Georgia County Government - March 2009 - (Page 9)

egionally for Quality of Life interviewed for this story on Ware, r n Ware, Ware, Coffee, Atkinson and Bacon counties Atkinson Coffee, At kinson and Bacon counties Bacon ounties exhibits exhibits the dedication that can only h come from long-term, i.e., permanent, association with one’s community and a y personal stake in local success, including success, including ss, ncluding uig sound economic development. development. el elopment. Promoting economic development economic development ono onom n evel ment e opm for the long term is a goal on t he front for the lon h long i goa l n the front a h burner burne here, and Southeast Georgia burner here, and Southeast Georgia r d outhea east e g leaders bring definitive “we’re n t his leaders bring a defi nitive “we’re in this ader ad s bring niti e we’ tive th his hi together” orie tatio toge toget her” orientation t promoting t ir together” orientation to promoting their ri o oting r region. A l are region. All are step region. All are in step with similar ecog t h similar ecomilar cor nomic development r tie nomi development priorities nd pronomic development priorities and a promic i ro active commitment active commitment to diversification ctive ommitmen n diversification e fication ersification ai and grow th. and grow th. n growth. o There appears to be a long local traere appears o be long local traappe ong loc oc cal a dition diti dition in dition in this vein, complemented b n, n, complemented by pl pl mented real i innovation, fact. rea originality d in ova ion, in fact. rea l originality and innovation, in fact. al nn at The Douglas Coffee Count Economic Douglas-Coffee County Economic o glas-Coff nty co Development Authority celebrates 50 Develo ment Auth rity celebrates De lopment Authorit y celebrates 50 years of service this year and, according to Joanne Lewis, president of the Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of y Ch Commerce and Development Aut hority C Commerce and Development Authority, ce nd evelopment utho ty, lp anticipates another 50 years of proact years proact anticipates an i ipates rs proactive ctive industrial recruitment, “inspired by t he recruitment, “insp red by the “inspired industrial ecruitm nt, ndustrial s h successes successes of the past.” ucces he past.” e pas ” as Histor and In o ation Histor y and Innovation History and Innovation tory n nno n Doug Do glas-Coffee County’s pro ctive Douglas-Coffee County’s proactive ffe ff oun s proa unt economic development activities began economic development activities began c lopme vities bega g in the mid-1950s, and the effort has remid-1950s, and the ffort has ren s n h ffort sulted th sul sulted in the relatively small jurisdiction lt y small jurisdiction ma l risdic ion a io being e to compete with communities being able to compete with communities ei mpet mp mpete th ommunit mn twice size w poi s u Some t c its size, Lewis points out. “Some 2 twice its size, Lewis points out. “Some 22 ize, wi percent percen of the local work force percent of the local work force in Coffee ent en he cal ork fo c County does not live within the county, County does not live within the county, o y oe no live it oes h coun y n Southeast eorgi eade are the sam page when t comes to proactively Southeas Georgia leader s a Southeast Georgia leaders are on the same page when it comes to proactively gi h same p ame whe hen ome proactive oactiv tivel promoting economic development and retaining the region’s high quality of life.. promotin econo promoting economic development and retaining the region’s high quality of life onom dev lo ment n e aini g he egion hig v nt in io a li ife. Pictured here (from left) are Atkinson County Chairman Linda Tanner,, Bacon County Pictured ere (fro left) ar Atk son ount ha ma inda Tanner, a n County Pictured here (from left) are Atkinson Count y Chairman Linda Tanner, Bacon Count y un a r ount Chairman Roger Boatright, Douglas-Coffee Count y Chamber of Commerce President Chairman Roger oa ri ht, Douglas-Coffee o nty Chamber Commerce President Chairman Roger Boatright , Douglas-Coffee County C ambe f Com erc P siden g oug f ber ommerce dent Joanne L ewis, Coffee Count y Administrator Wesley Vickers, Okefenokee A rea Joanne Lewis, Coffee ount Administrator Wesley icke s Okefenokee rea Joanne Lewi Coffee County Administrato Wes Vickers, Okefenoke Area w ff nty dm stra o e e k Development Authority President Regina Morgan, Ware County Manager Gail Boyd and Development Authorit y President Regina Morgan, Ware County Manager Gail Boyd and evelopm n Au horit reside m ity s id egina org , War Count Manager Gai a are unty a n ail d Ware County Chairman Jimmy Brown. Ware Count y Chairman Jimmy Brown. r County Chai m n mm rown u airm own. but commutes into for jobs.” but commutes into it for jobs.” Similarly, c mu e n o b. though they small size, several ther though they are small size, several other though they are small in size, several othe Southeast Georgia counties surrounding Southeast Geor a counties surrounding Southeast Georgia counties surrounding Ware are economically independent and economically i d p n ent and m y independent becoming more so, adds Ware County Ware r y Manager Gail Boyd. The region’s rail prominence, alongside its proximity to four major interstates, has also historically ushered in industry and investment. With approximately 850 people on its payroll, CSX Railroad is the region’s largest employer, reflecting Waycross and Ware County’s reflecting Waycross and Ware County’s ting Waycross uy strategic location as home to the largest s largest gest rail switching and classification yard in the nation. The primary rail-transfer hub for the Southeast is here an thanks and, fo the Southeast is here and, thanks to h Southeas er and ha this, Ware County is an economic engine this, Ware ount this, Ware County an economic s unt nty con m c onom for a surrounding urisdictions. fo many surround g jurisdictions. for many surrounding jurisdictions. urro ding ctio Economic evelo Economi development leadership Economic development leadershi on ic elop t eade hip continues o att continues to at ract substantial industry t nues attract substantial stanti n here. Coffee County’s spec building pro. Coffee County’s spec building Coffe pc gram, begun gram, begun in the early 1980s, is a case mb y 1980s, in point. in point. Th is first spec building attractoint in bu building attractac t ed the attention of major industrial prost he at ention f attenti r industrial prosindu trial r u al pects to the county, among them TRW. pt pects to t he among t hem TRW. ogh RW Though TRW turned down the initial ough TRW turned down ug h n initial niti l t building, the company was impressed b ilding building, the company di mpan impr ssed impressed pres enough to build a plant here, due to t he the enough build plant enough to build p n here, u e availability of the Douglas airpor t, a key of the D gla airport, key Douglas i r t, availability availability ab infrastructure facilit y wit h a runway that infrastructure fac it wit cture facility with acility th y that accommodates nearly any aircraft . accommodates nearly any dt rly rl ft. ft Following, a “little known retailer Following, Following, ing, “ little known retailer itt nown eta wn named Wal-Mart” was seeking a suitable was e kin suitable named Wal M amed Wal-Mart” wa seeking suitabl tab place in the Southeast to site a distribution plac place n the Southeast to site distribution he outheast ite istribut o uth t hea tr but tio center. To make a long story short, Walcenter. To make long story short, Walenter e a on tory hort Walory hort rt, Mart found the region’s proximity to four Ma Mart found the region’s proximity to four ud egion go oxi it ity ou interstate highways advantageous, and interstate highways advantageous, and nterstate ig w y d erst tate age us an built a 100,0 0-square-foot warehouse. built 100,000-square-foot ar built 100,00 squ r -foo warehouse. uare o ua oot Today, Wal-Mart s investment includes a Today, al-Mart’ nves ment c u e Today, Wal-Mart’s investment includes day M st ent distribution center in Coffee County of distribution center distribution center in Coffee C unty of i n offe County more than 1 million square feet, a logisthan million square feet, logismore than il ion quare ee , logisg tical complex and ret il store; as well as and reta store; s well s t cal comp e tical complex and retail tore mp re el one of largest payrolls in the region and o one o largest payrolls n the region and r est ayrolls e eg o an a lucrative portion of the commercial tax lucrative portion f the commercial tax ucrative po tion ativ ort o he ommercia a base. base base. se. “The Wal-Mart center was the fi rst to “Th Wa l-Mart center was the first The a l-Mar cente l-Ma ente h rs locate east of t he Mississippi and t he first Mississippi n locate eas ocate east the Mis issip and the rst te ast issi ippi e of its kind the company located not on an of its k ind the company located not n an s in h comp n located no om cate interstate,” notes Jimmy Brown. Indeed, interstate, otes i interstate,” notes Jimmy Brown. Indeed, te state,” s r wn. nde d n deed the presence of a Wal-Mart Distribution the presence of Wa l-Mart Distribution h resen e sn W -Mart ist ibution t Center in the region for 20 years now Cente Center Center in the region for 20 years now h regio or eg i year n ea r indicates the notice business has taken indicates the notice business has ta ken nd c tes t he not c usiness h ines ak of the favorable freight and general general of t he favorable freight and gene l he a orab e reight able g n SOUT SOUTHEAS G O GIA SOUTHEAST GEORGIA SOUTHEAST GEORGIA S continued continue n page continued on page 11 nti ued inue age MARCH 2009 www.accg.org MARCH 2009 www.accg.org ARCH 009 w .accg.o . http://www.accg.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Georgia County Government - March 2009

Georgia County Government - March 2009 Contents President’s Message County Matters Focus on Southeast Georgia The Georgia Public Service Commission Jerry R. Griffin MPA Scholarship Recipients Named Extension News Research Corner Staff News County Parade Index of Advertisers

Georgia County Government - March 2009

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