First Quarter 2015 GIBI Report Shows Increase

The Georgia International Business Index (GIBI) Report is underwritten by the Manufacturing and Distribution Group of Smith and Howard, a top Atlanta accounting firm, and is produced quarterly by the Econometric Center at Kennesaw State University.
   
The GIBI increased 14.8 points, from 47.7 for fourth quarter 2014 to 62.5 for first quarter 2015 based on increases in all underlying variables.  

Highlights of the first quarter GIBI include:  

• New orders were up 10.5 points, to 65.0 
• Production was up 19.1 points, to 60.0
• Employment was up 9.5 points, to 55.0
• Capital Spending increased 20.0 points, to 70.0

Georgia International Business Index provides a snapshot of foreign manufacturing business activity in Georgia. Data on new orders, production employment and capital spending are collected and tallied into a diffusion index compiled from responses to the question: did your company experience an increase, decrease or no change during the past quarter? A GIBI reading above 50 indicates that more respondents are reporting increases than decreases.

40% of foreign-funded manufacturers reported that their exports this quarter represented less than 5% of their total sales. 50% of foreign funded manufacturers reported that their imports this quarter represented between 5% and 50% of their total purchases.