Published Thursday, June 05, 2008

Industrial park in Grantville starting to gain steam

By Jeff Bishop

The Times-Herald

Industries continue to look at Coweta County as a potential site for their operations, local officials say, and the new industrial park in Grantville is only going to increase prospect-related activity.

"We are in active negotiations with three new coded projects that could add as many as 2,000 new jobs to our community," Coweta County Development Authority President Bill Harrison told the board Thursday morning.

"That's if all of them come to pass -- but you're not going to win them all," he noted. "I believe there's at least one we'll make the final cut on."

One previously announced code-named prospect, "Project Surge," which deals with upscale electronics, wants to keep its identity secret until the day the new facility opens in Coweta County, Harrison said. He also told the board that this could be "a mistake."

"But it's his company, so it will be his mistake," Harrison said. "But they still want to keep the name confidential."

Project Surge has met the requirements for its land disturbance permits, so "the site preparation is expected to commence shortly," Harrison said.

Meanwhile, "Coweta South Industrial Park in Grantville is moving forward on an aggressive development plan," said Harrison. That plan included an expansion to a total of 200 acres.

"Grantville is becoming a more attractive location as each day goes by," said Harrison.

"It's attracting a lot of attention. It's a good site," he said. The property was formerly owned by Temple-Inland, near I-85.

The size of the finished site will ultimately depend on how successful its marketing campaign is, Harrison said.

"But they have a quality outfit, and they're already getting a lot of interest," said Harrison.

Harrison also said there's a "unique company" from Brussels, Belgium, that will likely locate its North American headquarters in Coweta County.

"It's high-tech, and it will bring the kind of jobs here that everyone says we want and need," he said.

He said he will inform the board "as I learn more about it."

The development authority is also "working with an existing industry in Newnan that is considering an expansion," said Brenda Washington. "But the project is very preliminary, at this point."

The availability of prospective sites in Coweta County "has just been booming," said Chairman Mike Barber. "Just look at Senoia.

"There are a lot of good things happening all over this county," he said.