New owners excited about Thomaston

Staff Writer

vstubbs@thomastontimes.com

The Thomaston-Upson Industrial Development Authority met Thursday, June 19, for their regular monthly meeting.

The Authority discussed the Strategic Action Plan’s status along with a contract with Georgia Tech.

“The Strategic Action Plan will include the board meeting with our community partners on June 26. The purpose of the workshop is to get input and buy-in from our partners so that we might implement a strategy that will add value to our existing industry, while attracting non-competing industry to the community,” said IDA Director Chris Laborde. “The action plan is a partnership with Georgia Tech, which is providing technical expertise to the process. Partners invited to participate in the workshop include: the airport, medical center, tech college, school system, chamber of commerce, existing industry, media and project managers from key agencies in the state.”

In other IDA news, Governor Sonny Perdue and members of the One Georgia Authority Board recently met for a regularly scheduled meeting at Ogeechee Technical College in Statesboro. The IDA was given an Equity Grant Award of $500,000 from One Georgia Authority. The Equity Fund is designed to assist communities and regions in building the necessary infrastructure to support economic development. The grant will go toward funding a rail spur that will be used by Innoware initially, but will also be an added value to the tech park to attract future park tenants. The rail spur is a $1.3 million project that will support the estimated $10 million improvement and expansion plans of Innoware. The project will retain 134 jobs and create 45 new jobs.

“I think it is good that we have contacts around the community,” said Mayor Hays Arnold. “It has really paid off.”

The Authority also passed a $9.5 million industry revenue bond for Triumph Packaging for new equipment and a possible building expansion.

“Triumph is excited about being in Thomaston and they plan on growing,” said Chairman Jim Edwards. “Hopefully this will be a good long term move here.”

The next meeting date for the Thomaston-Upson Industrial Development Authority has not been announced.