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Atlanta’s business leaders do identify recent challenges, among
them plant closings at GM and Ford, financial trouble at Delta,
the recent sales of Georgia Pacific (to Koch Industries) and
Scientific Atlanta (to Cisco Systems), and a cutback in the
military presence at Ft. McPherson. "The job losses from the
changes at GM and Ford make it clear how important it is to
attract new industry," says Holland, who also expresses concern
about the impact of banking mergers and the loss of major
banks headquartered in Atlanta.
 Transportation and traffic are high hurdles listed by
all these leaders. Atlanta’s sprawl has led
to traffic congestion, smog, and increased frustration among
commuters. Byers dreads traffic so much that he schedules
meetings out of the office only at nonpeak travel times. Little
says metro Atlanta will have to find some creative traffic
solutions if it is to stay attractive to business. "There are only
so many roads you can build and only so many cars you can
have," he says.
And then there are the infrastructure challenges. "This
administration is having to deal with things that were left
undone by previous administrations," says Little. "The waste
water work, for instance, is requiring major funding. We have
to address these infrastructure issues if Atlanta is to maintain
an even keel or keep improving."
Undergirding all of those challenges is maintenance of a strong
labor force with support from Atlanta’s universities and
colleges, says Wood, who completed his MBA course work in
the evenings while working full-time at SunTrust and handling a
frequent travel schedule. "We not only need trained people to
run the companies but also to attract new business."
A consensus is growing among the leaders that while business
will continue to drive Atlanta, Atlanta has a responsibility to
support business growth and upward movement. Holland
sums it up: "Business is the engine that powers Atlanta, and
attracting new business, including financial services business, is
of vital importance. I’m aware that we have local issues such
as water, air quality, and traffic, and although they are being
addressed, they are not easy to solve." Like the little engine
that could, Atlanta is now in a slow haul to the top of the hill,
thinking it can.
Survey - Where does Georgia turn for most
of its top executives? 
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