EDC report shows significant growth

ALBANY — Asked, essentially, by city and county officials “What have you done for me lately?” Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission President Justin Strickland and Vice President Barbara Rivera Holmes offered their answer Monday at the Dougherty County Commission’s work meeting.

And that answer was an impressive one: $225 million and 345 new jobs.

“I think that shows a significant return on the county’s $250,000 investment,” Strickland said after giving the EDC’s quarterly report.

Strickland’s report accounted for the new jobs and the investment planned in the community “over the next three years:” 20 new jobs with the additional product line (goodnessknows) at Mars Chocolate North America; $200 million capital investment, 500 construction jobs and 50-75 permanent jobs at Procter & Gamble; 150 jobs and $10 million in investment from WebstaurantStore; 100 jobs and $700,000 in investment from Thrush Aircraft.

“And we’re working with a pretty substantial prospect (interested in the Albany-Dougherty Industrial Park),” Strickland said during a question/answer session after his presentation.

Holmes, who told the board only 45 percent of the country’s metro areas had fully recovered to pre-recession peak employment levels in the aftermath of the Great Recession that hit in 2007, stressed that the new jobs in metro Albany are “good jobs.”

“Dougherty County’s average annual weekly wage is up to $713,” Holmes noted in an email to The Herald. “(That level) beats the same wages at competitor communities: Lowndes County is $598; Tift County is $591.

“Metro Albany’s economy has grown $500 million since 2012 and is at $5.5 billion,” Holmes continued. “That’s incredible output and surpasses some competitor metros in Georgia: Valdosta MSA for 2015 is $5 billion; Hinesville MSA for 2015 is $4.3 billion; Brunswick MSA (which has a port) for 2015 is $3.6 billion; Rome MSA for 2015 is $3.7 billion.”

The source for Holmes’ information is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Conference for Mayors.

In answering a question from Commissioner John Hayes about activity at the county’s industrial parks, Strickland said the east Albany Albany-Dougherty Industrial Park, which is in the midst of infrastructure improvements had “gotten us more leads than any other property in the community.”

Strickland pointed to the spirit of cooperation among local businesses as another plus.

“The president of Webstaurant said he was having a problem conditioning the air at their plant (on Sylvester Road), and three plant managers invited him to come to their plants to see how they dealt with the issue,” Strickland said. “Even businesses that might be competitors are willing to do what they can to help bring new business here.”

Commissioner Clinton Johnson asked Strickland if he’d started lining up business prospects with the inland port in Cordele and suggested working with local retailers to have their marquees recognize local industries on specific days to show how much they are appreciated. Strickland said that is an idea worth pursuing.