December 25, 2013
For every 10 Cook County residents you meet, one will be out of work, according to the latest 10 percent unemployment rate reported by the Georgia Department of Labor. However,
optimism and hope for the future will be the key in 2014 as local officials look to land new businesses and industries that will create new jobs in the coming year.
An article in the December 2013 issue of Georgia Trend magazine reflected the sunny outlook that Cook County
will progress to “the next level” in 2014: “Lisa Collins, Cook County Economic Development
Commission’s director of economic development, says improvements to the airport will boost
the local economy.”
The Georgia Trend article features such Southwest Georgia communities as Albany-Dougherty County, Tifton-Tift County, Lee County, Valdosta-Lowndes County, Sylvester-Worth County, Cordele-Crisp County, and Cook County.
According to the section about Cook County, headlined “Big Steps”: “Cook County is looking forward to 2014 after taking some big steps forward in its economic development efforts, including making major improvements at its airport and industrial park and hiring a new economic development director.
“Lisa Collins, formerly director of economic development for Early County 2055 in Blakely, became the director of economic development for the Cook County Economic Development Commission in October. “
Along with a new director, the commission has new offices at the Cook County Airport in Adel, part of a recently completed $5-million improvement project that also
extended the airport runway and added a new terminal building. Coming next are 22 aircraft hangers, fuel tanks and parking improvements.
“ ‘We see the upgraded airport as a major economic tool for the county,’ says longtime Cook County Commissioner Michael Dinnerman, who is also chairman of the Airport Authority and on the board of the Economic Development Commission. ‘The improvements have already helped us attract one new company and will be a big help in the future.’ “
The new company, Catalina Tempering, is a tempered glass manufacturer scheduled to open in November with some 30 employees.
“ ‘The refurbished airport is part of the overall plan to take Cook County to the next level of economic development,’ says Collins. ‘As part of the plan, bids have also been let for $1.2 million in infrastructure improvements for Cook County’s 350-acre industrial park.’ ”
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