Industry Spotlight: Patterson Pump

Company: Patterson Pump
Located in Stephens County: 1989
Address:  2129 Ayersville Rd, Toccoa, GA 30577
Company Website: http://www.pattersonpumps.com

The Patterson Pump Company manufactures and supplies quality pumps for fire, municipal, industrial, flood control, plumbing, and HVAC markets. They serve customers worldwide in restoring and creating new pumps that are of quality and efficient flow power. Their larger pumps can empty an Olympic sized swimming pool of 660,000 gallons in roughly 30 seconds or less. The smaller pumps have half of that flow rate. 

Industry Spotlight: American Woodmark

Company: American Woodmark
Located in Stephens County:  1988
Address:  398 Woodmark Drive Meadowbrook Industrial Park Eastanollee, GA 30538
Company Website: http://www.americanwoodmark.com/

American Woodmark is a Winchester, Virginia based cabinet manufacturing plant founded in 1980. They offer over 500 KCMA certified cabinet styles nationwide under four major brands: American Woodmark®, Shenandoah Cabinetry®, Timberlake® Cabinetry, and Waypoint® Living Spaces. The four principles which guide their actions are Customer Satisfaction, Integrity, Teamwork, and Excellence. The American Woodmark brand operates 9 manufacturing facilities across the United States, two of which are located in Kennesaw, GA and Toccoa, GA. American Woodmark is currently the 3rd largest provider of cabinetry products in North America, and is also a preferred cabinet provider for both Lowes and Home Depot.

Industry Spotlight: Nifco KTW

 
Company: Nifco KTW
Located in Stephens County: 2015
Address: 325 Hammerstone Drive, Toccoa, Georgia
Company Website: http://www.nifcoktw.com/en#start

Nifco KTW has been the source of a considerable buzz around Toccoa-Stephens County for the past year, and for good reason. The company announced their intent to locate their American headquarters here in 2015 which would include creating 200 jobs and investing $27 million within the first 5 years. But before 2015, the two companies had very different backgrounds.

Thinking Beyond County Lines

Every year, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs hosts the Georgia Academy for Economic Development for each region in Georgia. It is estimated that over 7,000 professionals have graduated from the program since its founding in 1993. This program is unique in that it does not only caters to professional economic developers, rather it welcomes all citizens who want to learn about economic development and foster growth in their communities.

This year we sent our newest Administrative Assistant, Elizabeth Jones, to the Academy to connect with our regional leaders and hopefully learn a thing or two. Today she is going to share some things she learned in the first class.

Hayestone Brady Business Park: 1997 v. 2017

A great deal can happen in 20 years.

20 years ago the movie Titanic had just premiered, Dolly the sheep was cloned, OJ Simpson was put on trial, and Harry Potter was still unpublished.

In 1997, 425 acres of Stephens County farm land were purchased by the Stephens County Development Authority located between Toccoa and Lavonia on Hwy 17 (now Old Hwy 17). Those acres would later become the county's 4th industrial park; the Hayestone Brady Business Park.

City of Toccoa's 2016 Water Quality Report

Clean drinking water is one of the most vital factors in city's ecosystem. The United States has one of the cleanest and most reliable source of drinking water across the globe. In 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to protect public health, including by regulating public water systems.  This act requires the EPA to establish and enforce standards  that public drinking water systems must comply with. You can read about the regulations on the EPA's website where they cover things such as microorgansms, disinfectants, and inorganic chemicals. About 90% of people in the U.S. rely on water from regulated systems, the other 10% use private wells which are not regulated under the SDWA.  People who use private wells need to take precautions to ensure their drinking water is safe. Learn more about private wells on the EPA website.

The City of Toccoa's Water Department provides water to over 10,000 customers and serves in excess 40,000 people. They also export water to two cities, one in Stephens County and one in Habersham County, as well as two adjacent counties, Franklin County and Banks Countyernate approximately 2.5 miles north of the city, which is supplemented by pumping water from Davidson Creek and Lake Yonah.

The City of Toccoa recently released their 2016 Drinking Water Quality Report. But why should you care? How does this report impact you and your household?