By Staff
The Escambia County Commission has decided to partner with Georgia-Pacific on a workforce development program for the region.
GP is seeking a $450,000 federal grant to set up a local program to train and educate workers in the southwest Alabama region. Escambia County will contribute $150,000 to the effort.
With so much promise for southwest Alabama, Escambia County and GP are smart to strike while the iron is hot.
ThyssenKrupp is working on a massive steel plant in north Mobile County, and Northrup Grumman - while it has hit a snag in its plans for a tanker contract - is likely to expand in the Mobile area.
These projects may not be in Escambia County, but the potential for spinoff industries is great. The county falls within the radius for supporting industries and has several sites that would be appropriate.
Not only could we benefit from new industries, but existing industries could benefit from workforce training as well, allowing those companies to keep and attract workers when new industries are spreading across the region.
We're glad to see Georgia-Pacific - a new corporate citizen in our community - stepping up to take on this project.
And the partnership between GP and the Escambia County Commission and other local governments and entities will surely be attractive to incoming industries that see a pro-business climate in the area.