According to a study of Georgia’s manufacturing climate, the state’s manufacturing companies are optimistic about the economic recovery and are planning more hiring and expansion in the next three years. However, the same survey revealed that 20 percent of Georgia’s manufacturers have lost sales in excess of $1 million to offshore competitors in the past five years.

The September 2003 survey, conducted by Atlanta accounting and advisory firm Habif, Arogeti, and Wynne, in cooperation with Georgia State University, the McCart Group and the Georgia Industry Association, concluded that companies that are more fully exposed to international markets earn significantly higher profits than companies without such connections.

Sixty-two percent of Georgia’s most profitable manufacturers reported losing sales to offshore competitors in the last five years. The study also found that manufacturers that sell more products outside the United States experience higher profit rates.

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