U.S. Secretary of Commerce Visits Atlanta, Midtown

As part of a nationwide listening tour to see how the public and private sectors can work together to strengthen the economy and create jobs, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker visited Atlanta and Midtown on Friday.

In a statement prior to the visit, Pritzker said her goal is to "serve as a bridge to the business community — both domestically and abroad — so that we can work together to strengthen the economy and create jobs and opportunities for all Americans."

Invest Atlanta hosted Pritzker at its offices for a roundtable discussion on business development.

“We were honored to host Secretary Pritzker at our offices during her visit to Atlanta,” said Invest Atlanta CEO and President Brian P. McGowan in a statement. “We talked to the Secretary about how Atlanta’s economy is resurging and suggested ways the federal government can help our businesses expand and create new jobs.   

“With her extensive private sector experience, she clearly understands what it takes to help businesses succeed and wants to partner in finding creative ways to stimulate Atlanta’s economy.”

Pritzker met with Atlanta business leaders to discuss where they are seeing growth, as well as opportunities and challenges they see in their industries during the next few years.

“Secretary Pritzker talked about how the Department of Commerce can help our companies be more competitive by supporting manufacturing, investing in research and development and empowering exporters to reach new markets,” said McGowan.

The secretary also visited Midtown’s Global Center for Medical Innovation (GCMI), an independent, non-profit organization that works with universities, research centers, clinicians, device companies, investors, and others to help accelerate the commercialization of new medical technology.

GCMI houses facilities that local entrepreneurs can use to design, engineer and build their products, and provides access to a growing network of experts that can help bring ideas to market. In 2010, GCMI was one of six winners of the Department of Commerce’s i6 Challenge, a grant competition designed to support the nation’s best ideas for technology commercialization and entrepreneurship, create jobs, and support economic growth.

As part of her ongoing efforts to connect with Commerce employees around the country, Pritzker was also to visit the U.S. Census Bureau’s Atlanta Regional Office, where she would tour the facilities and meet with employees.

The Senate confirmed Pritzker as Commerce Secretary in June and she’s spending the first few months of her term setting priorities and learning how the federal government can effectively partner with firms to grow in the United States and abroad. She has also made stops in Albany, New York, Hartford, Conn., Nashville, Tenn., Des Moines, Iowa, and Orlando, Florida.