Georgia County Government - November 2008 - (Page 19)

The Chieftains Museum, on the outskirts of Rome, is a major local tourist attraction. commercial artery, is not considered that much of a minus, either. Poe sums it up succinctly, “That we’re not sitting right off I-75, but yet are proximal to it via Georgia Highway 20 to U.S. 411, has lead to slow and steady, but not overwhelming, growth. And we’ve managed to cultivate an industrial tax base that is very diverse.” Indeed, the foresight of leaders who knew they must diversify industry in this former textile-dominated region or face economic death, has paid off well. Today, says veteran County Chairman Jerry Jennings, Floyd County has accomplished its aim to diversify businesses here to the point that, if one segment is lagging, another holds steady. “We’ve got a very strong manufacturing base, which employs some 23.4 percent of the local workforce,” Jennings points out. This is an incredible achievement in itself, being a statistic that more than doubles the 10 percent of the state’s and the U.S.’s workforce employed by the manufacturing sector. “This strong manufacturing base, which is very diverse, is vital to the local economy in times of recession like we’re seeing now,” he points out. “We can weather almost any economic downturn.” Thanks to the strong contingent of automotive suppliers, paper processing, power and electric (including Georgia Power and Oglethorpe Power), rubber manufacturing, metal container companies, and more, the county can bank on its diverse industrial tax base. Floyd County and Rome are also a major retail center, Jennings notes. “We have a popular mall, Mount Berry Square, and in tandem with the city of Rome, have worked hard to cultivate and maintain our downtown retail district.” A trip through the streets of downtown Rome demonstrates the health of the local economy, as dozens of busy restaurants, retail stores and businesses open their doors daily to steady streams of customers. And new horizons are being mined. Aviation and avionics present great potential development opportunities, officials believe. The county has teamed up with Coosa Valley Technical College on a long-planned Aviation Training Center at Richard B. Russell Regional Airport’s J.H. Towers Field. “The school will offer technical training to work on planes and within the field of aviation generally,” says Jerry Jennings. The project is being spearheaded by Craig McDaniel, president of Coosa Valley Tech. Because the county runs the Richard B. Russell Airport north of Rome, county officials believe there is potential for economic development in aviation-related industries and plane maintenance. There is property near the airport which local officials also believe may well attract aviation-related businesses. “The North Terminal area may accommodate smaller such industries,” envisions Chairman Jennings. Public Recreation is Top-Flight In a scenic rural region like northwest Georgia, with abundant natural resources including three local rivers, one would expect quality-of-life priorities to include outstanding public recreation. Here, there are many recreational offerings and some fairly visionary plans for the future, too. FLOYD COUNTY continued on page 20 Aviation Services Design-Build-Operate Drinking Water Facilities and Geotechnical Engineering Information Management Program Management Wastewater Water Resources 5 A www.cdm.com Atlanta, Georgia 404 720-1400 ® ® Valdosta, Georgia 229 259-9501 350548_Camp.indd 1 NOVEMBER 2008 www.accg.org 11/3/07 19 10:01:03 AM http://www.cdm.com http://www.accg.org

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Georgia County Government - November 2008 Contents President's Message County Matters Floyd County Leaders Foster Government That's 'Designed With Citizens in Mind' Staff News: ACCG Interns Georgia's Grand Old Courthouses: Hall County Extension News: ACCG and Extension Partner to Create 'Fellows' Program Research Corner: Resources Available Through ACCG County Parade Index of Advertisers

Georgia County Government - November 2008

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