and One Macon have come together and pinpointed key initiatives that we believe will accelerate our trajectory. The joint plan, called Forward Macon, focuses on building the workforce, attracting and retaining talent and revitalizing neighborhoods. Learn more below.
Read the Q1 2024 Report to Investors
Why We Need Forward Macon
Macon is experiencing a renaissance. Our downtown is a vibrant destination, and industries are choosing Bibb County for relocations and expansions. While Macon-Bibb County felt COVID’s severe impact, we did not experience job loss as sharply as other communities. We celebrate our return to prosperity.
The good news doesn’t stop there. Macon-Bibb County is seeing an unprecedented level of cooperation between government, business, education, and nonprofits. By working together more effectively, we see positive results more quickly.
While we celebrate success, we must still do more. When compared to peer cities in Georgia, Macon still lags in nearly all measures for economic success. Employers struggle to find employees, entrepreneurial growth is not as robust as we want, and some communities within Macon have not seen prosperity come their way yet.
The Forward Macon Plan
The Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with United Way, the Community Foundation of Central Georgia and SparkMacon, will execute the Forward Macon plan. Learn more about the Forward Macon Pillars below.
The plan is expected to increase jobs through its workforce development initiative through an increased available workforce pool, better skills matching and shortened job vacancy period, and from jobs created through entrepreneurship and community revitalization.
By 2025, we expect the Forward Macon plan to have played a role in creating 2,400 to 3,100 direct and indirect jobs in Macon-Bibb County. These additional jobs will bring an additional $56 million in consumer expenditures.