Numerous United States Department of Agriculture institutions have issued some positive reports in relation to growth in rural economies across the nation.
Doug O’Brien, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development, said the growth in local economies extends beyond agriculture.
“The rural economy has historically been a very important manufacturing hub for the United States”, said O’Brien. “We have some data in the last couple of years that shows there has been growth in some rural areas across in the county in manufacturing.”
In relation to the growth, there seems to be more cooperation between County governments and city governments to attract manufacturers.
O’Brien says companies are looking at the assets offered in rural areas when making decisions about where to locate.
“It’s making sure that those who are concerned about the future of the economy base their strategies on the assets of that place”, explains O’Brien. “Are there great agriculture resources, and is there a workforce is a few questions that are asked by proposed manufacturers.”
Elbert County falls into the group of rural areas that have several manufacturers located within its county lines.
The Elbert County Development Authority continues to discuss plans to add another spec building to the Elberton Industrial Park to attract even more manufacturers to the county.