ATHENS - Turner Medical has joined forces with a French company, creating 50 to 100 new jobs for the manufacturer of orthopedics and surgical instruments in Athens.

Jobs will be in quality control, manufacturing and clerical, said Bill Turner, president of the company founded by his father, John, in 1972. Hiring is expected to begin as early as October and continue into early 2016, Turner said.

Dothan Mayor Mike Schmitz might not have known exactly how Tuesday would play out when he first met SoZo Chief Executive Officer Raymond Cheng a few years ago.

But Schmitz said 11 announcements at a SoZo briefing before hundreds of people at the Dothan Opera House on Tuesday proved a good night for Dothan's future.