Economic Development

Why Choose Us

Tourism

Designated a Camera Ready Community by the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Irwin County has a rich cultural heritage. Home to the annual Sweet Potato Festival, Ocilla is a welcoming and relaxing small town. Visit Downtown Ocilla for great shopping and dining options or go outside of the city for farm tours or hunting plantations. Also nearby for the history buff is Jefferson Davis Historic Site. The city has a wide selection of local attractions, from a nine-hole golf course to a family park located in the center of town.

Location

Ocilla is strategically located at the intersection of U.S. Highways 129 and 319. I-75 is within 30 minutes and both Hartsfield-Jackson Airport and Jacksonville International Airport are within 2.5 hours. The Savannah port is a drive of less than three hours, a drive to Brunswick is just over two hours and Jacksonville, Florida is within two hours and 40 minutes.

Workforce & Training

Irwin County’s Workforce of 3,444 employees is supplemented by a workforce of over 108,000 in the seven counties surrounding Irwin County. Irwin County’s school system boasts a graduation rate of 92% and offers both technical and college-bound curriculum. Georgia’s Quick Start program is the premier workforce training program in the entire United States. Quick Start, administered by the Technical College System of Georgia, provides pre-employment, job-specific training at no cost to the employer.

Top Employers

Refuse Materials 300
Irwin Co BOE 300
Irwin Co Detention Center 250
Irwin Co Hospital 154
Forest River 120
Irwin Co Commission 100
Sunny Dale Training Center 65
Rockport 57
Irwin EMC 54
City of Ocilla 30

Infrastructure

Georgia Power and Irwin EMC both provide electricity to Ocilla/Irwin County. Natural gas is provided by the City of Ocilla at a competitive rate. In addition, an upgraded water and sewer system is fully capable of supporting existing business expansion or new companies relocating to Ocilla.

Agriculture

Irwin County is number 3 in the state in the percentage of land in farms and number 6 in the amount of acreage devoted to cropland. Farming income in Irwin County comes from poultry and eggs, row and forage crops, livestock and aquaculture, forestry and timber products, vegetables, ornamental horticulture, fruits and nuts. Of the top ten commodities grown in Georgia, Irwin County produces 9 of them.