Georgianomics: Recharge your batteries

I can’t be the only one tired of sweating through suits during Atlanta’s sweltering summers.

The temperature hasn’t dropped yet (please, I’m begging you!), but at least college football is back and the first signs of fall are here. It’ll be vest season in the office soon enough!

I’m Zachary Hansen, an AJC business reporter who is curating this week’s newsletter — and trying to manifest an early fall. 🍂

Highlights include:

🪏 Something buried at the airport

🏆 Broken records

🚦 A thing that unites all commuters

Let’s get to it.

1: Staying positive 🔋

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

There’s a reason Georgia is considered part of the “battery belt.”

The Southeast emerged as one of the country’s epicenters for manufacturing electric vehicle batteries and other energy storage devices after President Joe Biden’s signature climate law passed in 2022. The law created unprecedented federal incentives for EVs and green energy technologies.

Since then, the battery business has been through a lot.

The second Trump administration rolled back many incentives, alleging they were unfair, while boosting fossil fuels. The moves sapped the EV and battery industries of some of their juice. Some Georgia projects were abandoned.

But some of that energy is starting to return, highlighted by two recent Georgia projects.

In Covington, a battery recycling facility was acquired by a new operator, R3 Lithium, after its original one, Ascend Elements, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Once they revamp the factory, the new owners say they plan to turn battery scrap into a domestic supply of a key material used in lithium-ion batteries.

And last month, battery material manufacturer and recycler Princeton NuEnergy announced it received a $50 million federal grant for a new facility in Commerce. It’s part of a $500 million batch of funding the Department of Energy awarded to seven projects focused on battery production and critical mineral supply chains.

Does it signal a shift in the Trump administration’s attitude toward certain clean technologies? Maybe, though the federal government has taken large steps to support only batteries — wind and solar power haven’t gotten the same treatment.

More likely, it fits Trump’s aim to boost domestic supplies of rare earth minerals, where China currently commands much of the market. Still, the surge in activity signals the demand for batteries has not waned.

Not signed up yet? Why wait? Get Georgianomics in your inbox each Wednesday. And keep scrolling for more news.

2: Time flies ⏳

Atlanta airport officials gathered atop a hill on the airfield Tuesday to bury a time capsule marking the 100th anniversary of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

And Thursday, officials will cap off their more than yearlong centennial celebration with a ceremony in the domestic terminal atrium. 🛫

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

The backstory: In 1925, then-Mayor Walter Sims signed the first lease for the airport property. The Atlanta airport went online just in time for the first airmail plane to land from Miami in the fall of 1926.

What’s in store for the next century of the Atlanta airport? 🔮

We’ve reported on all that and more. The TL; DR: The airport plans decades out. But new technology could revolutionize travel and change the way people move through airports.

3: Meet Zach Hansen

Let’s get to know this week’s writer of Georgianomics, Zach Hansen.

Howdy, everyone! I’ve been with the AJC since 2018 and have been covering economic development and commercial real estate since July 2022. It means I cover just about anything you see being built around Georgia, which is a lot.

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Fun fact: I played drums at churches and small venues while growing up. I sold the drum set after college, but I still keep a cajón in my closet … just in case. 🥁

Next week’s author is Savannah Sicurella.

4: Record recruitment 💵

If it felt like the past year featured a lot of big project announcements in Georgia, you’d be right. And it’s backed up by data.

The Georgia Department of Economic Development announced it recruited $35.2 billion in project investments from July 2025 through June, setting a record.

Some other figures:

It included 436 expansions and new company locations 🏭
75% of those were outside Atlanta’s 10-county core 🚜
In total, they combine to add 25,300 promised jobs 💼

What top officials are saying:

GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson: “These investments create jobs, strengthen local tax bases, and give communities greater resources to build an even stronger future for their residents.”

🔍 The latest state jobs announcement: Walmart announces $1.3B fulfillment center with 1,000 jobs in North Georgia.

5: No waffling here 🧇

Waffle House is firmly engrained in Southern Culture, but it’s not a company that talks much to the media.

But the Norcross-based company is speaking out about its efforts to improve pay and workplace conditions at its more than 2,000 restaurants across 25 states as it faces a unionization effort.

With 47,000 employees, mostly hourly workers, Waffle House has become a flash point in a broader labor debate in the South where union participation is historically low.

The company is pushing back, touting investments of some $200 million to boost employee compensation and benefits.

🔍 Read Amy Wenk’s exclusive story here.

6: Trading up

When Desiree White was a nurse looking for ways to make money and spend more time with her kids, she turned to a side hustle: buying and reselling used cars. 🚘

Eventually, she learned how to fix up vehicles to improve her profits when selling. 🔧

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Now, the self-taught mechanic is on TikTok as SheMechanic with more than 150,000 followers, owns Crown’s Corner Mechanics in Conyers and has created a nonprofit to encourage more young people to explore careers in the trades.

🔍 In this week’s AJC Her+Story profile, White shares how she went from YouTube tutorials to where she is today and what she’s learned about the value of social media for her business.

7: More top stories

🏟️ A big renovation: Gas South Arena in Duluth begins $175 million of redevelopment, ranging from a new roof to refurbishing every seat.

✈️ Landing a new client: BJay Pak, the former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, joins Delta Air Lines as its general counsel.

🏗️ Data development: T5 Data Centers spins off its construction arm into its own entity, called EverOn, which planted roots in Atlanta. It comes as the region sets records for building data centers.

🎬 Southern soap: Netflix reportedly weighs relocating the filming of “The Hunting Wives” to Georgia from North Carolina if the streaming service greenlights a third season.

🏢 A redo no go: Georgia-Pacific nixes a plan to convert part of its Atlanta skyscraper into apartments and other uses, citing market headwinds and high construction costs.

8: Moving on and up 🪜

Ministry Brands, the newly Georgia-based software company for churches and nonprofits, has two new executives: Brett Bowman is joining as the company’s CFO, and Christopher Wassenaar is the new general counsel.

Neil Stevens, president and CEO of Oconee State Bank, was selected as vice chair of the American Bankers Association’s Community Bankers Council.

The Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta has a new general manager, Pierre Kermanac’h.

9: A number we all feel 🚗

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Stat of the week: 75

That’s the number of hours each year the average Atlanta driver loses to traffic congestion, according to car-buying service Wheels Away.

Atlanta topped the company’s 32-city study and is significantly more than the 49-hour average.

Atlanta consistently ranks among the country’s most congested, a prize no one wants to see.

Thanks for reading to the bottom. Help us shape future editions of Georgianomics. Got a tip or an idea worthy of coverage or a key new hire you want to tout? Email us at businessnews@ajc.com.

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