Metro Atlanta Chamber

by

Business History Resource

Metro Atlanta Chamber

For over 160 years, the Chamber has been the voice of Atlanta’s business community, working to improve and drive the reputation of metro Atlanta as a region equipped to be a global competitor.

Read the Business History Initiative profile on the Metro Atlanta Chamber, discussing the Chamber's founding to help Atlanta combat discriminatory railroad practices, its promotion of the New South on an international stage through the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition, and its role in supporting the city in efforts towards peaceful racial integration in the 1960s.

Metro Atlanta Chamber Profile and Case Study

Georgia Power

by

Business History Resource

Georgia Power

From its origins as an Atlanta electric company in the 1880s, Georgia Power has grown into the primary provider of electricity for the state of Georgia.

Read the Business History Initiative profile on Georgia Power, which explores the company's beginnings and growth, and examines the construction of a hydroelectric plant at Tallulah Falls to serve Atlanta's energy needs and the role it played in the creation of the Tallulah Gorge State Park.

Georgia Power Profile and Case Study

Georgia-Pacific

by

Business History Resource

Georgia-Pacific

Founded as the Georgia Hardwood Lumber Company by Owen R. Cheatham in 1927, Georgia-Pacific has grown to be one of the world’s leading manufacturers of consumer products, building products, packaging, and pulp, with tens of thousands of employees across the globe, including 7,500 in Georgia.

Read the Business History Initiative profile on Georgia-Pacific, which explores the company's founding, growth, and support of the community and sustainable forestry practices.

Georgia-Pacific Profile and Case Study

Genuine Parts Company

by

Business History Resource

Genuine Parts Company

Founded in 1928 in Atlanta, Genuine Parts Company (GPC) has grown to be a worldwide leader in the distribution of automotive replacement parts, industrial replacement parts and materials, and business products.

Read the Business History Initiative profile and case study on Genuine Parts Company, which explores the company's history, growing from a single auto parts store with six employees to a successful global enterprise. The case study also explores the business concept of diversification.

Genuine Parts Company Profile and Case Study

Colonial Group, Inc.

by

Business History Resource

Colonial Group, Inc.

Colonial Group began in 1921 as the American Oil Company, Savannah’s first independent wholesale petroleum company. Renamed Colonial Oil in 1933, the company built its first independent ocean terminal on the Savannah River in 1934, contributing to the growth and diversification of the Port of Savannah. Having expanded with multiple, diverse subsidiaries over the years, today the family-owned company is one of the Savannah area’s largest employers and one of the largest privately-held corporations in the United States.

Read the Business History Initiative profile and case study on Colonial Group, Inc., which explores the company's founding and growth, its impact on Georgia, and the concept of intermodal transportation.

Colonial Group, Inc. Profile and Case Study

CNN

by

Business History Resource

CNN

Ted Turner launched the Cable News Network—CNN—in Atlanta on June 1, 1980, as the world’s first 24-hour all-news network. Headquartered in Atlanta, CNN opened news bureaus around the world. Through its subsidiary channels and the competitors it inspired, CNN extended its reach globally, revolutionizing the broadcast industry and the way people receive news and information.

Read the Business History Initiative profile and case study on CNN, which explores how the Georgia-based company has revolutionized the news industry.

CNN Profile and Case Study

Chick-fil-A

by

Business History Resource

Chick-fil-A

With over 2,100 restaurants in 46 states and the District of Columbia, Chick-fil-A has grown to become one of the largest privately-held and family-owned restaurant chains in the U.S. The first Chick-fil-A restaurant opened in Atlanta’s Greenbrier Mall in 1967, but Chick-fil-A’s story begin 21 years earlier when founder S. Truett Cathy and his brother Ben opened the Dwarf Grill (later renamed the Dwarf House) in Hapeville.

Read the Business History Initiative profile and case study on Chick-fil-A, which explores the company's beginnings, its founder and the invention of its famous chicken sandwich, and its unique franchise program.

Chick-fil-A Profile and Case Study

Delta Air Lines

by

Business History Resource

Delta Air Lines

In 1924, Delta Air Lines began as a crop-dusting company in the Mississippi River delta and has since grown into one of Georgia’s most iconic corporate residents. Delta’s story exemplifies how, with vision, innovation, and strategic investment, a business can soar.

Read the Business History Initiative profile and case study on Delta Air Lines, which discusses the company's beginnings, the establishment of the comany's headquarters in Atlanta, and the impact of the U.S. Post Office and airmail on commercial aviation.

Delta Air Lines Profile and Case Study