Columbus, GA: A Premier Destination for Companies

Find out what this thriving city nestled along the Georgia and Alabama line has to offer.

By Bill Lewis on January 23, 2024

Courtesy of W.C. Bradley

Success in business begins with effectively recruiting talented employees. For some of Georgia’s best-known businesses, having their headquarters in Columbus gives them a competitive advantage.

The city’s superior quality of life attracts qualified candidates looking for the right place to build their careers. Once they arrive, they choose Columbus as the place where they want to build their future. That’s true for the people working at companies such as Synovus, W.C. Bradley Co., Aflac and TSYS/Global Payments.

Courtesy of Synovus

135 Years and Counting

“Synovus has called Columbus, Georgia, our home for more than 135 years,” says Heath Schondelmayer, division CEO of Synovus Bank. “Even as we have expanded across the Southeast, we’ve maintained our corporate presence in this market. Our team members who work here love the lifestyle, positive energy and momentum. We’re excited about our move to the new Riverfront Place workspace in mid-2024, as it will consolidate all our non-branch Columbus-based team members into one location. The future is bright for Synovus and Columbus.” 

Synovus is consolidating operations at a new seven-story office building at Riverfront Place, part of a mixed-use complex in the heart of the city developed by W.C. Bradley Real Estate.

The four-phase development includes The Rapids luxury apartments; the currently open Hotel Indigo; and The Currents, a mixed-use development with luxury apartments, street retail and grocery stores, and the new Synovus corporate headquarters in Columbus. 

Courtesy of W.C. Bradley

Community Connections 

Riverfront Place is the largest investment to date by W.C. Bradley Real Estate, which has been instrumental in the revitalization of downtown Columbus. 

“Columbus has been our hometown since 1885. The company, its shareholders, and team members cherish our strong connection with the community and continuously strive to make a positive, meaningful impact,” says President and Chief Operating Officer Pace Halter. 

As the second-largest city in Georgia, Columbus has all the benefits of a big city with venues like Riverfront Place, the RiverCenter and the soon-to-be-renovated Columbus Museum, which is located on the former home of the company’s founder, W.C. Bradley.

“Columbus still has the feel of a small town because of the slower pace, and we’ve maintained the charm of a historic Southern town. We are proud to call Columbus our home,” Halter says.

Of W.C. Bradley’s nearly 1,000 team members worldwide, 250 live in the Columbus metropolitan area and another 40 throughout Georgia.

“When prospective employees consider making Columbus their home, they find many factors that make the move an easy choice. We have many large-city amenities without the challenges that many larger cities deal with, such as traffic and cost of living. Columbus’ thriving arts community; recreational and shopping options; educational opportunities; residential communities that are designed to satisfy the tastes of a growing and diverse population; and the outstanding cost of living are just a few factors that make Columbus an attractive destination for relocation, living and raising a family,” Halter says.

Aflac

Talent Magnet 

TSYS/Global Payments, the largest third-party payment processor for issuing banks in North America, was founded in Columbus in 1983. The company works with Columbus State University at its TSYS Center for Cybersecurity to ensure the region is stocked with cybersecurity professionals.

Aflac, the largest provider of supplemental insurance in the U.S., was founded in 1955 in Columbus. Today, the company has about 4,000 employees at its headquarters in Columbus.

“Columbus continues to be a great place to start a company whether large or small,” says Catherine Lee, Aflac market director, Georgia-South/Florida-North. Aflac is always on the lookout for talent, and being in Columbus is a definite plus, she says. 

“Not originally being from Columbus, I was a little nervous moving here. On paper, Columbus is one of the largest cities in Georgia but very much has a hometown feel. Columbus has a lot of locally owned businesses, great restaurants, things to do and an incredible community. The local university and military base bring in many people to our community and have allowed us to not just recruit Columbus natives, but people from everywhere,” Lee says. 

The Food Mill

New Incubator Kitchen Program

The Food Mill, a nonprofit with a history of helping Columbus residents address food insecurity, is expanding its reach in a big way, thanks to a new partnership with fellow nonprofit Open Door Community House. Together, they’re working to build an incubator kitchen program. The shared kitchen will both promote entrepreneurship and provide education to members of the community.

Having access to a shared kitchen is a critical component for foodie entrepreneurs, as it can be difficult to find an affordable space to work that is state certified and meets health department guidelines. 

The Food Mill has worked with the City of Columbus and its Parks and Recreation division for more than two years to establish the first shared kitchen in the community at the Fox Community Center, says Olivia Amos, executive director of The Food Mill. 

“Open Door will operate its culinary incubator program in the space, providing the business and marketing knowledge needed to run a successful food-based business,” she says.

Participants will be able to use the kitchen on a scholarship basis for 90 days once they’ve finished the program at Open Door, and then will move to a sliding fee scale. 

Another core component of the shared kitchen is education. The Food Mill offers cooking classes at no charge for children, adults and families. It also works with Open Hand Atlanta to offer its course, Cooking Matters, which teaches people about nutrition and how to shop and make healthy choices on a budget. 

“The goal of The Food Mill is to nourish Columbus and show our community that food is love, food is hope and food is medicine,” Amos says. “We want the community to feel that this is a space for them to learn and grow and understand how fresh food is nourishing to your body and mind, and can also have a positive impact on someone’s financial well-being and the economy.” 

– Writer Kelly Rogers contributed to this article.