Published Thursday, July 03, 2008

300 new jobs expected within next 12 months

By Jeff Bishop

The Times-Herald

About 300 new jobs should be making their way to Coweta County within the next year as several new companies get their buildings up this summer.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's "detector dog" training center at Creekside is "progressing rapidly," said Coweta County Development Authority President Bill Harrison, and should bring in at least 25 jobs.

"The building is going up," Harrison told the authority at its Thursday morning meeting.

"Even though that's not a lot of jobs, it will have a big impact on our local hospitality business," Harrison said. That's because people will need to come to Coweta County and remain overnight to train with the dogs on a continuing basis.

The still-under-wraps "Project Surge" will bring in another 150 jobs, he said.

"Construction is already under way in the Patillo Coweta Industrial Park on a new 450,000-square-foot, high-tech distribution center for Project Surge," Harrison said.

The company expects to begin operations during the first quarter of 2009, he said.

MC Precast is also building a new facility at the Newnan South Industrial Park, he said.

"We have about 300 total jobs that are now committed," said President Mike Barber.

But it doesn't stop there. At least two local industries are "considering large expansions" once the economy turns around, said Development Authority employee Brenda Washington, who maintains contacts with existing industries on an ongoing basis.

"They're just waiting for the economic times to get a little better," she said.

Also, Coweta County "continues to attract strong interest" for new industrial prospects, said Harrison.

"We are kept busy with requests for information, initial site visits, and follow-up visits," said Harrison, and he's handling "as many as four to six code-named projects at a time."

Last week, "Project Cherry Blossom," which Harrison describes as a "high-value manufacturing project," made an initial site visit. Next week a "Project Care" team will make a second visit to Coweta and make "on-the-ground site reviews."

"We are indeed fortunate," said Harrison, "in spite of what many would consider to be tough economic times."