Earlier this month when company officials, local government leaders and other dignitaries met at the site of what will become Aluminum Dynamics on Charleigh Ford Road, it was described as a ceremonial ground-breaking.
The actual construction on the facility should start by August.
But already, wheels are turning and the project is generating a product that is hard to quantify but felt throughout our community: optimism.
Even now, months before the first of 2,000 construction workers arrive, there is a sense of excitement and opportunity that has rarely been seen in the Golden Triangle.
The credibility that Steel Dynamics brings to the table and the massive scale of the project has fired up imaginations.
Businesses and individuals alike are brainstorming ways to capitalize on the development.
It’s not uncommon to sit at lunch at Harvey’s or Zachary’s and overhear conversations about opportunity. Housing for the thousands of temporary and permanent workers is frequently discussed.
Prior to SDI’s announcement, Lowndes County Building Department saw one or two inquiries a year on the development of RV parks. Since the announcement, they have had four. With multiple contractors and a workforce of 3,000, the demand for housing over the 18 months to 2 years needed to finish the 2.1-million square foot facility is pretty obvious, something not lost on local investors.
You can expect to see a vigorous uptick in food trucks and other services catering to that temporary workforce. Local restaurants, motels, grocery stores, convenience stores will feel their presence.
All these opportunities come long before the first aluminum rolls off the line at the new plant in 2025. When construction ends and production begins, the 1,000 employees (making an average salary of $93,000) will mean a demand for permanent housing for newcomers or, perhaps, an upgrade for local employees.
That income will trickle through all areas of the regional economy. Tax revenue for the county and county schools will increase, too.
In one way or another, this project will affect us all.
The buzz is understandable. There is reason for optimism in our community, the entrepreneurial spirit the project creates and the momentum that paves the way for future economic development.
We’re on a roll. You can feel it.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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