Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Travels to Italy for His 8th Overseas Trip

ATLANTA, Ga. — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is traveling to Italy for his eighth foreign trip as governor.

The Republican is leaving for a six-day trip to the European nation this weekend, a delegation that will include Kemp’s wife, Marty Kemp.

The governor says he will visit nine companies that currently do business in Georgia or are building facilities in the state.

Then-Governor Nathan Deal led a trip to Italy in 2017.

“Georgia has had close economic and cultural ties to Italy for decades,” Kemp said. “Marty and I look forward to building on that foundation of success during this trip and bringing our message of the Georgia Way to employers looking to locate or potentially expand their operations in the No. 1 state for business.”

Among the companies Kemp will meet with are eyewear giant Luxottica, which has a 2,500-job distribution center in Henry County. Kemp will also meet with tire maker Pirelli, which has its U.S. headquarters and a tire plant in Rome, Georgia, that employs more than 200 people.

Kemp also will meet TMC Transformers, which makes electrical transformers in Waynesboro; carpet fiber maker Aquafil, which has a plant in Cartersville; cooling systems maker Epta, which has a plant in Columbus; adhesive maker MAPEI, which has facilities in Dalton and Calhoun; printed circuit board maker Elemaster, which has a plant in Duluth; gun maker Beretta, which is building a $60 million ammunition plant near Savannah; and tomato sauce maker La Regina di San Marzano, which has a plant in Alma to make meat-based sauces.

Most companies are based in or near the northern city of Milan, Italy’s business capital.

The cost of the trip to taxpayers is not immediately known.

Kemp has been to South Korea twice, once in 2019 and once earlier this summer. Kemp went to Germany in 2020, visited Israel in May 2023, and France and the state of Georgia in June 2023. He also attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2023 and 2024.