Kristi Brigman, Chief Economic Development Officer, Metro Atlanta Chamber

In an interview with Focus:, Kristi Brigman, chief economic development officer of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, highlighted the importance of partnerships, talent development, and Atlanta’s diverse economy in fostering a thriving business environment. “One of my favorite things about a company that is already here is knowing they could go anywhere else in the world — it’s a strong endorsement from them to continue that growth in Greater Atlanta,” said Brigman.

Reflecting on the past year, what significant opportunities have you seen for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the region?

Despite 2024 being an election year, which can mean less activity than other years due to an uncertain political environment, we landed a lot of exciting projects. One of those is Duracell, which announced its global headquarters for research and development in Midtown Atlanta. They are moving into Science Square, an awesome development adjacent to Georgia Tech. It is really exciting to see them focus their growth on Metro Atlanta from a research and development (R&D) perspective. They already have existing facilities here and have had much success in the region. One of my favorite things about a company that is already here is knowing they could go anywhere else in the world — it’s a strong endorsement from them to continue that growth in Greater Atlanta.

Another really exciting project was PBS Aerospace, which established its North American headquarters with manufacturing and some R&D operations in Roswell. Cargill also announced 420 new jobs and is already hiring, giving them a great stronghold. Lastly, AIG was another exciting project, with about 650 new jobs. We have a great relationship with AIG, but this is really their first major foray into the Metro Atlanta market, and we are so excited to welcome them here.

Why are businesses and residents choosing to relocate or expand in Metro Atlanta?

There are a variety of factors that companies are looking at. We are still a relatively inexpensive market compared to major cities like New York or some in California. We have a really competitive talent pipeline coming out of the university system and the technical college system. It is not only our world-class talent, but also our competitive cost of living. We also have a very strong quality of life. You can go two hours north and be in the beautiful North Georgia mountains, or a few hours south and enjoy the coast.

It is a compelling story when you think about a company that might have to relocate employees. They want to ensure they are asking their employees to relocate to a place where they’ll be happy and feel comfortable bringing their families. In addition to the talent pipeline and the general workforce, one of Atlanta’s strengths is a diverse economy. Certain cities may be known as a financial hub or a tech hub, but Atlanta has such a variety of all types of companies. If you look at the Fortune 500 companies headquartered here, you really see that diversity, from UPS and The Coca-Cola Company to The Home Depot. There are so many different types of companies that play into our strengths and really help us in uncertain economic times. While one industry might struggle at times, Atlanta’s economy remains generally strong because there is such a diverse group of companies located here.

How do the educational and professional development opportunities provided by the chamber contribute to the growth of local businesses and their employees? 

The chamber has a dedicated talent team focused on workforce development, ensuring strong connections between companies, universities, and technical colleges. They have doubled down on addressing the challenges employers face by strengthening these partnerships and investing in long-term talent solutions.

We look at the diverse group of companies and ask whether similar titles, roles, and skill sets are being requested. We aim to address that beyond just one title for one company, recognizing that there are large numbers of these titles and skills that need to be met for companies across the region.

The Metro Chamber is great at listening and responding to the needs of the business community, making sure we are acting nimbly and doing what we can to address those needs. Atlanta really is a very strong place for recreational activities, especially as the quality of life is really good there.

How do you prioritize and tackle such a diverse range of issues from transportation and public safety to education?

We have an excellent infrastructure and transportation system here, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup is a great opportunity for Atlanta to be on the world stage once again. I am confident that we are going to do a great job as a region, especially since we host major sporting events all the time. We are fortunate that there are frequent events happening here, and so we have a long track record of successful execution of major sporting events. We just had a very successful college football playoff. All of these events involve groups working together, like the airport and our sports council, which helps to recruit those major sporting events. The sports council that sits at the Metro Atlanta Chamber has a major role in recruiting those events. Between the sports council, the airport, MARTA, city officials, and so many other individuals whose responsibility and goal is to make these events a success, we already have that framework built out. We feel pretty good about the ability to execute a successful World Cup experience in 2026.

With a strong focus on networking and business exposure, can you share how these initiatives have tangibly benefited Metro Atlanta Chamber members?

All of the economic development success we see in the region — and even more broadly across the state — is because of the strong partnerships that we have. When we are working to recruit a company to the region, we generally put together a team as our first step. We put together all of the people who need to be in the room and make sure everyone is up to date on things. When we put together a panel for a company that might be coming into town and wants to talk about hiring needs or the different types of particular industry needs, we generally know all the people who are going to be on the panel because we have worked together before. We have economic development contacts at each of the universities, the technical college system, and the government throughout the state, county, and city levels. It is a great network of people who are really working together to make sure that the region is successful in its recruitment efforts. Partnership is key to that.

What are some of the biggest challenges for businesses and residents given recent economic changes?

There are opportunities in areas like housing. The metro regions across the country are all talking about housing and the role it plays in our growth. At the end of the day, the Metro Atlanta region is very strong in that capacity compared to many regions. I do think about how economic development impacts housing, so it is a very relevant topic that presents ample opportunities.

What are the top priorities and goals for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce over the next two to three years?

We want to continue to be the strongest economic development organization and regional recruitment partner. In terms of challenges, the first things that come to mind are not unique to the region. I am thinking about our major sporting events and how to best utilize those as opportunities for economic development success and building a reputation as we are on the world stage.

We have seen a lot of industrial investment over the last five years coming out of COVID, so I expect that the next wave of investment will likely be office projects.

We are seeing a lot of activity in that space right now. We are well-positioned to recruit companies over the next few years.