County to get over $600,000

RUSSELLVILLE - Franklin County officials learned Tuesday that more than $600,000 is coming their way to help get the county's industrial parks ready for use.

Vina received $400,000 to help install water, sewer and gas lines to its 400-acre industrial site, which was set aside for industrial use approximately five years ago.

The money, which will include enough for some road work in the park, has been a long time coming, said Mayor D.W. Franklin.

"We paid for the land ourselves, without any help, and have just been waiting to get it going," Franklin said.

Officials said Vina will benefit from its close proximity to Interstate 22, which is 18 miles from the park.

"But you have got to have the infrastructure in place before (companies) will look at you," said Mitch Mays, executive director of the Franklin County Development Authority.

Phil Campbell was awarded $32,000 to use for geological studies on a proposed 80-acre industrial site. The Franklin County Industrial Park, which will be developed on Alabama 243 near Russellville Airport, received $192,736 for the construction of access roads in the park.

There is no local match required for any of the projects.

"It's amazing what you can accomplish when everyone works together," said Probate Judge Barry Moore, who also serves as the county commission chairman. "We are heading in the right direction."

Sen. Roger Bedford, D-Russellville, secured the industrial development money last week during a meeting of the state's 666 Industrial Bond Commission, which includes Gov. Bob Riley, State Finance Director Jim Main, State Revenue Commissioner Thomas Surtees, House Government Appropriations Committee Chairman John Knight, D-Montgomery, and Bedford.

The state approved $295 million for four industrial projects earlier this year. The bond money was made possible in June when voters approved a measure increasing the state's borrowing capacity by $400 million, with $220 million going for a German steel plant in Mobile and $75 million more for three other major industrial projects, including the National Alabama plant in Barton.

The bond commission also approved $10.2 million in small contracts for 22 local industrial development projects, according to the Mobile Press-Register. Ten of the 22 projects are in Bedford's district and account for over one-fourth of the funding.

"To our friends in Birmingham and Mobile and other parts of the state, this is not pork money, this is economic development," Bedford said.

Bedford said all the projects were approved unanimously by the bond commission.

"This will help the county take advantage of the new plant in Colbert County, the Toyota plant in Tupelo, (Miss.) and hopefully an automotive plant in Marion County," Bedford said.

The money should become available Aug. 7.

Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow, D-Red Bay, said Alabama became a major industrial force when Mercedes located in Alabama in 1993.

"When we landed Mercedes, it was the beginning of a new day in Alabama," Morrow said. "Other companies looked at us and said, 'if Mercedes chose Alabama, it must be OK.' Today, we are seeing economic expansion more than ever."

With recent announcements of major manufacturers in the area and the addition of I-22, county officials believe that suppliers will look at their industrial parks as a place to locate.

"This money will go a long way in helping us get the parks ready," Mays said.

Commissioner Rayburn Massey said it may be just what the county needed to get its industrial recruitment efforts in high gear.

"To have a snowball effect, you have got to have a snowball," Massey said. "This gives us a good size snowball to start building on."

Jonathan Willis can be reached at 332-0140 or jonathan.willis@timesdaily.com.