2025 GAM Year In Review: A look at some of the highlights
Click here to download the PDF version of GAM's 2025 Year in Review
Collectively, GAM staff and association members covered a lot of ground over 12 months. Here’s are some of ways we kept Georgia manufacturing visible, vocal and vital.
GAM Member Events
Hosted over 50 events — in person and virtually— connecting manufacturers across the state and beyond. From conferences and legislative programs to roundtables and plant tours, member engagement has been at an all-time high!
By the numbers:
- 10% YOY increase in Signature Event attendance since 2024
- Legislative dinners drew 216 total attendees to 4 events: 60 elected officials, 156 members & spouses
- Post-event surveys continue to reflect strong engagement and value – overall satisfaction consistently remains above 95% across all Signature events
- In total, we had 1,875 event registrations in our event management system.
Celebrated GAM’s 125-year anniversary with GAM Day at the Georgia Capitol. 75 GAM member and guests received a proclamation from Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and congratulations from House Speaker Jon Burns and Senator Steve Gooch.
Launched our inaugural Manufacturers’ Playoffs to bring much-needed recognition to the incredible array of products made by GAM member companies. After five rounds of competition, our 30 entrants received more than 63,000 total votes. Competition was tough but PureColor High-Def Carpet from Engineered Floors LLC emerged as the 2025 Champion!
Join the 2026 Manufacturers' Playoffs
Advocacy
Monitored and participated in 10 off-season study committee meetings that address issues critical to manufacturers — from state income tax to ongoing review of Georgia energy and water resources.
Conducted GAM’s first ever “DC Fly-In” visit with members of Georgia’s congressional delegation and other key political figures in Washington, DC.
20 GAM members participated and accomplished the following:
- Visited 10 Congressional members
- Met with Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler, John Eunice with Environmental Protection Agency, Josh Campbell with Department of Energy
- Networked with National Association of Manufacturers and Congressmen
Added a new first Operational Excellence conference to our Signature Events lineup in 2025. After a first-class, information-rich experience — including a facility tour of Roper Corporation — attendees considered it a winner and we’re adding it to the permanent rotation.
Click here to watch a video of our tour of Roper Corporation's Lafayette, Georgia production plant during the 2025 Operational Excellence Conference. The 2026 Operational Excellence Conference is happening June 22-25 in Hilton Head, SC.
Continued to represent GAM on Georgia EPD’s Title V Advisory Group, advising on EPD proposals to increase fees and per-ton emission rates. GAM has worked with other industry groups to draft legislation to be introduced in 2026 with the goal of ensuring more financial participation from mobile sources to fund the Title V program.
Continued to monitor PFAS legal and regulatory developments, including high profile efforts to solicit litigation against members in certain areas of the state. During the 2025 Session of the General Assembly, GAM supported legislation that would provide some relief from liability for manufacturers with regard to prior PFAS usage, and helped defeat or stall several environmental bills that would have been detrimental for manufacturers.
Achieved outstanding results during the 2025 Session, including passage of Senate Bills 68 and 69, the first comprehensive tort reform package in nearly 20 years. The Council and GAM members worked tirelessly to support this legislation, organizing a highly successful press “gaggle” to support the Governor’s tort reform package, coordinating with other business groups, directly communicating with legislators and the Governor’s office, and navigating the legislative process to a successful conclusion.
Successfully advocated for passage of other key bills: including eliminating the sunset on increased truck weight allowances; lowering the state’s personal and corporate income tax rate; enhancing the state’s dual enrollment program; and others.
Filed comments with the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts (DOAA), advocating for GAM positions on a variety of tax credits and exemptions and their value to industry.
Developed and strengthened relationships with members of both political parties. Actively supported pro-manufacturing candidates in the 2025 Public Service Commission election and upcoming 2026 races.
Developed our first Insights Report — over 100 pages documenting Georgia’s evolution as a manufacturing powerhouse past, present and future; and blueprints GAM’s go-forward advocacy agenda.
Advocacy: Reviewed and updated GAM’s Policy Framework that defines the issues of interest and positions taken by the Association
Energy
Helped GAM members achieve approximately $230 million in energy cost avoidance and savings from 2023-2025.
Worked with GAM member companies to successfully oppose a proposal in Augusta-Richmond County that would have imposed excise taxes on energy used in manufacturing. A delegation of GMA staff and members attended the November council meeting where GAM’s Clay Jones addressed the commission.
Achieved a proposed settlement in the 2025 Georgia Power Integrated Resource Plan (“IRP”) with Georgia Power and the Georgia PSC Staff. The settlement was approved by the Commission and reflected GAM’s perspective in numerous ways, including:
- maintaining an “all of the above” approach to generation resource acquisition
- extending the operation dates and uprating the output of several baseload resources
- reducing Georgia Power’s “additional sum” request
- rejecting the adoption of any utility-run demand-side management programs that would increase rates and intraclass cross-subsidies
- improvements to Georgia Power’s CARES renewable energy offerings.
- In addition, as a condition of GAM joining the settlement, GAM and Georgia Power agreed to future productive discussions on tariff and rate issues of importance to manufacturers.
Achieved a proposed settlement of the 2025 Georgia Power Base Rate Case before the case was even filed. This settlement, agreed to by Georgia Power, PSC Staff, GAM and other parties and approved by the Commission, freezes base rates for 3 years with the exception of excess storm damages costs (to be addressed separately in 2026). Avoiding a rate case provided significant benefits to GAM members by eliminating risks to current rate design and tariff benefits that would have been subject to attacks from other intervenors.
Successfully supported the adoption of new PSC regulations that ensure that very large data centers (100 MW or greater) meet stringent requirements and pay the costs of initial investment up front. The rules will help ensure that the costs of serving data centers will not be spread to other customers. GAM’s analysis in the 2023 IRP Update case showed that the recent increase in data center construction is likely putting downward pressure on Georgia Power rates.
Intervened in Georgia Power’s “All Source RFP” case at the Commission, whereby Georgia Power proposes to contract for and build more than 9,000 MW of resources to address increasing electricity demand.
Expanded advocacy efforts at the state and federal level to support more energy infrastructure to meet the growing needs of our nation and manufacturers.
Successfully conducted GAM’s first-ever, invitation-only Energy Summit in August 2025, co-sponsored by Gas South and Georgia Power. With over 50 attendees participating in an extensive and engaged discussion on energy issues, the feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive.
Manufacturing Workforce
Introduced a revolutionary new platform, Manufacturing Georgia, that directly connects manufacturers, job seekers, and educators to fill workforce pipeline. We currently have over 2000 users and 70 companies represented, and the numbers are growing every week.
Received three-year grant funding commitment from the Arthur Blank Family Foundation to provide training for young people interested in manufacturing.
Supported the creation of the Maker Mojo game, which engages young people interested in manufacturing. During the game, players learn terminology and manufacturing basics, while being directed to the Manufacturing Georgia profiles of companies and technical colleges in their area.
New Members
Welcomed the following members into the GAM community: 3M, Artisan Custom Closets, Clearwater Paper, Crown USA, Curbs Plus, Inc., K. Machine, Metcam, PAI Manufacturing, Primero Games, Siemens, SPG International, The Timberman, The Dixie Group