Google continues to be a business behemoth for Georgians as small and large companies take advantage of the search engine’s various tools to reach customers and turn a profit. Last year, Google’s vast network of services helped more than 44,000 advertisers, publishers and nonprofits in Georgia to drum up $5.65 billion in economic activity last year.

The findings come from Google’s 2017 economic impact report, which was recently released. The report highlights many of the successful ways businesses across the United States have been able to use Google. Just with the company’s search and advertising tools alone, Google provided $283 billion in economic activity to 1.5 million businesses, nonprofits and website publishers across the United States.

In Georgia, businesses and nonprofits capitalized on $14.5 million in free advertising through the Google Ad Grants program in 2017. More than 44,000 state businesses, website publishers and nonprofits also took advantage of Google’s advertising tools, AdWords and AdSense last year.

Google also continues to be a Georgia employer, with offices in Atlanta and Austell, and a data center in Douglas County. Speaking of Douglas, that’s where Carousel Designs is located. The Douglasville baby-bedding company uses Google’s services to reach customers online.

The company, which began in 1988 as a four-person cut-and-sew operation is now a modern, direct-to-consumer business that now offers over 100 bedding collections to customers across the United States and Canada.

Today they have around 70 employees, most of them Douglas natives. “It’s something we’re very proud of,” co-owner Allan Sicat says in the report “not only being made in the USA, but also being able to create these opportunities right here in Douglasville.”

“The secret to our success is innovation,” co-owner Leah Sicat, Allan’s wife, was quoted as saying. “Don’t stay the same, keep innovating, and give customers what they want. When you do all those things and experience growth, then you’ll be able to create jobs and give back to the communities that are important to you.”

Atlanta has been chosen as one of three cities where the nation’s first house call veterinary franchise will launch. MVS Pet Care, which has a network of house call veterinarians, announced the changes recently as part of a major expansion in the Northeast and Southeast.

MVS (Mobile Veterinary Services) says Atlanta, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are the latest cities added to the network just three months after the service’s debut.