Americus Sumter Industrial Development Authority Meeting

Genie Collins
Published September 09, 2008 11:27 pm - Americus Times Recorder

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While the only votes taken at the quarterly meeting Tuesday of the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) were to approve the minutes from the last meeting on June 5, there was some big discussion on a project that could take shape in Sumter County.

A memorandum from the Board of Regents (BOR) for the University System of Georgia was shared at Tuesday's meeting. The memorandum said that cities where BOR universities are located can compete for a regional BOR office.  PDA Executive Director David Garriga said that getting the BOR to locate the facility in Sumter County may be a "long shot," but in the end, PDA members seemed eager to try to bring it here.

The center would require three things of the community in which it locates: A building of approximately 20,000 sq. ft., a facility that will "meet and feed" 150 people, and a "heavily wired" facility at 1,000 sq. ft. of electronics, Garriga explained.  "They are looking at incentives - like any other industry - the community would offer," Garriga said. He said the BOR would also look at things such as "community support" for the office and the local labor market.

Garriga said if the facility locates to Sumter County, it would employ 50 people.

"It would be very prestigious to have this in the community," Garriga said. "We will be in competition with others ((towns) that are willing to do what it takes to get them."  Garriga said there is a facility the BOR could use, and a proposal would need to be turned in to the BOR by the end of the month.  "They want this ... to be centralized in the state," said IDA member Mike Donnelly.

"These are probably good-paying jobs," said IDA Chairman Barry Blount. "I think we need to go after it."  IDA member Eloise Paschal noted that the project would bring some newcomers to the community, which would mean more City services and the purchase of more homes.

In other news in the world of economic development, Garriga said that some "airport specialists" and "state officials" are meeting at Souther Field Airport today for a tour.

Garriga said his office has had discussions with a hydraulics manufacturer and a beverage manufacturer about locating to Sumter County.

He also noted the Legislative Fish Fry would be at 5 p.m. Oct. 9 at the Rees Park Economic Development Center.