On October 7, 1996, Governor Miller was
able to take only an abbreviated tour of London's Globe Theatre because
Georgia industry and trade officials had arranged for him to meet Adair
Turner, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry. This
alliance represents 250,000 companies in the United Kingdom, making Turner
a major spokesman for British business. Governor Miller's advisors felt
a meeting with Turner could result in expanding Georgia's economic ties
with Great Britain. Their discussions lasted longer than planned, forcing
Governor Miller to miss most of the visit to the Globe. However, his loss
may prove to be Georgia's gain.
Partly as a result of their meeting in London, Turner decided to travel
to Atlanta in early December to meet again with Governor Miller. During
the visit, Turner also met with officials of MCI Communications (which is
being acquired by British Telecommunications PLC), the Federal Reserve Bank
of Atlanta, and Georgia Power's economic development center.
Currently, 138 British companies operate in Georgia, employing 25,000 workers
and accounting for $1.8 billion in direct investment. This makes Britain
Georgia's third largest foreign investor---and its presence is growing.
Similarly, Georgia's economy is closely tied to the United Kingdom, with
Georgia companies exporting $600 million in products and resources last
year.
Yet one more legacy of James Oglethorpe
is that over 250 years after its founding, Georgia may indeed be living
up to one of the three principal purposes for its creation--to serve as
an economic resource for Great Britain. The relationship, however, has proven
symbiotic as Britain also is a major economic resource for Georgia.