Walker County Hoping To Get 800 New Jobs; County Had Been Competing Against Site In Mexico

  • Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Walker County, Ga., is hoping to get 800 new jobs, members of the county's Development Authority were told on Tuesday.

Robert Wardlaw, development director, said if the deal goes through the announcement will come from the state, telling the name of the company and details of the project.

He said talks with the firm are ongoing and no final decision has been made.

He said Walker County officials have been dealing with the prospect from before the start of COVID-19, and it has been delayed by the pandemic.

Mr. Wardlaw said the company had been deciding upon either Walker County or a location in Mexico, but county officials were recently told it could be located in the county with 35 workers on site by the fourth quarter of the year.

It is due to ramp up to 210 employees in 2022 and to 800 by 2023, he stated.

Mr. Wardlaw said the total of workers is about twice what was initially projected.

He said, "This is a big deal. It is significant. The governor is directly involved."

Shannon Whitfield, Walker County Commission chairman, said, "The state has been competing on the international level on this project."

Mr. Whitfield said it is envisioned that the large number of employees will come from within the county, but also from neighboring counties. He said, "I was surprised how many people from Chattooga County work in Walker County." 

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