DALLAS, Ga. — Paulding County has been designated a BioReady® Silver Community by the nonprofit industry group Georgia Life Sciences, a recognition highlighting the county’s preparedness to attract and support companies in the rapidly growing life sciences sector.
The designation was announced Jan. 20, 2026, by Georgia Life Sciences, the state’s largest life sciences membership organization. The program recognizes communities that demonstrate strong zoning policies, infrastructure capacity and planning that can support biotechnology, medical device and advanced manufacturing facilities.
Recognition for economic readiness
The BioReady program evaluates cities and counties based on their ability to support life sciences companies through factors such as infrastructure availability, workforce readiness and local policies that allow biotech laboratories and manufacturing operations.
Communities are rated on a three-tier scale — Bronze, Silver and Gold — depending on how prepared they are to host research, development or manufacturing facilities tied to the life sciences industry.
Paulding County’s Silver designation indicates the community has met key benchmarks including supportive zoning practices, scalable infrastructure and development policies designed to accommodate bioscience and advanced manufacturing projects.
Why the designation matters
Officials with Georgia Life Sciences say the BioReady program helps communities compete for investment from companies working in biotechnology, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals and other life sciences fields.
“Paulding County’s proactive planning, growing workforce, and access to regional healthcare and transportation infrastructure position it well to support life sciences manufacturing and commercialization,” Georgia Life Sciences President and CEO Maria Thacker-Goethe said in a statement announcing the designation.
The county’s location in metro Atlanta’s northwest corridor also offers access to a large labor pool, major transportation routes and regional health systems — factors that economic development leaders say are attractive to companies looking to expand.
Local economic impact
Local economic development leaders say the designation strengthens Paulding County’s position as a potential destination for high-tech manufacturing and research facilities.
Alex Almodóvar, president and CEO of Paulding County Economic Development and the Industrial Building Authority, said the recognition reinforces the county’s efforts to attract bioscience investment and high-quality jobs.
“This designation validates Paulding County’s readiness to support bioscience investment and strengthens our position as a growing hub for advanced industries,” Almodóvar said.
Industry leaders say life sciences facilities often bring well-paying jobs, research opportunities and supply-chain growth that can benefit surrounding communities.
Looking ahead
As Georgia continues to expand its life sciences economy — a sector that includes pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical technology — programs like BioReady are designed to help communities identify sites suitable for future industry development.
For Paulding County, officials say the designation reflects years of planning and collaboration between local government, economic development organizations and regional partners.
The recognition signals that the fast-growing county west of Atlanta is positioning itself to compete for the next generation of bioscience and advanced manufacturing investment in Georgia.
