Gov. Nathan Deal announced yesterday (July 31, 2017) the launch of the Georgia Defense Exchange (GDX), an interactive business development platform designed to assist Georgia businesses in finding new opportunities in Department of Defense (DoD) contracting.

“From the Bell Bomber Plant during WWII to the NSA and U.S. Army Cyber Command in Augusta today, Georgia enterprises enjoy a storied history of fulfilling contracts for national defense,” said Deal. “Last year alone, defense contracts executed in Georgia were valued at $6.4 billion. These contracts provide significant opportunities for Georgia businesses and drive new development in local communities across the state. The GDX platform will allow us to equip companies with the tools they need to be competitive in acquiring DoD contracts while ensuring that this long-standing tradition continues in Georgia.”

GDX offers Georgia’s defense contracting community a one-stop data research and collaboration platform. The platform was designed to support and engage businesses across a wide variety of industry sectors with its rich data visualizations, interactive dashboards, real-time DOD data and business-to-business communication tools. GDX will open new opportunities for both traditionally defense-related businesses and service-oriented companies with no experience in defense contracting.

Lockheed Martin, Meggitt, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman account for some of the largest defense contracts in Georgia. Additionally, more than $3 billion of Georgia’s defense contracts are related to services for facility maintenance, science and engineering, equipment and construction.

“We pride ourselves on maintaining the best business environment in the nation, and providing top-notch resources for our citizens,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Commissioner Pat Wilson. “GDX levels the playing field, giving small businesses in Georgia the chance to know about and respond to the many defense contracting opportunities that are available. I am confident that all Georgia companies will benefit tremendously from GDX, and that our state will increase its competitive advantage in this sector.”

To develop GDX, GDEcD collaborated with The Simple VUE, a full-service information technology and data analytics consulting firm headquartered in Atlanta, and the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center.

About GDX

The Georgia Defense Exchange (GDX) is a product of GDEcD’s GUARD Initiative, partially funded through a grant from the DoD Office of Economic Adjustment and supported by the Center of Innovation for Aerospace and the Workforce Division. The GUARD Initiative focuses on Georgia’s defense industry and helps stakeholders understand defense industry trends and diversify their customer base. The free resource is available here.