InTucker Magazine

From the Mayor

There are so many factors that make Tucker the thriving, safe and desirable place that we are blessed to call home. At the top of the list is our people; you won’t find a warmer, more welcoming group of citizens anywhere. Another is our faith community; we have countless faith-based groups doing good not just within their walls, but out in our neighborhoods as well. A third factor – and what’s on my mind this month – is our business community.

Economic Development is a term that’s used in many different ways. For us as a city, economic development is the equivalent of improved quality of life – the sum total of all the specific services we provide, and the reason for our existence. It’s not just about businesses, but businesses provide jobs, give people a desire to live here, and drive every aspect of our local economy. When we became a city almost 10 years ago, Tucker was already home to some iconic, longstanding businesses. If you’ve ever had the fried chicken at Matthews or bought building supplies from Cofer Bros. you know what I mean. But it was important to our quality of life as a city to focus on marketing all Tucker has to offer to new businesses and those looking to expand or relocate. We started out with many distinct advantages over most other cities. Our location is one; Interstate 285, US 78, US 29 and LaVista Rd. all run through our city limits. We’re about a 20 minute drive from Atlanta, and just a few minutes further from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Tucker also sits on the CSX rail line. All of these location factors are very important to companies who are focused on optimizing logistics and speed to market.

But location is not all we have to offer. An existing business community like ours that is diverse in industry, size and type, provides confidence to others considering Tucker as a place to form or relocate. One of the reasons for forming a city to begin with was to focus on attracting, retaining and strengthening businesses in Tucker. We had heard from existing business owners that going through the licensing process and other government regulations was too confusing, expensive and time-consuming. It required local business operators to travel to Decatur to deal with the bureaucracy there, which was a real obstacle to growth. Not only did we promise to make that more personal and more local, but we have been able to hire a professional team to run those efforts and focus on supporting our own local employers. That Economic Development team today includes a Business Outreach Specialist whose sole job is to help business owners get through those requirements more easily, and to be a resource for anything they need or any issue that might arise relative to their government. We also developed relationships at the County and State levels, positioning Tucker as a place where a company from, say, California, would choose to grow. That’s exactly what happened when our team worked with Georgia’s Department of Economic Development to welcome a new facility for Sugar Bowl Bakery. It was the first time in ten or more years that the GDEcD had helped locate a large employer into this part of DeKalb County. And just a few years later, Pepsi invested an additional $280 million in their plant here, also with state and county help.

And while we have some other major companies with big operations here in Tucker – Hormel and Quest Diagnostics, among others – it’s our smaller local businesses that are nearest and dearest to my heart. Part of it is that I am a small business owner myself and so I know the risks that these men and women are taking, often staking their life savings to follow a dream. At every ribbon cutting I attend, I remind them we’re very aware they could have chosen anywhere to open their business, but they chose Tucker. That means something to me, and our city is obligated to honor their confidence in us by providing the highest level of service possible, and to be an asset, not an obstacle.

Local and Small Businesses are the foundation on which we build and sustain our community. The economic impact of us spending our dollars with local businesses, who then turn around and spend them with other local businesses, who then employ local folks, is an extremely powerful and healthy cycle for our community. Next time you go out shopping or for a bite to eat, remember these stories and please prioritize supporting Tucker’s businesses. They’re your neighbors and they’re doing amazing things for our community. And know that our Economic Development team at City Hall will continue in the months and years ahead to work to keep and bring new, dynamic businesses that will help grow the prominence of Tucker as Georgia’s top destination for business.