BROADBAND NEWS!

We are excited to announce that SCDA has received word from the DCA, that they “concur with our selection of a vendor” for our partner (the North Georgia Network – NGN) to enhance broadband connectivity to our counties in northeast Georgia! We’re now converting their proposal into an official contract. We are working on the needed $50,000 local cash match and hope to begin construction of the network within the next few months.

CAMP TOCCOA CELEBRATES 70TH ANNIVERSARY!

Stephens County celebrates the 70^th anniversary of Camp Toccoa.  A ceremony to mark the occasion took place at the site of what was Camp Toccoa during World War II on Friday morning.  Numerous speakers spoke about the history of the camp and the men who trained there.   Also, organizers talked about future plans for the Camp Toccoa site.  A color guard from Fort Campbell also attended the event. 

OSBORNE WOOD PRODUCTS CELEBRATES THEIR EXPANSION!

This morning at 10:00 a.m., local officials and employees of Osborne Wood Products gathered to celebrate the expansion of their facility located on Highway 123.  Leon Osborne, owner and CEO of Osborne Wood products, was on hand to speak about the company’s expansion, alone with his Director of Marketing, Christian Smedberg, and Stephens County Development Authority’s Executive Director, Tim Martin.  The ribbon cutting ceremony was followed up by brunch and a tour of the entire Osborne Facility.   Stephens County Development Authority congratulates Osborne Wood Products and looks forward to celebrating their continued success in Stephens County for years to come.

Stephens County Hospital Unveils its Expanded Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Facility!

Stephens County Hospital unveils its expanded Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation facility.  An open house was held Monday afternoon.  The program provides rehabilitation treatment, like exercise and education, for those who have had heart problems or breathing problems.  Stephens County Hospital Administrator Ed Gambrell said that the expansion would allow the hospital to have more space to provide those services. 

GEM INVESTS $1.2 MILLION IN STEPHENS COUNTY FACILITIES!

Doug Hitchon, Vice President of GEM Southeast, announced that the previously publicized expansions to the three Stephens County facilities have been completed.  The GEM Plastics had 22,000 square feet of warehouse space and 2,000 square feet of office space added, Global Partitions brought in American Specialties Incorporation Storage Solutions, ASISS, into their facility and approximately 35 additional jobs to our area, and GEM industries added a new dust collection system and a new CNC router to aid with their growing plastic fabrication department.    For more on this story visit www.thetoccoarecord.com

CARPENTER CERTIFIED!

Kayla Carpenter of the Stephens County Development Authority received certification as an Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) on June 28 from the National Development Council (NDC).  EDFP certification is a professional credential given to individuals who successfully complete NDC’s intensive economic development finance training series.  The training provides individuals working in the field of economic development with instruction in business credit analysis, real estate financing, loan packaging, deal structuring and negotiating and the creation and implementation of development programs.
Each of the four EDFP Certification Program courses are five days in length and concludes with an exam.

Upon successful completion of all four courses, the candidate is awarded EDFP Certification.  The National Development Council was established in 1969 and is a non-profit organization specializing in economic and housing development training and technical assistance for community development.  NDC has provided training to more than 60,000 professionals working in the fields of economic and housing development.  Participants come from diverse backgrounds including city and state governments, public agencies, community-based organizations, professional organizations and banks.   Carpenter is a 2006 graduate of Stephens County High School and holds a bachelor’s of business administration degree with a major in finance from North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega.
She has been employed with the Stephens County Development Authority since June 2010.