Sunday, October 02, 2011

Expert: Market Newton as manufacturing hub .

Jay Garner, president and founder of Garner Economics told Newton, GA officials they have a strong manufacturing base that can be capitalized on with the right marketing, but there are still lots of obstacles standing in the way of economic growth.

Garner's report was part of a study commissioned commissioned and jointly funded by the city of Covington, Newton County, the Industrial Development Authority and the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors to determine the county's assets and shortcomings as they might be viewed by industries and businesses on the hunt for a new location.

Reality is our friend and hope is not a strategy," Chamber President Hunter Hal was quoted as saying. "We've got to deal with the good, the bad and everything in between and this study is going to help us do that," he said in an interview with Rockdale Citizen.

Of 75 criteria, Newton had 19 assets that should be marketed to attract business and 17 challenges that could deter companies from locating there, Garner found.  The remaining factors were deemed neutral, not a plus or minus. The challenge over the next few years is to turn those neutrals into assets and the challenges into neutrals, Garner said. More here.

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