september 12, 2006

September 12, 2006

Welcome

Comprehensive Plan update 2006 Establish Economic Development Plan Updated Land Use Including:

Employment Center Bypass Corridor Planning for Infrastructure Requirements

Download from RDC

Chamber of Commerce

50% Membership Growth since 2003 Economic Development Initiatives

Entrepreneur Friendly Community Technology Infrastructure (TechSmart) Leadership Development Agritourism Retirement Community Development

Depot Renovation / Foundation

“Entrepreneur Friendly” ProgramGeorgia’s Entrepreneur & Small Business

Development Initiative

Kick off 2006 with Ryan Thornton, Kay Remar 30% interviews complete Incorporate new Agritourism businesses

Living Waters Aqua Farm Buffalo Creek Berry Farm

Technology Key Infrastructure Improvement Establish C of C as a resource center

Evaluate Technology Infrastructure Develop county ‘roadmap’ Broaden to Regional effort

Regional Technology Development Authority? Oglethorpe/Elbert Counties Collaborate

$20,000 OneGeorgia BRIDGE Grant App Planning & Research for full Broadband support

for Small Business, Government & Residents

TechSmart RoadmapOglethorpe County, Georgia

Leadership Oglethorpe

20+ Community Organizations Support $5,000 Fanning Institute Grant Georgia Allies

Georgia Power Rayle EMC/GEMC

Athens Technical College Roll-out early 2007, first in 20 years

Agritourism

Enhance #1 County Industry Alternative Revenue Stream Partner UGA / DEcD Tourism / GADC Heritage Art Loop Broad River Crafts, Farm & Garden Trail The “O” Loop in Oglethorpe County

Heritage Art Loop

Foundation/Depot Renovation

Education/Historic Preservation Foundation Historic Crawford Depot / Park

2006 $275,000 GDOT TE Grant Rehabilitate Historic Property Home for Chamber, Foundation, (Dev Auth) Community Asset

Meeting Space Community Park Visitor Center

Workforce Development

Alliance w/ Athens Tech (TCA?) SAT Scores Other

Representative Businesses

Centurion Poultry Poultry Industry

Granite Extraction Greater Georgia Printers Goodness Grows

Follow-up questions on your visit?

The poultry industry in Oglethorpe County 12th in Georgia for total Poultry Production-

$118,204,316 in 2005 308 Broiler Houses 14 Pullet Houses 10 layer Houses

Granite Extraction

Oglethorpe County has 21 operating quarries;7 processing plants.

In all 172 residents of the County work in the granite business. The average annual wage for these 172 people was $24,437 Collectively the 172 workers earned about $4.2 million last year.

The Industry encompasses quarry sites and production operations in five counties- Elbert, Oglethorpe, Madison , Wilkes and Greene .

Geologists say the deposit is 35 miles long and six miles wide.

Full Service Commercial Printer Est. 1969 32 employees

Several Weekly Newspapers Including: Korean, Chinese, Indian, Ethiopian

Piedmont Impressions Sheet-fed operation (design through production)

Goodness Grows

Nursery “Botanical Garden” & Gift Shop 30 year AgriTourism Destination Many unique Cultivars Anchor business for Heritage Art Loop

September 12, 2006

Follow-up Topics?