Gov. Nathan Deal said Thursday the state is very close to a landing a deal that could bring what he described as Georgia's largest business project since automaker Kia opened a massive plant in West Point.

Deal said state officials are in the final stages of negotiating, but he declined to offer more specifics.

Deal made the comments during a meeting of Georgia newspaper publishers and executives.

He said Georgia's open records law could jeopardize such projects because he believes it puts the state at a disadvantage.

He said other states keep more details of economic development negotiations under wraps, giving them an edge as they compete with Georgia for new businesses. Those details include incentives offered to companies, such as tax breaks.

Tags: economic development, KIA, Georgia economic development