Atlanta ranks fifth in the nation among cities with the most FORTUNE 500 headquarters, according to the May 5, 2008 FORTUNE magazine. Since the 1996 Summer Olympics hosted in Atlanta, the city has consistently ranked in the top five cities with the most FORTUNE 500 headquarters. Twenty-two metro Atlanta-headquartered companies placed among the latest FORTUNE 1,000 firms, ten of which are among the FORTUNE 500.

Three companies from the 2007 FORTUNE 500 did not qualify in 2008: Beazer Homes USA fell out of the list due to delayed filing of financial statements; BlueLinx Holdings dropped to a ranking of 568; and Mirant slipped to a ranking of 708. Revenues increased for eight of the ten 2008 FORTUNE 500 metro Atlanta-headquartered companies. AGCO and The Coca-Cola Company posted the most significant revenue increases with 25.6% and 19.8%, respectively.

While the number of metro Atlanta-headquartered FORTUNE 1,000 companies remains at 22 in 2008, there were some company shifts. Two companies from the 2007 list dropped out of the FORTUNE 1,000 (Beazer Homes USA and Gold Kist) and two companies entered this year's FORTUNE 1,000 (Mueller Water Products and Equifax). Metro Atlanta's headquartered FORTUNE 1,000 companies generated aggregate revenues of $288.2 billion, of which 89% was attributed to the FORTUNE 500.

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How Atlanta Stacks Up How Georgia Stacks Up #1 “America’s Most Wired City” (Forbes, 2008) #1 "Best City for Singles" (Forbes, 2008) #3 “America’s Tax-Friendly City for Business” (KPMG, 2008) #4 “Best City for Jobs in 2008” (Forbes, 2008) #4 “Employment Growth Metro Area, 2006-2007” (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2008) #5 “City with the Most FORTUNE 500 Headquarters” (Fortune, 2008) #6 “Worldwide Center of Commerce” (MasterCard, 2008) #6 “Best City for Recent College Graduates” (Forbes, 2008) #6 “Best Places for Business and Careers” (Forbes, 2008) Top 10 “Best City to Buy a Home” (Forbes, 2008) Top 10 “Cybercity” (AeA, 2008) #2 “Best State for Transportation” (CNBC, 2008) #3 “Best State for Workforce” (CNBC, 2008) #4 “Most Funding for Bioscience Research” (Business Facilities, 2008) #5 “Best State for Business” (Forbes, 2008) Top 10 “Best State for Business” (CNBC, 2008; Chief Executive Magazine, 2008) Top 10 “Pro Business State” (Pollina Corporate Real Estate, 2008) Top 10 “Best Cost of Labor” (Business Facilities, 2008) Top 10 “Best Risk Capital and Entrepreneurial Infrastructure” (Milken Institute, 2008) Top 10 “Corporate R&D Activity” (Ernst & Young, 2008)

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When bad news comes out of the housing market, skittish potential buyers opt to wait for the market to bottom out. And since they have to live somewhere, these would-be buyers rent.

If you're looking to rent property--for whatever reason--the best place to try is Atlanta, where rental vacancies are expanding and prices are going up slower than inflation. Not far behind are Denver and Phoenix, where yields and supply problems are giving investors fits, but making life easy for renters.

Much like a buyers' market in the residential sector, the best renters' markets occur where supply is abundant, price growth is flat and renters can get the best value for their dollar.

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Longtime Atlanta real estate developer Charlie Brown's company plans to develop 2,500 acres along South Fulton Parkway west of the Atlanta airport for homes, offices, stores and warehouses.

When Atlanta's commercial and residential developments crank back up, the $2 billion development could become a job center that serves the population growth the area has experienced during the past decade.

Called Parkway South, it would complement Jacoby Development Inc.'s redevelopment of the former Ford plant in nearby Hapeville, where that company wants to create an office market that one day rivals the job centers near Los Angeles International Airport.

 

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The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the regional planning and intergovernmental coordination agency for the 10-county area including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties, as well as the City of Atlanta. For 60 years, ARC and its predecessor agencies have helped to focus the region's leadership, attention and resources on key issues of regional consequence.

ARC is dedicated to unifying the region's collective resources to prepare the metropolitan area for a prosperous future. It does so through professional planning initiatives, the provision of objective information and the involvement of the community in collaborative partnerships.

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If you're new to the area, or considering moving here, you'll find the Atlanta technology community to be hospitable, knowledgeable and rich in resources. Metro Atlanta is consistently top-ranked for business, providing a fertile environment for bioscience and high-tech companies, large and small.

Why Atlanta:

• Consistently ranked in Top 10 for business environment
  
• Outstanding quality of life for all ages and incomes
  
• Strong bioscience community
  
• Technology leadership in internet security, telecom and logistics
  
• Nationally recognized for higher education
  
• State-funded work force training programs
  
• Transportation hub with the world's busiest airport
  

Did You Know? The facts about our high-tech community: * Atlanta is rapidly being known as the 'Wireless Capital of the US' * Atlanta's top 25 technology employers generated more than $622 billion in annual revenue

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City of Riverdale residents recently voted to give their officials redevelopment powers to create a town center that will invigorate the area and its economy. Negotiations are underway to purchase an undeveloped tract of land located on Lamar Hutcheson Parkway behind the Home Depot on SR 85, the projected site for Riverdale's "New Downtown".... Full Story

First-term Clayton County Commissioner Sonna Singleton says she inherited a project in her District 1 that reflects the type of quality growth that many people are seeking in Clayton County. The Villages of Ellenwood, a 400 plus-acre mixed-use development just off I-675 at the Anvil Block Road Exit, is a partnership between Villages of Ellenwood, LLC, and the county government. "We are implementing real quality of life elements into this project," says Singleton. "Single family homes, retail and professional space, lots of greenspace, and walking trails that will connect it all." Those associated with the development say they are committed to setting high standards with hopes that it will be a model for future development in Clayton County. Full Story

The number of homes for sale in 18 major metro areas declined in November, marking the second monthly decrease in a row.... Full Story