(The Center Square) – Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is in South America on what he calls an “international mission this week to promote economic development opportunities.”
The trip includes Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, First Lady Marty Kemp and members of the Georgia Department of Economic Development team, according to the governor’s office. They will visit Argentina and Brazil.
Economic development trips are included in the state’s budget, Jessica Atwell, communications manager for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, told The Center Square in an email.
Open Georgia shows that in fiscal year 2024, Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson was reimbursed $116,811.93 in travel expenses. Kemp received $29,884.69 through the Economic Development Department. Harper received $14,093.64 in travel expenses billed to his department, according to records.
“These missions facilitate Georgia’s international connections that support thousands of jobs for Georgians through trade and investment,” Atwell said. “Economic development missions include a mix of meetings with companies already invested in or interested in investing in Georgia as well as relationship-building opportunities that support connectivity between Georgia and key markets for exports. Additionally, hearing directly from global companies allows Georgia to be responsive to industry trends and needs, putting us top of mind as a partner as businesses consider expansion opportunities – whether they are already established in the state or new to the state.”
The delegation will meet with Brazilian company JBS, whose subsidiary, Pilgrim’s, announced a $400 million facility in LaFayette that will employ 630 people.
“Since I took office, businesses that operate in Brazil have created over a thousand jobs for Georgians, with many investments strengthening established sectors like our No. 1 industry of agriculture,” Kemp said.
Georgia exported $748 million of products to Brazil in 2024, according to the governor’s office.
“The success of Georgia’s No. 1 industry depends on our farmers’ ability to get their goods to market, and leveraging Georgia’s port system and reducing trade barriers with countries around the globe are vital components of ensuring the continued success of Georgia agriculture and our state as a whole,” Arnold said.
The state’s partnership with Brazil began in 1995, according to the governor’s office.
The team will meet with General Richard “Dwayne” Wilson of the Georgia National Guard and their Argentinian counterparts as part of the Department of Defense State Partnership Program.
“We look forward to thanking the brave men and women of the Georgia Guard and their partners in Argentina who are supporting our shared security goals,” Kemp said.
