AMERICUS — The Americus-Sumter County Chamber of Commerce hosted Chris Clark, president/CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, at its recent quarterly membership luncheon.

In 2015, the Georgia Chamber will celebrate its 100th anniversary, and Clark told the audience that the same three tenets hold true today as they did almost 100 years ago.

“It is our job to help businesses in Georgia to be more competitive so they can grow new jobs and add value in the community,” he said, “to help communities be more competitive so they can recruit new companies and keep the companies they have, and to help small businesses set up and grow.”

Clark said it is the job of the Georgia Chamber to make Georgia a state that is the best in the country in attracting companies to locate and invest here.

Clark listed the attributes that attract business and industry, today and 100 years ago: Land, good infrastructure, rail, ports, climate, water supplies, and business-friendly government on the local and state levels.

Clark said the Georgia Chamber looks to three things that facilitate competitiveness.

• Economic development. “We work on big projects that will have a big impact on the state whether it be a new manufacturing plant or new infrastructure.”

• Advocacy. “Representing the business community at the Capitol.”

• Policy. “More and more we’re getting involved in the policy and making sure those big issues you’re faced with as a business community that we’re focused on them long-term in Atlanta and in D.C.”

In the area of economic development, Clark said his organization supports the work of the state Department of Economic Development in developing leads and putting key contacts together.

“Where the rubber meets the road is when we’re out working with our local Chamber partners ... small businesses that do education ... ”

Clark mentioned two key projects in economic development today that will have an impact locally and regionally.

• Deepening the port in Savannah: Georgia is now waiting for the federal dollars to start this project.

“Every county in Georgia has an impact on the Port of Savannah and Brunswick ... The Georgia ports are number two in the country for exports. ... We’ll continue lobbying to get those funds. ... That inland port sitting in Cordele is an economic engine waiting to kick start ... When the port’s deepened and hits its stride, this whole region, from Albany to ... Columbus will see benefits ... ”

The other he mentioned are the two new (nuclear) reactors being built near Augusta. He said we take energy for granted because we have reliable, constant supplies of energy while other areas of the country experience brown outs.

Regarding its advocacy component, Clark said, “We’re very proud to be the most influential business organization at the Georgia Capitol, not just with paid lobbyists ... but with over 400 corporate lobbyists with the business communities all over Georgia ... to advocate for smart growth, pro-business legislation, things that are good for the state of Georgia.”

On its scorecard, the Georgia Chamber  had over 15 pro-business economic development bills in the last session of the General Assembly.

“Mike (Cheokas, R-Americus) got an A-plus for the past two years and ya’ll ought to thank him because he’s one of the good guys up there,” Clark said. “ ... 75 percent of the Georgia General Assembly got a passing grade from us and that means that whatever party you’re in ... (state Senator) George Hooks, (D-Americus) had an A-plus as well ... that means we’re working together ...”

Clark said the folks in D.C. “aren’t quite so business friendly and because of that last year we had our first D.C. lobbyist ... ”

He addressed the fiscal cliff and its impact on Georgia if, on Jan. 2 we have the single largest tax increase in the history of our country and ... don’t cut entitlements. He said 24,000 jobs would be lost in Georgia in January.

“The impact, through the defense community in Georgia ... a 9 percent cut in defense spending in the upcoming year alone. ... Whether you’re retired, whether you have a small business, whether you have a manufacturing facility, whether you work for government, your taxes will go up. ... There’s also going to be an incredible impact to the health care industry in Georgia. We’ve not yet been able to figure out what it means, how deep it’s going to be ... Add to it that the Affordable Health Care Act is going into effect in the next few weeks.”

Clark said the state Chamber is trying to educate its members on what to expect and is urging them to contact their Congress members to figure out something and have a plan.

“Last week, the economist at the University of Georgia told us that if that happens in January you can expect in the first quarter as much as a 12 percent decrease in the U.S. economy. That would also increase Georgia’s chance of going into another recession. ... In Georgia right now, housing starts are up. Things are looking a little brighter, a lot because of the Regional Transportation Act that passed in some regions ... But we’ve seen a real slowdown in the last two weeks in the economy here in Georgia. It was expected that we would grow a little bit more than the national economy next year, but we’re all taking a time out now to see what happens in D.C.”

Clark said, about the policy role of the Georgia Chamber, that they are becoming more pro-active.

“Last year Governor Deal and I and Chris Cummisky, commissioner of economic development, traveled around the state visiting with businesses and asking what we can do to help ...  a lot of the answers were to get government out of my way ... We heard directly from our members. Here’s what I took away. ... They said it’s great that the Georgia Chamber focuses on the 40 days the Georgia General Assembly meets ... but most importantly we need to start looking at the next 40 years. There are big issues out there that if we don’t fix, we don’t face, we’re going to be doomed in the long term ...”

Clark said that every time Georgia does something that is pro-business, other states follow suit and become even more competitive. As a result, the Georgia Chamber is starting in January its own pro-business think tank that will look at the long-term issues in four areas that are important on the local level as well as state.

• Innovation and technology. “We have to, have to, have to support our entrepreneurs,” and make sure capital is available and that our universities are paired up with entrepreneurs and that manufacturing has the latest and best innovations and technology. He said Sumter County is “blessed” to have Georgia Southwestern State University.

• Rail and road infrastructure and military affairs.

• Pro-business laws (tort reform, tax reform, the right incentive mix and supporting health care).

• Single most important issue is education in the workforce. Clark said there are large numbers of businesses in the state with job openings who can’t find qualified workers.

“We know we have a world-class university system that is the envy of all other states; we have to make sure we continue to give them the resources ... We know we have a technical college system that  ... is world renowned, but where we’re falling short is K-12 ... As a whole, we as a business community should be embarrassed and unsatisfied that we are 48th in the nation in graduating for high school students. The international rate is 85 percent. In the U.S. it’s 75 percent. When you get to Georgia, it’s in the low 60s. ... I’ve heard every excuse of why that’s the case. We don’t have those problems in our universities and technical colleges, so there’s something in the middle that’s missing. We’ve made the commitment at the Georgia Chamber to re-engage in  a positive way, not to sit around and tell teachers and administrators you’ve got to do this or that, but to go in and ask what the problems are and how can we fix them.”

Clark said another area of concern is how we finance education in Georgia.

“While we’ve increased funding by 45 percent in the last 20 years, our results have only improved by 20 percent ... ”

Clark said students should be taught the work ethic — how to be on time and how to dress appropriately, “soft skills.”

In view of all the four areas of concern, Clark said the bottom line to success is leadership.

“It’s servant leadership to be specific,” he said. “It’s the leadership provided by the business community in the state of Georgia. ... I know that’s hard. You’re teaching Sunday School, running a business, serving on some board for the county or the city ... But if we don‘t work on this, no one else is.”

In the communities that succeed, Clark said there are “a pro-business city and county, a strong school board that’s working with you ... legislators in Atlanta that know how to be part of the team. Those are the communities that lead.”

Clark used the location of the Kia plant in Troup County as an example of success.