Ellis Beachy of Escofab, David Swift of Swift Lumber & Mark Parish of Harrigan Lumber at the Summit

 

Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Alliance (CGEDA) held an Existing Industry Appreciation Summit at the Monroeville Water Works Convention Center on Tuesday, October 9th at 10 a.m.

 

Elected officials, manufacturing industries, business owners, and community volunteers were invited to attend the event. With an attendance of around 50 people, CGEDA welcomed guests to show their local established industries the region's appreciation for their continued support to the economic base.

 

Jim Searcy, Executive Director of CGEDA said, "According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 60% of private job creation comes from existing industries. The Existing Industry Appreciation Summit provided an opportunity to say "thank you" to companies in the Coastal Gateway Region, a 5-county region comprised of Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia and Monroe counties in South Alabama, for their many contributions to our communities, as well as a chance to build awareness that existing business is a fundamental driver of the local economy."

 

"The focus of the event was two-fold: 1) To establish an educational program, providing information and support to those companies continuing to create opportunities in our region and to consistently assist them as they grow and prosper in our communities. 2) To show our genuine appreciation for what these companies mean to the region but more importantly what they mean to the economic future of the citizens in our entire area.  The health of our existing businesses is critical to our success as a region", said Searcy.

 

Speakers included: Bob Smith, Senior Project Manager, Alabama Department of Commerce;

Blair King, Economic Development Representative, Alabama Power Company; Jim Searcy, Executive Director, CGEDA; Angela Till, Abatement Program Administrator and Kelly Graham, Capital Credit Program Administrator for the Alabama Department of Revenue; Gary Weaver, Assistant Director, AIDT; and Greg Knighton, Vice President/Director, Business Information, Economic Development Partnership of Alabama.

 

The event was sponsored by Alabama Power Company.

 

As part of their existing business program, CGEDA will continue to meet with individual companies across the 5-county region.