By By MICHELE GERLACH – Publisher
The Coastal Gateway Economic Development Authority is focusing its industry-recruitment efforts on aviation, wood and wood products and transportation/distribution companies, the organization's president told members of the Brewton Rotary Club Monday.
Wiley Blankenship said board members of the new organization, organized as the Tri-County Industrial Development Authority to promote Conecuh, Monroe and Escambia counties, chose the areas of focus.
Blankenship said his organization believes the three-county area is ideally situated as a location for an aviation maintenance or repair facility.
Blankenship said there are also two to three more OSB (oriented strand board) mills &#8220shopping” for new locations. This or other wood-products industries would fit well with other wood-related industries already in the three-county area promoted by CGEDA, Blankenship said.
Transportation and distribution companies are a natural for the area because of the proximity to the Interstate, Blankenship said. Atmore has a mixed-used industrial park located at the intersection of Hwy. 21 and I-65, and CGEDA owns property at the intersection of Hwy. 41 and I-65.
Asked how individuals and the community can help CGEDA with its mission, Blankenship said anything that improves the community makes his job easier.
One thing each community in the three-county area can do is address litter, he said.