Development Authority worried about idled plants

By Carol Heard (Contact) | Post-Searchlight

Published Tuesday, July 21, 2009

The Bainbridge-Decatur County Development Authority is worried that companies that have said they are downsizing are actually preparing to just shut down completely.

Executive Director Rick McCaskill said when TRACO announced it was scaling back its operations and temporarily scaled back its operation, McCaskill was seeing about 50 cars at the plant as a skeleton crew. However, for the last three or four weeks, there has been one car, and it's at the guard shack, McCaskill said in response to a question by board Vice-Chairman Bruce Kirbo Jr.

“They are still mowing the grass, but that's about the only activity you see out there. It doesn't look real good right now,” McCaskill said Thursday during the Development Authority’s meeting.

Board member George Floyd said the glass could be half full or half empty, because “you haven't seen any equipment moving out, either.”

TRACO announced in March that it was suspending operations at the Bainbridge plant and idle the facility. The window-building plant arrived in Bainbridge in 2006 and is leasing the old speculative building at the Decatur County Industrial Park from the Development Authority.

As far as Propex, it looks like they are cutting everything out and still say they are keeping the doors open, McCaskill said.

“They are moving a couple of operations out, and that's not just the jobs, that's the equipment too. So those operations are going away,” McCaskill said.

Propex layed off 50 on July 10 and said it plans to cut back from approximately 210 employees down to 50 to 60 employees by the end of the year.

But McCaskill said he wants to take the pulse of Propex and open a line of communications so he can go to bat for the company.

Old school

City and county officials, as well as large land owners in Attapulgus, meet with McCaskill about the future of the now-closed Lillian E. Williams Elementary School, which the Decatur County Board of Education is trying to sell.

One of the main disadvantages of the building is that it is on septic tank and not connected to a sewer system, McCaskill said. There is no sewer system in Attapulgus.

The Development Authority is assisting the community with trying to get a grant to build a sewer system there, which would make the building more attractive to a potential buyer, especially a medical-related facility, McCaskill said.

Also, with Attapulgus being the first community travelers come to when they cross the state line on U.S. 27 south, “If they can get sewer, that place would really pop down there. It would make a huge difference down there,” McCaskill said.

Other business

• Financial statements for the second quarter were approved after some discussion on timing issues within the report of the rental payments of Meredian on the American Fibers and Yarn building the Development Authority is leasing to Meredian.

• Heard a report from Chamber of Commerce President Evelyn Clay on the renovations of the Chamber building, which are almost completed. A tentative open house is scheduled for Aug. 18. That is also the same date as a Congressional luncheon in Perry, Ga. From Sept. 14-16, the Chamber has openings for the annual Washington, D.C., fly-in.

• The board gave McCaskill its blessings for serving as a member on the Tri-Rivers Waterway Association.

• McCaskill said he received good tips for potential industry development from private individuals and encouraged the board and the public to contact him if they have any ideas for recruiting new industry in Decatur County. The board also heard from citizen Dean Free, who spoke of how the new Bainbridge High School would benefit the entire county, and not just the students who may attend it.

"You have one of the best high schools in the state and possibly in the country," Dean said, and he said more outside-of-the-box ideas should be generated in order to recruit more industry and businesses.

• Site work may start in the near future for a speculative building at Commodore Industry Park. McCaskill said the city may sell some of the frontage acreage on U.S. 84 West next to the John Deere dealership, and build on the acreage behind the more valuable commercial frontage. He said site preparation may start in the near future for the new spec building.

“It's a good time to start getting the dirt ready, but not pull the trigger on the construction quite yet,” McCaskill said.

• The board voted to go into closed session to discuss possible real estate acquisition, but came back into open session without taking any action.