Polk County, located in rural Northwest Georgia, has a cost of living 12% below the U.S. average and has been a preferred location for manufacturers for more than a century. While the products have changed, the industry friendly attitude, innovative workforce development programs, and dedicated workforce continue to contribute to the success of the county’s diverse manufacturing base that includes Advanced Manufacturing, Automotive, Aerospace Products & Parts, Metal Fabrication, and Contact Centers/Back Office. Polk County’s Cedartown and Rockmart industrial parks have direct access to dual Class I rail lines, Norfolk Southern and CSX . Norfolk Southern’s Whitaker Intermodal Rail Terminal in Austell, a federally designated General Purpose Foreign Trade Zone, provides easy inexpensive access to ports in Savannah, Brunswick, Charleston, and Guntersville, Alabama. Polk County has access to 226,650 workers in the seven-county labor draw area, has a 4.2% unemployment rate, and a growing bilingual population. Additionally, about 11,000 residents commute to jobs outside of Polk County. Polk College & Career Academy partners with Georgia Northwestern Technical College and Georgia Highlands College to address the needs of industry by creating a skilled workforce with the advanced academic knowledge, 21st century technical skills, and desired work ethic.