By Staff
There's no more important element to a strong, thriving community than the presence of good -- and preferably good-paying -- employment options. Most of us live where we live largely because of where we work. In turn, we shop and spend most of our recreational dollars in that area as well. A good job not only anchors a person to an area, it also anchors much of the money they spend, which goes toward maintaining and strengthening all manner of services, from infrastructure and police protection to the local public school system.
So the "trickle down" effect of good jobs on an area is incredible over time. But as we all know, in this economy good new jobs, especially en masse, are very difficult to find. Brewton has been very lucky, much luckier than some of its neighbors. Thanks to the presence of a strong business and industrial base, we are in the enviable position here of looking to add to an already healthy mix, rather than rebuild from an economic implosion.
Still, any and all opportunities to draw new job opportunities to the area should be explored vigorously, so it's good to see Mayor Ted Jennings and other development leaders -- so far unofficially -- looking into a partnership with neighboring governmental entities to lure new industry to the area. By working with Evergreen, Monroeville and their counties to explore drawing a new employer to the I-65 corridor north of the city, Brewton's leaders are showing creativity in this area.
We may not benefit from tax revenue if the industry locates on the interstate, outside the city limits, but Brewton would no doubt be the location of choice for many employees of any new major industry, who would see the overall quality of living here as the best in the area. And if they live here, they shop here, and so on. We would reap the "trickle down" benefits, for years to come.
We encourage those involved in these exploratory efforts to continue them, and to continue thinking outside the box in the area of new industry and job creation. These sorts of efforts will bear fruit for the community over time.