Albany-Dougherty EDC wins Deal of Year award

ALBANY — The Georgia Economic Developers Association recognized the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission for “outstanding achievement in the location/expansion of business in Georgia” among mid-size communities at its annual Deal of the Year awards luncheon Monday in Atlanta, according to a press release from the ADEDC.

The Albany-Dougherty EDC was recognized for its work in helping to bring a Georgia-Pacific lumber lumber plant to the community. The awards ceremony was the 12th year that GEDA has recognized significant projects in Georgia.

Georgia-Pacific announced the project in July, which made it the first new manufacturing project announcement for the community in more than 10 years. The project consists of a $150 million capital investment and 130 new jobs in a new state-of-the-art Georgia-Pacific lumber production facility. The community was able to locate the industry at the Albany-Dougherty Industrial Park, a community-invested and predeveloped 224-acre industrial site.

“To win ‘Deal of the Year’ in the nation’s No. 1 state for business is a tremendous honor for Albany-Dougherty County,” Albany-Dougherty EDC President Justin Strickland said. “Georgia-Pacific’s new lumber production facility is a great fit for Albany and south Georgia. We are very proud to soon have another Made in Albany, Georgia product.”

The Georgia Economic Developers Association Deal of the Year awards recognize outstanding achievement in the location of or expansion of businesses in Georgia that meet community economic development goals and involve significant community program support, such as financial or permitting assistance, work force development and state financial support. In what has become a major portion of the annual awards ceremony, GEDA recognizes recipients in four categories:

• Small – a county with a population of 50,000 and under;

• Midsize – a county with a population 50,001-100,000;

• Large – a county with a population more than 100,000;

• Regional – any multicounty effort.