After having nine major companies announce they were moving to Fayette County in 1997, last year's lack of corporate moves to the county may have some business leaders worried.

But that should not be the case, according to Fayette County Development Authority Director John Boothby.

"Last year was really a catch your breath year after the record level of new investment in 1997," he said.

New companies in 1997 contributed more than $100 million to the economy and brought over 600 jobs to the area. Last year, there were no major announcements which gave the county's economic powers time to focus their efforts on another area.

"It's tough to have big numbers every year. But we were able to concentrate on our existing industries and evaluate their needs," Boothby said.

Working with the Fayette Chamber of Commerce, the authority conducted its second Business Retention and Expansion Proposal study. The results were extremely encouraging with more than 65 percent of the existing industries saying they are planning an expansion.

When Boothby forwarded the results of the study to the state, he learned that the rate was the highest in the metro area. The authority plans to work even more this year on making sure that the county's existing industry's needs are met.

With the county's economy continuing to percolate, Boothby said another area the business community wants help with is addressing the labor shortage problem. Throughout the metro Atlanta region, companies cannot find enough workers to fill the available jobs. The shortage is particularly acute in Fayette County, where the unemployment rate is one of the lowest rates in the state.

Boothby said the authority will try and find solutions this year to try and find qualified workers to fill the many "Help Wanted" signs that are popping up around the county.

The authority is also talking with some companies that have expressed an interest into coming into the county, but Boothby said the county will stick to its strict criteria of luring low-polluting, high quality industry into the county.

Other highlight's of last year's business activities included:

The naming of Randy Hayes as the business person of the year by the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce. Hayes is a local builder and developer who joined past recipients, such as Mayor Bob Lenox, as winners of the award.

The retail market continued its white-hot growth spurt throughout the county. New shops at the Fayette Pavilion included the Atlanta Bread Company and the 17-screen Tinseltown movie theaters. Shoppers this year should see more stores being built this year at Fayette's largest shopping center as Phase III gets underway. Rumored tenants for the center are Eddie Bauer, Victoria's Secret and an ice skating rink.

In Peachtree City, restaurants such as Schlotsky's Deli and Arby's entered the upscale market while developers battled over placing upscale shopping centers at the intersection of Walt Banks Road and Ga. Highway 54 and Ga. Highway 74 and Hwy. 54. (See Peachtree City year in review story for more information.)

The Peachtree Executive Conference Center was renamed the Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center and underwent a $7 million renovation that added several meeting rooms to Fayette County's largest conference facility.