The President of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce is "bullish" on Georgia's economy.
Chris Clark (pictured with Club President Sandra Kate Ellington) spoke to the Vidalia Rotary Club on Wednesday and said he anticipates growth in rural Georgia, too. "Here's what I see for rural Georgia. I see an increase in agriculture and agriculture processing. The other thing that's critical for South Georgia is deepening of the Port of Savannah. I applaud the Governor and the General Assembly for putting forth the money to start the project. Now we've got to get the feds to do their part. The other thing I see is manufacturing. You're not going to recruit a manufacturing plant to Atlanta for a number of different factors, but you can do it in communities like Vidalia and that's a big part of our target for economic development in Georgia," he said.
The other key factor to economic development is a qualified workforce. Clark thinks career academies like the one in Vidalia can play a big role in attracting industry. "We've got to do more programs like the career academy you've got in this area to get those kids prepared. Right now we're importing welders from out of state and we don't have enough truck drivers. These guys are making great salaries," he noted.
Article and photo courtesty of Your Community Portal, www. southeastgeorgiatoday.com.
