ASI Breaks Ground on New Facility

Officials Present:  Tammy Caudell, Regional Project Manager GDEcD;
Doug Hitchon, ASI Exective VP & COO; Toccoa Mayor Gail Fry; Peter Rolla,
ASI President, State Senator John Wilkinson; Tim Martin, SCDA, Barry
Roberts, ASI Director of Operations; Stephens County Commissioner Chair
Dean Scarborough; Julie Paysen Chamber of Commerce President and State
Representative Dan Gasaway.

Local company officials broke ground on December 3 on a new facility at ASI Plastics, formly known as GEM Plastics in the Meadowbrook Industrial Park. 

The addition is planned to be a 110,000 square foot facility.  The expansion represents a $10 million investment and will create about 25 new jobs. 

Company President Peter Rolla said the company has done well in Georgia and credits the strong relationship with the local and state government for that.  Mr. Rolla said that Stephens County Development Authority Executive Director Tim Martin, played a very instrumental role in the discussions that lead to this expansion in Stephens County.

“Toilet partitions, accessories, and lockers have been very, very good to me, for us, Toccoa, Stephens County, and Georgia,” said Rolla. “GEM has been here for about 50 years and throughout those years, we have experienced steady growth.”               

         

Stephens County Development Authority Executive Director Tim Martin said the Rolla family has always led a strong business that has allowed this growth to happen.  “There is verse in Proverbs, Chapter 24,” said Martin. “Any enterprise is built by wise planning, becomes strong through common sense, and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts. That is certainly what has happened in this company in this place.”

Toccoa Mayor Gail Fry said this is a great day for the community as leaders continue to try to make Stephens County the best place in Georgia to do business.  “That is what we are doing by investing in our community, investing in the businesses that are already here, and when a business that is already here decides it wants to expand and create jobs, that tells us we are doing something right,” said Fry.

Meanwhile, Stephens County Commission Chairman Dean Scarborough said the employees deserve a lot of the credit for this expansion in Stephens County.  “Your work ethic and what you mean to this company lets them know they can expand,” said Scarborough. “You folks are the bedrock of this company in this community. Thank you for helping us helping Mr. Rolla expand his company.”

Company Executive Vice President and COO Doug Hitchon said the company is excited about the opportunity to continue the company’s strong growth in Toccoa and Stephens County.  “Thank you for being a part of that future and creating the environment and for having the relationships with us,” said Hitchon. “None of us do this on our own. This is an ‘us’ thing. It will benefit us.”

Hitchon also thanked the team of employees at the company for their efforts and letting him be a part of their team.

The expansion will be complete at the end of 2015 and the company will move its Highway 123 operations into the expansion.  Then, the company will donate the existing Highway 123 building to Stephens County government for its use.

Meanwhile, the company also announced it will be changing its name to ASI to align all of its brands under the same banner.  That means local companies will now become known as ASI Southeast, ASI Global Partitions, ASI Plastics, and ASI Storage Solutions.

Tiny House on Wheels

Have you seen Kokoon Homes Steel SIPs, “Tiny House on Wheels” driving around town? This 8’ X 20’ tiny house on wheels is the creation of Toccoan Dave Rades and comes in three basic roof lines and is designed for full time living.

The shell is soy foam insulated and weather tight and is ready to be finished as the consumer likes.  The factory painted steel roof comes in five colors and has an industry first, 10 year warranty.  Kokoon exclusive innovations include a retractable 4’ X 7’ rear covered porch, a double floor inside that allows all water lines and electrical service to be installed easily before final interior sheetrock or wood walls are in place.

A small affordable 115 volt AC/heat unit can keep this unit comfy year round.  Any full size pickup can tow this with no special permits necessary.  Many in the tiny homes community want to build theirs from the ground up.  The base price of the trailer frame is $4,750.00. A basic insulated shell trailer can be purchased for $ 11,835. 60 – $13,291.60.
For further details please contact KoKoon Homes, 226  Elberton Street, Toccoa, GA 30577, www.kokoonhomes.com or Amy Griggs at amyg@kokoonhomes.com or706-244-0162.

Stephens County Graduates from the Georgia Academy for Economic Training

The Board of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development announces Stephens County graduates from the 2014 Region 2 Multi-Day Training Program. Class participants represented a number of professional and non-professional economic development fields, including elected officials, public servants, business leaders, educators, and social service providers from 13 counties in Region 2 Georgia. The Academy provided each of the graduates an opportunity to gain a unique understanding of the complexities of economic and community development on the local, regional, and state levels.

Stephens County graduates are Chuck Wright, Debbie Whitlock, Tug Carter, Brittany Ivey, Gail Fry, and Brian Akin.  They are pictured with Pat Merritt (Georgia EMC Facilitator), Dennis Chastain (Georgia Academy for Economic Development Board) and Rope Roberts (Georgia Power Facilitator).

Created in 1993, the Academy assembles a cross section of economic development professionals and resources to provide this training in all twelve service delivery regions in Georgia.  The Board of Directors of the Academy represent public and private economic development organizations and agencies from across Georgia.  Since its organization, the Academy has provided training for thousands of professional and non-professional economic developers around the state, and since 1998 the Academy has been offered annually. Georgia EMC and Georgia Power provide facilitators for the program, and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs provides staff support to this important program.

“One of the goals for the multi-day regional Academies is to encourage multi-county cooperation,” says Corinne Thornton, Director of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development.  “Many times the participants discover the issues facing their community are the same as those facing other communities in their region, and can then combine limited resources to address the issue.”

The Academy’s multi-day program, taught one day a month over a four-month period, includes training in the basics of economic and community development, plus specialized segments on business recruitment and retention, tourism product development, downtown development,  planning, and other essentials for community success.  In addition, the curriculum features specific leadership skills such as consensus building, ethics in public service, collaborative leadership and other segments needed for effective community leadership in economic development.  Local elected officials may receive certification training credits through the Association County Commissioners of Georgia and the Georgia Municipal Association for completion of this program.

Currahee Club: Georgia's Number 1 Golf Course

Currahee Club's Jim Fazio designed course has been named the number 1 best golf club in Georgia and included in the top 100 courses in the nation list for 2015.

Currahee Club was selected by the Georgia Golf Course Owners/Operators Association (GGCOA) as its 2014 Club of the Year.  Matt Brown, GGCOA’s Executive Director said that “with 7,513 yards from the tees, significant elevation drops, bentgrass greens, over 250 acres of ‘golf course’ and 9 miles of cart paths to maintain, Currahee Club is a significant agronomic challenge.”  Brown continued, “what Andrew and his team have done at Currahee Club in such a short period of time is very impressive.  I have had the pleasure to work very closely with Andrew over the years, and it is quite apparent that his vision and leadership are helping to make Currahee Club one of the premier destinations in the SE USA.”

Currahee Club will now compete with other prestigious golf courses in the nation.  The 2014 National Course of the Year will be announced at the National Golf Course Owners Association Annual Conference held in February.

“Everyone at Currahee Club is beyond thrilled to receive these outstanding recognitions of our course and club,” said Andrew Ward, managing partner at Currahee Club.  “At Currahee, we strive to set the standard for real estate and golf communities, not just in the Southeast, but across the nation.  These recognitions show what our members and residents have known all along- that the Currahee lifestyle is extraordinary.”

In addition to this award, Currahee Club was also picked by Southern Living Magazine to become one of only 7 Southern Living Inspired Communities in America.

SCDA Recognizes Outgoing Board Members

Three SCDA board members are completing their terms on the SCDA Board. Brian Akin was recognized for his year of service as the chairman of the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce. Tim Ash and Barry Roberts are completing their county appointments. Greg Roach is the incoming chamber chairman and will take the chamber of commerce position on the SCDA Board in July. Stephens County Commissioners are expected to name the replacements for Tim and Barry later this month. 
(Pictured left to right are Tim Martin, SCDA executive director, Dean Scarborough County Commission Chairman and SCDA Board Chairman, Barry Roberts, Tim Ash, and Brian Akin.)

Solar Panels Up & Running for Georgia Power

The solar panels are located in the area of Turner and Wolf Pit roads.

Development Authority Executive Director Tim Martin said that the panels were turned on and began producing 700 kilowatts of electricity to send to the Georgia Power grid on Tuesday morning.

Martin said it is part of an initiative by Georgia Power to increase solar power usage.

“Georgia Power Company wanted to increase the percentage in their portfolio of all sources of electricity, they wanted more solar,” said Martin. “So they created this advanced solar initiative and we became part of that.”

United Renewable Energy of Alpharetta, Georgia actually built and is running the solar panel farm.

URE leases the land where the solar panels sit from the Development Authority.

Martin said he feels participating in this project has a couple of different benefits for Stephens County.

“We own this land,” said Martin. “It was doing a good job of holding the world together, but nothing else. It was not productive. Now, with this addition to our community, it is in productive use.”

He also said it is exciting to be a part of the future that is solar power.

Martin said that the initiative was so popular in its first year that Georgia Power is selecting more sites to install more solar panels and grow the program.

He said Stephens County has submitted a number of sites for Georgia Power to consider.

“We have submitted the balance of our property out at that site for this round of consideration,” said Martin. “The other site that we did present (was) our roof mount, the rooftop at Stephens County High School.”

Martin said they hope to hear in late May or early June whether Stephens County has additional sites selected for more solar panels.

By: Charlie Bauder, WNEG

Toccoa-Stephens Co. One of “Four for the Future”

Toccoa and Stephens County are receiving recognition for the “Toccoa-Stephens County Tomorrow” program.

Earlier this week, the city and county were recognized by Georgia Trend magazine and the University of Georgia’s Public Service and Outreach division with a “Four for the Future” award.

Georgia Trend magazine says the award is designed to recognize communities that are working across the public and private sectors and nonprofit boundaries on challenging issues that will improve quality of life, economic development, and community well-being.

Stephens County Commission Chairman Dean Scarborough and Toccoa Mayor Gail Fry, along with others, recently received the award on behalf of Toccoa and Stephens County.

Scarborough said it is quite an honor.

“There were only four awards for the whole state, so we are happy to receive that,” said Scarborough.

“Toccoa-Stephens County Tomorrow” is a privately funded effort that is being done in conjunction with the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce and the Fanning Institute from the University of Georgia.

The program looks at and focuses efforts on issues such as education, economic development, land use, that the community has expressed an interest in through focus groups and other comments.

Other recipients of this year’s “Four for the Future” award include Covington and Newton County, Cairo and Grady County, and Adel and Cook County.

WNEG

NGTC Announces State SkillsUSA Winners, Participants

Five North Georgia Technical College students will participate in the National SkillsUSA competition later this year after winning at the state level.

Those five, who won their competitions at the state SkillsUSA competition in March, are Patrick Bell of Cornelia in CNC Milling Technology, Adreona Howard of Toccoa in Criminal Justice, Jacob Hester of Cleveland in First Aid/CPR, Austin Duley of Toccoa in Marine Service Technology, and Georgia Zumwalt of Jefferson in Photography.

They will represent North Georgia Technical College at the 50th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Kansas City in June.

SkillsUSA is a national career and technical student organization with chapters at high schools and colleges across the country.

The five state winners led a strong showing by North Georgia Tech at the State SkillsUSA competition.

This year, 40 students from 15 programs at the college competed and a total of 26 medals were won.

The contests are planned by technical committees made up of representatives of labor and management in the industries and are designed to test the skills needed for a successful entry-level performance in given occupational fields. As part of that, safety practices and procedures are judged and graded and constitute a portion of a contestant’s score.

North Georgia Technical College President Dr. Gail Thaxton said the college’s students did an outstanding job representing themselves, their instructors, and North Georgia Tech.

Thaxton also thanked the school’s faculty and staff for their dedication and enthusiasm, pushing and pulling the best from the students to get them to this point.

Placing second in their competitions were Ashley Jordan of Martin in CNC Turning Technology, Daniel Rico of Lavonia in Electrical Construction Wiring, Frank Johnson of Clayton in HVAC, James Fryery of Lula in Industrial Motor Control, James Biddy of Armuchee in Marine Service Technology, and Frank Zayas of Buford in Photography.

Students who achieved third place included Keith Garrett of Clarkesville in Welding; Travis Schmitt of Patterson in Marine Service Technology, Haley Shuler of Gainesville in Medical Assisting, and Austin Giles of Cleveland in Precision Machining Technology. Three teams also placed third in their contests: the Welding Fabrication team consisting of Nikolaus Adams of Eastanollee, Kevin Cyr of Gainesville, and Blake Nelms of Royston; the Crime Scene Investigation team consisting of Selena Forrester of Hartwell, Karla Orozco of Baldwin, and Gabriel Orozco of Clarkesville; and the Health Knowledge Bowl team consisting of Rebecka Hopper of Rabun Gap, Stephanie Murphy of Clarkesville, Jamie Shirley of Mt. Airy, and Marle Quinn of Clarkesville.

Full Article 

Milestone Monday SR 17 Beam Setting

The first set of beams for the new Highway 17 bridge over Eastanollee Creek are in place after being set on Monday.

Georgia Department of Transportation Spokesperson Teri Pope said crews completed all of the work that was planned for Monday without any major problems.

“We set all six beams that we had planned to set,” said Pope. “It went well. The beams did arrive later than expected because they got caught in Atlanta traffic, but they did get there shortly after lunch and we were able to set all six beams as planned.”

The pre-stressed concrete bridge beams are 127 feet long and six feet tall.

Pope said each beam was custom designed for one place in this bridge, like a puzzle piece that will only fit in one place.

She said at some point, more beams will have to be set as the bridge construction continues.

The construction of this new bridge over Eastanollee Creek is part of the larger project to make Highway 17 a four-lane highway from Memorial Drive in Toccoa to the Stephens-Franklin County line.

Work started last Fall and Pope said that the DOT hopes crews will make significant progress through the construction season this Spring and Summer.

 
 

 

“We are hoping you are going to see a lot more progress a lot more rapidly on the 17 widening project,” said Pope. “We want to remind you that it is a work zone and all fines are doubled in work zones. Please remember to slow down and obey all of those traffic rules as you drive through the work zone.”

Construction of the new, four-lane Highway 17 is scheduled to be complete by May 31, 2016.

Roberts Named Regional STAR Student

Stephens County STAR Student Connor Roberts is named the 2014 Region 2 Winner for the STAR Student competition. The Stephens County High School senior is the son of Barry and Lynn Roberts of Toccoa. For the regional STAR honors, Roberts received a $500 cash award provided by the PAGE Foundation. As a Region 2 STAR student, Connor will now compete for the honor of being named the State STAR Student.

The STAR, or Student Teacher Achievement Recognition, program is in its 56th year and is sponsored by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators Foundation, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and the Georgia Department of Education. To obtain the STAR nomination, high school seniors must have the highest score on a single test date on the three-part SAT and be in the top 10 percent or top 10 students of their class based on grade point average.

Connor received a 2380 on his SAT out of 2400 and will study Economics at Harvard University.

Stephens Co. Unemployment Drops Slightly

Stephens County sees its unemployment rate drop slightly to start 2014. State labor department numbers show that Stephens County had a preliminary January unemployment rate of 6.9 percent. That is one-tenth of a percentage point lower than the revised December 2013 rate of 7.0 percent. It is also a full 2.3 percentage points lower than the revised January 2013 unemployment rate of 9.2 percent. The total January labor force for Stephens County was 12,867. Of that, 11,976 people were listed as employed in Stephens County in January and 891 were listed as unemployed. Labor Department figures show that the labor force in Stephens County increased by just over 100 from December to January, but is still about 500 less than it was in January 2013. About 100 more people were employed in Stephens County in January than were in December, while the number of unemployed remained about the same. Meanwhile, approximately 150 fewer people were employed this past January in Stephens County than were employed in January 2013, while the number of unemployed has dropped by about 350. Looking at other area counties, Franklin County’s preliminary unemployment rate stayed the same at 8.2 percent in January; Habersham County saw its preliminary January unemployment rate jump a percentage point to 7.6 percent; and Banks County’s preliminary unemployment rate rose one-tenth of a percentage point in January to 5.5 percent.
Charlie Bauder
Article

Study Discusses NGTC Economic Impact on Area

A recent study states that the economic impact of North Georgia Technical College on the area it serves adds up to $35.2 million. The study was recently conducted by a University of Georgia economist and commissioned by the Technical College System of Georgia. It looked at how much the area served by North Georgia Tech benefited economically from spending that is either directly or indirectly related to the college.
It was part of a larger study that details his analysis of economic data from the Technical College System of Georgia for the 2012 fiscal year. The study also found that the North Georgia Technical College’s spending results in 452 public and private sector jobs in its service area. That service area includes Stephens, Fannin, Union, Towns, Habersham, White, Rabun, and Franklin counties. North Georgia Technical College President Dr. Gail Thaxton said that the study validates the tremendous impact of the partnership of mutual support the college nurtures and enjoys with the community.

Stephens Co. Commission Passes Land Use Ordinance

Land use is coming to Stephens County.

County commissioners approved the land use ordinance by a vote of 4-1 during their meeting Tuesday morning.

Stephens County Commission Chairman Dean Scarborough said that while the ordinance may not be perfect, he feels it is needed.

“I could not be more certain that we have the need and this is the time,” said Scarborough.  “I will be able to sleep at night without one iota of concern that I am making the wrong decision.”

Stanley London was the lone commissioner to vote against the ordinance.

He called the land use ordinance a double-edged sword, saying it is not a cure-all and could cause problems down the road despite what may be good intentions.

“Think about it,” said London.  “Let’s not make a hasty decision.  Yes, this has been going on for 30 years, but something this delicate that is going to face and affect every citizen in this county, we need to know what we are doing before we jump into it.”

Prior to the motion to pass the land use ordinance, London made a motion to postpone the vote, create a moratorium on certain developments, and put the issue on the ballot for the county’s voters to have a say.  It failed for lack of a second.

As part of the motion to approve land use, county commissioners agreed to have a quarterly review of the ordinance to work on it and consider changes.

That was put forward by Commissioner Dennis Bell.

He voted for the ordinance, saying that while he was very split on this, he feels this is needed to protect the citizens of the county and help with economic development.

At the same time, Bell said he also hears and understands those that have concerns and feels the meetings to review the ordinance are crucial.

“When we meet on this, we need to take it to heart and make sure it is done the correct way to make sure our citizens are taken care of out there,” said Bell.

Approval came after a 90-minute public hearing on the ordinance that brought out both sides of the issue.

Speaking as a private citizen, Toccoa Mayor Gail Fry said the community needs to protect itself from things that might have a negative impact on the whole community.

Fry said that Wilbros’ owner Joe Wilbanks said in court he came to Stephens County because there was no zoning.

“If we have no zoning, other Joe Wilbanks are out there and they are going to do what they want to do,” said Fry.

However, opponents point out that Wilbros is grandfathered in and say that businesses with enough money can still figure out a way around the ordinance.

Former State Representative Michael Harden said he also worries about loosely defined language in the ordinance.

“We cannot write ordinances for this commission or the next commission,” said Harden.  “When we write laws, we have to assume that they are going to be interpreted by the worst commission.  Although I have confidence in you guys that you would interpret a lot of this language well, I do not have confidence in the worst commission to come, whether it be next year or 20 years from now.”

Harden also said he feels the ordinance unfairly puts stricter rules on trailers and mobile home parks.

Supporters point out that the ordinance is a document that can be changed and amended later to fix problems or unintended consequences.
By Charlie Bauder 

Full Article 

Congratulations to the Leadership 2014 Classes

Graduating members of the adult 2-13-2014 Leadership Toccoa-Stephens County (LTSC class were (front, from left) Brooke Stowe, Jan Crawford, Molly Hicks, Kayla Carpenter, Christy LeCroy, Mandy McDonald, Phyllis Morris, and Joni Hicks. 

Graduating members of the youth Leadership Toccca-Stephens County class for 2014 were (front, from left) Taylor Pruitt, Kiana Gober, rachel Ayers, Chandler Alligood, Katherine Hunt, Jerrica Grant, Brittany Collins, and Emma Frazier. At rear are Jordan Chambers, Gabriel Norcross, Bailey Dickinson, and Paul Hopkins. Not pictured are Hutch Arrowood and Madison Hickey.

Osborne Wood Products adds item to product line

Osborne Wood Products of Toccoa has unveiled another new product - chair kits. This north Georgia company is now offering solid wood, North American made dining and kitchen chair kits to consumers and the trade. Four unique styles have been added to the Osborne line including two dining chairs, one kitchen chair, and one bar/counter height chair.
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Featured Property: 706 Turner Road

Featured Property FOR SALE: 706 Turner Road, Eastanollee
19,200 SF manufacturing facility (3,630 SF office)
14,720 SF warehouse
11,310 SF storage shed
13.63 Acres
For more info, call us at 706-886-4242!
Property link 

SCDA Gets Good News On Sewer Expansion Grant

Toccoa and Stephens County remain in the running for a significant grant to help with a local water and sewer expansion project.

Stephens County Development Authority Executive Director Tim Martin says that the Economic Development Administration has contacted the Development Authority to tell it that its grant application for funding to help install sewer along the Toccoa By-pass was selected for further consideration for funding.

Martin said this is a very positive development.

“While this does not guarantee final approval or legally bind the EDA to make an award to us, we have cleared the biggest hurdle in the review process,” said Martin.

Martin went on to say that the Economic Development Administration is considering providing almost all of the funding requested by the Development Authority in the grant application.

“Our original application was for $1.5 million,” said Martin.  “What we have been told is they may grant us $1.42 million dollars.”

Martin said they hope to find out in the Spring officially on whether the Development Authority receives the grant.

It would help fund sewer expansion from the intersection of the By-pass and Big A Road to the By-pass and Highway 106.

Toccoa and StephensCounty have designed a water and sewer expansion project that will build water and sewer improvements on Big A Road between Rose Lane and the Toccoa By-pass, as well as the By-pass between Big A Road and a location near the intersection of the By-pass and Highway 106.

Full Article
By: Charlie Bauder

SCDA Elects New Board Members

The Stephens County Development Authority has its officers in place for the start of 2014.

A special called meeting of the Development Authority board took place Thursday morning to elect those officers.

Stephens County Commission Chairman Dean Scarborough was elected Chairman of the Development Authority, while at-large member Barry Roberts was elected to serve as Vice-Chairman.

At-large Development Authority Board Member Tim Ash was named Treasurer.

Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber Chair Brian Akin was elected to serve as the board’s secretary and Toccoa Mayor Gail Fry was elected to serve as Assistant Secretary.
By Charlie Bauder

Initial TNG Figures From Cold Snap Coming In

Toccoa Natural Gas is reporting some initial figures regarding gas usage related to last week’s cold snap.

Officials say that, according to figures provided by the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia, during the period of 10 a.m. January 6 to 10 a.m. January 7, 9,320 Mcf of natural gas went through the city’s pipeline.

It was during that period that temperatures in Stephens County dropped into the single digits, with downtown Toccoa reaching seven degrees.

Meanwhile, that 9,320 Mcf figure is about seven times higher than the period between 10 a.m. Tuesday and 10 a.m. Wednesday when 1,304 Mcf went through the city’s pipeline.

One Mcf of natural gas equals 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas.

The high usage across natural gas systems across the East resulted in Toccoa Natural Gas cutting off its interruptible gas customers for a time last week to help curtail demand during the coldest weather.
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Stephens Co. Solar Panel Project Moving Forward

A solar panel farm project in Stephens County is moving full speed ahead. Tuesday, the Stephens County Development Authority board voted to approve and execute a lease agreement United Renewable Energy of Alpharetta for the company to construct a solar panel farm on land the Development Authority owns off of Wolf Pit and Turner roads. It is all part of a Georgia Power initiative to increase its use of solar power.
By Charlie Bauder
Full Article

Toccoa Named Ga. Main Street “GEM”

The Toccoa Main Street program received special recognition from the state of Georgia. Last week, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs announced that Toccoa is one of five Main Street programs to be named in the first class of the Georgia Exceptional Main Streets, or GEMS, program. Toccoa was selected along with Bainbridge, Greensboro, Rome, and Valdosta. These five cities received the recognition out of 14 that applied statewide. Toccoa Main Street Director Connie Tabor said it is quite an honor to be selected in the first year of this statewide initiative.
By Charlie Bauder
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GA Department of Economic Development Leaders Visit Stephens Co.

Top state economic development officials take time to visit Stephens County.

Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Chris Carr and his staff spent Wednesday traveling through the county, meeting with local officials.

Carr said the goal of the trip, which included other stops throughout Georgia, is for his team to build and establish relationships with local officials.

“Economic development, like politics, is, was, and always will be a people business and it is important to get in front of people to hear what is going on and to talk about the resources and the expertise that we can potentially bring to bear and partner with our communities,” said Carr.

Pictured above: GDEcD's Cheryl Smith, Kevin Langston, Commissioner Chris Carr, and Tammy Caudell, and Stephens County Development Authority's Tim Martin. 

By Charlie Bauder 

Full article