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9/16/2009–City on Short List of 3 Companies
City on short list of three companies
By Andy Matthews
andy@surrymessenger.com
A skilled workforce, plenty of available manufacturing space, a surplus of city water and local incentive dollars have put Mount Airy at the top of a short list for two new companies that would create a combined 251 jobs.
Todd Tucker, president of the Surry County Economic Development Partnership, said Tuesday that local officials have put together a competitive package they hope will persuade two businesses to locate in existing buildings. Mount Airy Commissioners will discuss Thursday night two proposed incentive packages for the prospective companies. One company, which expects to create 221 new jobs, is eligible for an incentive not to exceed $57,907 over a five-year period. A second company, which would generate 30 new jobs, is eligible for incentives ranging from $19,000 to $77,200 also over a five-year period. The money for both companies is based on property tax rebates and the value of personal property and machinery the company adds to the local tax base.
“We’re pretty far along in the negotiation process,” Tucker said. “We hope to hear something within 30 to 60 days.”
Last month, over the protests of a handful of residents, commissioners approved $472,178 in incentives for a third unnamed company that is expected to create 45 new jobs. The business plans to construct a new building at the Piedmont Triad West Industrial Park where the city has donated land valued at $272,000. The three companies, which state and local officials have refused to name during what they call a sensitize and confidential negotiating process, could create nearly 300 jobs at a time when Surry County’s unemployment rate is hovering around 13 percent. In July, a total of 4,422 county workers filed claims for unemployment insurance, down from 4,550 the previous month.
Although the three economic development projects each have their own separate timetables, Tucker said that it’s a “coincidence” that they came together at the same time. Regardless of the timing, size, or projected number of workers, each of the potential new employers begin the scouting process with roughly the same list of questions from a town or county. In a real sense, Tucker said, they are looking over the local product, comparing it to a competitor. Full Story
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