Friday, May 10, 2002
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Friday, May 10, 2002 |
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County development authority plans to recruit international businesses to PTC industrial park By JOHN
MUNFORD Fayette and other Georgia counties are suffering from a decline of locating new industries and businesses here, specifically in Peachtree City, according to officials. But since the prospects aren't calling on Fayette, the county will begin calling on them, Fayette County Development Authority President/CEO Chris Clark told the Peachtree City Development Authority at its workshop last weekend. The county development authority which is the lead agency in attracting companies here wants to specialize in recruiting international companies, Clark said. The idea is to dovetail on the successes of businesses like Panasonic and Hoshizaki America that have flourished once locating in Peachtree City's industrial park, the largest such area in the county. This specialization tactic will separate Fayette from the rest of the pack, Clark noted. "There are no other communities in Georgia that are niche marketing like we will," Clark said. The effort will likely take visits overseas to lure prospects for small to medium size office and flex space, Clark said. Fayette has nine different countries represented in the Peachtree City industrial park, noted Tate Godfrey, chairman of the Development Authority of Peachtree City. The county authority is also hoping to get new prospects by luring the suppliers and customers of existing businesses and industries, Clark said. With just 43 calls from potential prospects in the past nine months, Fayette County was hurt by the development moratorium that was enacted by the Peachtree City Council in January, Clark said. Still, Fayette has had 22 initial visits and 12 repeat visits from prospects in the past nine months while Statesboro hasn't had a prospect visit in 18 months, Clark added. Pat Murphy, who's in charge of marketing industrial property for Pathway Communities, said one key issue to the industrial park's future will be its past. New uses will have to be found for older buildings as they are abandoned by their current companies, Murphy said
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