Feb. 11—ALBANY — It seems only fitting that Albany and Dougherty County would benefit directly from the annual Georgia Chamber of Commerce's Georgia Quail Hunt, which draws business prospects to local plantations each year to take part in this region's Sport of Kings (and Queens, we might add).

After all, it's the local Economic Development Commission, Chamber of Commerce and dozens of community volunteers that have hosted the event for the past 33 years.

So with local industries such as Outdoor Network, PowerSports Plus and WebstaurantStore choosing to bring business and jobs to southwest Georgia after taking part in the annual quail hunting/networking event, local leaders say they have even more incentive to plan and put on the shindig that brings business and industry, as well as state and area political, leaders to southwest Georgia for a few days of shootin' schmoozin' and good ole down-home cookin'.

"The Georgia Quail Hunt is always impactful, for Albany, for southwest Georgia and all of Georgia," Albany Area Chamber President/CEO Barbara Rivera Holmes said as Quail Hunt participants were wined and dined after a day of hunting. "We are proud to host such a high-profile event, to show off our community, but when you consider the billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs this event has brought to the state of Georgia, it's easy to understand why it has been a big part of the state's economic success."

Indeed, since 1994 alone, business guests of the Georgia Quail Hunt have invested upwards of $2.5 billion and created more than 10,000 jobs in the state as a result of corporate locations or expansions.

And, both Holmes and Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission President/CEO Jana Dyke note, participation by some of the state's top movers and shakers under the Gold Dome in Atlanta doesn't hurt.

"There are some key people from the state, like (Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner) Pat Wilson, who get a close-up view of what we have to offer business prospects," Dyke said. "They're better able to help us sell our community to prospects."

Some 125 hunters — ("Community leaders, economic developers, project managers, business and industry leaders, and officials with partners like Georgia Power, Mitchell EMC and Electric Cities of Georgia," Dyke noted) — were in Albany to test their hunting skills at some of the world's top quail hunting destinations, an industry that has a $145 million-plus annual impact on the local economy. Among them were Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue and Wilson.

"I grew up in a small town (Jackson), and we did a lot of hunting and fishing there," said Jones, who "did pretty dog-gone good" hunting with his father-in-law, retired dentist Dr. Phillip T. Boswell, on Thursday. "Outdoor events like these are things that are being lost to our younger generations; it's sad that they don't experience them.

"It's great to promote every part of Georgia at events like this, and don't get me wrong, Albany and southwest Georgia take a back seat to no one. I think events like this, and the work of Govs. (Brian) Kemp and (Nathan) Deal, have played a big role in drawing industry to all parts of Georgia outside the metro area."

Wilson, who noted he too utilized lessons from his rural roots in Franklin County to have "a good day in the woods" during Thursday's hunt, said the state takes pride in bringing potential investors to the annual Quail Hunt.

"It's unique, the conversations people have in a hunting wagon or walking the woods on a hunt," Wilson said. "The key to economic development is building relationships, long-term relationships. (Quail hunting in rural areas) is a very unique way of life, and it gives these people who are interested in investing in Georgia an opportunity to experience things that most of them have never experienced.

"It's a big plus, too, that nobody does hospitality like southwest Georgia."

Wilson said each of the three key elements of Georgia's successful run of nine years as Area Development magazine's No. 1 state in the nation in which to do business is as apparent in rural south Georgia as it is the state capital.

"The three vital things I talk about to developers are the consistency of the business climate; logistics — and we have it all: the best port in the world, unmatched connectivity in the air, rail, trucking — and a qualified work force," he said. "We have a diverse economy, top-notch logistics and a well-trained work force across the board."

The Quail Hunt is one of two statewide events sponsored by the Georgia Chamber to entice business and industry leaders to come to the state, the other being a red carpet tour of the Savannah area that coincides with The Masters golf tournament.

"Georgia has established itself as the nation's top state for business, and (the Quail Hunt) allows us the opportunity to showcase Georgia's people and business-friendly environment," 2023 Georgia Quail Hunt Chairman Daryl Ingram, the chief external officer and senior vice president of Electric Cities of Georgia, said. "Economic success, to a large part, is due to collaboration between public and private entities coming together to create opportunities for businesses to thrive, and therefore creating thriving communities along with them. This event is a perfect example of the collaborative atmosphere businesses can expect when they choose to locate or expand in Georgia."

The hunt was sponsored by the Georgia Allies, the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission and Locate South Georgia, along with corporate sponsors Bergara, BPI Outdoors, Glock, Kia Georgia Inc., Molson Coors, PowerSports Plus, Remington Firearms, Taurus Holdings and Trulock Choke Tubes.