Experience

Garner Economics, LLC

• United States
• Business Consulting and Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• President and founder

  • Mar 2003 - Present

  Jay Garner is the president and founder of Garner Economics, LLC, an economic development and site location consulting firm headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. Jay is a leader and innovator in the economic development profession, having served for 40 years as both an award-winning economic development, Chamber of Commerce CEO, and site location professional. His firm assists clients throughout the world on a wide variety of projects, offering innovative, yet real-world solutions to achieve success. His firm is also a leader in providing assistance to corporate clients in their site selection process, such as Anchor Glass, Academy Sports, Hatfield Quality Meats, Hill’s Pet Foods, Marel, Future Pipe Industries and others. He is a founding member and current chair of the board for the Site Selectors Guild, a prestigious group of the top site location consultants, globally. He is a co-author of the book, Economic Development Is Not For Amateurs!, a must-read for community leaders on how to achieve economic development success.In 2009, the readers of Southern Business & Development magazine named Garner Economics as one of the best consulting firms in the U.S. In 2015, the same publication listed Jay as one of the “Ten people who made a difference” in economic development. As a practitioner, the mayor and city council of Mobile, AL declared July 29, 1994 as “Jay Garner Day” in the city for his nine years of exemplary service as chief economic development officer for the city/county. As CEO of the Asheville, NC Chamber of Commerce, the organization became the first Chamber in the U.S. to win a Quality Award by the North Carolina Quality Foundation based on the national Malcolm Baldrige criteria. Jay is a past chairman for the International Economic Development Council, the largest economic development professional trade organization in the world. An avid jazz drummer, he plays in a big band jazz orchestra in the Atlanta area.



Site Selectors Guild

• United States
• Business Consulting and Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Chair Of The Board Of Directors

  • Mar 2020 - Jun 2021

  Elected to this position by the board of directors. Elected to this position by the board of directors.



Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce

• Civic and Social Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• EVP/Chief Economic Development Officer

  • Mar 2002 - Mar 2003

  • Managed a staff of six, an annual budget of $1.5 million and reported to a board of directors totaling 18.• Developed program initiatives focusing on global business development, existing industry retention, research and marketing.• Worked in raising $9 million from the public and private sectors for a four-year economic acceleration effort.• Developed a branding campaign on Chattanooga including a new web site, promotional film and industry cluster target marketing. Created a four-year comprehensive economic marketing strategy. • Served on the team to create a $20+ million publicly owned industrial park from a brownfield site (Enterprise South Industrial Park). Created a marketing strategy to promote the park worldwide. The Park today is the home of VW’s US assembly facilities.



Tampa Bay Chamber

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• President and CEO

  • Apr 2000 - Mar 2001

  • Managed a staff of 47.• Administered an operating budget of $4.9 million.• Reported to a board of directors of 74.• Reorganized the Chamber focusing on “new economy” and economic development initiatives, workforce development, entrepreneurial growth, and product improvement or community development activities.• Developed an action plan to reduce receivable debt by $500,000.• Initiated total quality management processes with the staff.• Developed and presented a five-year economic development strategic plan focusing on recruiting specific target clusters and implementing recommendations identified to improve the area’s business climate.



Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce

• United States
• Civic and Social Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• President/CEO

  • Aug 1994 - May 2000

  • Managed a staff of 45 (third largest Chamber in North Carolina).• Administered a Chamber operating budget of $2.9 million, an economic development budget of $625,000 and a convention and visitors’ budget of $2 million.• Worked in the formation of the Buncombe County Economic Development Commission, a public/private partnership between the Buncombe County Commission and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. The Commission contracted with the Chamber for economic development services. • Initiated a community visioning effort with nearly 1,100 volunteers participating. This resulted in a multi-year strategic plan for the Asheville area.• Increased Chamber membership from 1,636 in 1994 to 2,200 members in 1999, a 34% increase.• Was the catalyst for the implementation of a four-year engineering degree program in Asheville in cooperation with North Carolina State University; spearheaded the planned development of a 30,000 square foot Small Business Incubator, now located at A-B Tech Community College.• Initiated a staff total quality management program focusing on continuous process improvement. Won the North Carolina Quality Leadership Award in 1998, given by the North Carolina Quality Foundation (same criteria as the national Malcolm Baldrige Award.) This was the first Chamber/economic development organization in the U.S. to win this type of award.• Led efforts to build a new Chamber building and visitor center (30,000 square feet) to be completed by the year 2005.• Managed program activities in convention and visitors, community development, small business enterprise, economic development, government affairs, communications, member services and finance/operations.• Extensive international business development experience, primarily in Asia and Europe. Met with business CEO’s and government officials abroad regularly. Language knowledge of Spanish and Japanese.



Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce

• Sr. VP

  • Oct 1985 - Aug 1994

  Chief Executive Officer of the economic development department. • Number two person in the entire Chamber of Commerce organization (second in command).• Administered a $925,000 economic development budget and managed an economic development staff of 12.• Reported to the Mobile Economic Development Council Board of Directors (19 members).• Re-organized and developed the office from two employees to 12. Increased department budget amount from $110,000 to as high as $1.1 million in 1987.• • Created a marketing strategy for a successful $7.7 million economic development fundraising campaign to promote Mobile worldwide over an eight year period.• • Worked with the city and county in the development of a 300 acre $4 million business park.• Served as secretary/treasurer to the Industrial Park Board of Mobile County, the marketing and management board for Mobile Commerce Park, a publicly owned mixed use Business Park.• Gained extensive international experience with business development missions abroad in Europe, Asia and South America.• Developed a computer software package for property/prospect management and then computerized the economic development department.• Involved in over 100 business locations to Mobile, including the location of many foreign-based companies.• Received designation by the Alabama Development Office in 1987, 1989, 1990 and 1993 for the most new industry locations during the calendar year.• Received designation by Site Selection Magazine as one of ten outstanding leaders in economic development in the U.S. for 1989. Site Selection Magazine also ranked the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce's economic development department as one of the ten best development organizations in the U.S. for 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994.



Dalton Whitfield Chamber of Commerce

• Executive Director - Economic Development

  • Jan 1982 - Oct 1985

  • Administered a $170,000 annual budget.• Answered to a Board of Directors composed of 17 members.• Designed and implemented a nationally recognized marketing program to promote industrial development that included industry target studies, audio-visual presentation, community profiles and brochures, direct mail campaigns, and print advertisements in trade publications.• Developed and managed the $4.2 million, 175 acre, publicly owned Whitfield County Industrial Park from its inception.• Managed a utility company providing water and sewer service for the Whitfield County Industrial Park.• Directly involved with the location of 18 new industries into the community and assisted several existing industries in their expansion needs.• Program was recognized as a model economic development agency in Georgia by the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism.



Jefferson County Development Authority

• United States
• Government Administration
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Executive Director

  • Jan 1980 - Dec 1981

  Served as the first CEO of this organization. Organized the office from its inception.Reported to a Board of Directors with 15 members.• Job duties included marketing industrial and commercial sites within the county and the review of industrial revenue bond applications.• Gained considerable expertise and experience with public and private financing programs, including industrial development bonds, SBA and FmHA loans, and UDAG grants. Served as the first CEO of this organization. Organized the office from its inception.Reported to a Board of Directors with 15 members.• Job duties included marketing industrial and commercial sites within the county and the review of industrial revenue bond applications.• Gained considerable expertise and experience with public and private financing programs, including industrial development bonds, SBA and FmHA loans, and UDAG grants.