Work starts on $51 million mock city in Perry that will be used to train first responders
By WAYNE Crenshaw - To contact writer Wayne Crenshaw, call 256-9725.

PERRY -- Work is under way on what might be one of the most unique construction projects ever done in Middle Georgia.

For years, the whisper of the wind around vacant buildings has been about the only thing to be heard at the former Northrop Grumman missile plant in Perry, but on Wednesday it roared with the sound of earth-moving equipment.

Guardian Centers of Georgia is building a 70-acre mock city that will be used to train thousands of emergency personnel and first responders from around the country.

The excavating equipment stopped briefly as about 100 people gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony.

Guardian founder and Chief Executive Officer Geoff Burkart gave some new details about the $51 million project.

The layout of the city is patterned after the downtown street grid of Seattle. Burkart said the city’s L-shape restricts sight lines and presents challenges to trainees.

It also will feature a neighborhood based on New Orleans’ 9th Ward, which was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina. The mock-up can be flooded or drained as needed for training, he said.

It also will have a high school football stadium, because Burkart said that’s where staging of emergency personnel is most often done when there is a major disaster in a community.

He has been planning the project since he worked in the Hurricane Katrina disaster area in 2005.

“This is a culmination of a long journey,” Burkart said.

Work is expected to take about a year, and when it is operational is expected to employ 100 people full-time. Other jobs will be available for people to play the roles of victims.

As many as 5,000 emergency personnel may be at the site at any given time. There will be some lodging on site and some will stay in local hotels.

Local economic developers are expecting a direct impact of $75 million annually. That’s not counting indirect impact such as trainees spending money in local restaurants.

Although Burkart said it’s not something he considered in designing the project, he already has had some Hollywood people call about filming there.

Source: The Telegraph (Macon, Georgia)
Read more: http://www.macon.com/2012/02/09/v-print/1897619/work-starts-on-51m-mock-city.html

Blue Bird Announces Leadership Change
By HAROLD GOODRIDGE - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Blue Bird Corporation in Fort Valley announced this week that Greg Bennett is stepping down as CEO at the end of the year. Phil Horlock, the company’s chief financial officer and chief administrative officer also will take on the role of president, according to a news release from the school bus manufacturer.

Horlock joined Blue Bird in January after working 30 years at Ford Motor Company where he held a number of executive positions.

“The Board appreciates Greg’s significant contributions to the ongoing transformation of Blue Bird,” said Chan W. Galbato, chairman of Blue Bird’s board, in the news release. “Under Greg’s leadership, we have taken critical steps in improving Blue Bird’s product and cost competitiveness, in a difficult economic environment. We are now well positioned for long-term success and are excited about Blue Bird’s future.”

Source: The Telegraph (Macon, Georgia)
Read more: http://www.macon.com/2010/11/10/1335297/leadership-change-at-blue-bird.html#ixzz15N0kvxxe

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Peach County Welcomes Valley Industrial Products
Submitted and released by Randall Myers on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 6:05pm  

"Valley Industrial Products is a privately held corporation that will produce plastic sheet and profile extrusions for various markets globally. It is anticipated that the facility will begin partial operations during the first quarter of 2011 and continue installing equipment and increasing capacity for the remainder of that year and into 2012.  Production trials will begin in January and the outcome of the trials will dictate the speed of hiring and the addition of production capacity."

Randall Myers, Plant Manager 

Major Growth for Fort Valley Blue Bird Plant
Submitted by Coreen Savitski on Fri, 2010-06-25 08:45

Blue Bird is bringing all of its operations to Middle Georgia.  Thursday, The Blue Bird Corporation announced it will move all bus assembly operations to its Fort Valley plant.

That means the company's north Georgia facility, which has 350 employees, will close by the end of August.

The move will centralize all production operations, technical staff and services into a single facility, which includes its Corporate Headquarters.

Source:  http://www.41nbc.com/news/100625767314/major-growth-fort-valley-blue-bird-plant

Supply Partner to Blue Bird Body Locates New Operation in Peach County 

Ft. Valley, GA (May 27, 2010)  Today, The C. E. White Co., Established in 1937 and North America’s largest and the leading specialty seat supplier to the school bus industry, announced it is opening a satellite assembly facility in Peach County, Georgia.  The facility will be geared toward servicing JIT deliveries and on-site support to the Blue Bird Body Co.   Thus, positioning the company for expansion in the South, and in other new markets and products. 

The C. E. White Co. will establish a 24,000 square foot satellite assembly plant in the South Peach Industrial Park in Ft. Valley.  The satellite plant will hire 10 employees in the first year with plans for significant future growth. 

“Our commitment to improving our products and services is the main reason this company has continued to grow over the past three years.  Also C. E. White’s primary focus is improving safety for your children in its products. This is our history and the focus of our future.” said Tony Everett, President/CEO of The C. E. White Co. 

The C. E. White Co. is working closely with Blue Bird and the Commerce and Development Authority of Peach County to assist in business incentives, workforce training and the “Certified Work Ready” program.   

“In effort to continue our growth as a world class supplier in the school bus industry, we made the decision to offset the high cost of fuel by setting up this support facility”, said Steve Frazee, Director of Product and OEM Development at The C. E. White Co.

“By establishing satellite operations like the one in Ft. Valley, we can be onsite for the customer and still utilize our design/testing capabilities and other manufacturing support operations from New Washington.  Not only will we add jobs to the Fort Valley economy, we will add jobs to the New Washington and Crawford County economy.  New Washington will always be the hub of C. E. White wheel as we continue to expand and grow across North America.” 

The C. E. White Co. has been a supplier to Blue Bird Body for over twenty-five years and is currently accepting applications for assembly workers.  According to Everett, the company believes in the spirit of ownership, employee empowerment and sharing.  Interested individuals may apply at Spherion Staffing by calling 478-956-1700 or stopping at their office at 311 Hwy 49 North, Suite 80A, Byron, Georgia. 

RELEASED BY: 

Steve Frazee, Director of Product /OEM Development

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (419) 492-2157 

Redneck Trailer Supplies to locate new distribution center
in Byron
Missouri-based company will create 10 jobs and invest $5 million in
Peach County facility

ATLANTA, August 18, 2009— Missouri-based Redneck Trailer Supplies announced today that it will locate a new distribution center in Byron, creating 10 jobs and investing $5 million.

“Georgia is a great fit for logistics businesses because of our strong transportation network, qualified workforce and business-friendly environment,” said Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). “In Georgia, growing logistics companies such as Redneck Trailer Supplies are able to get their product to market efficiently and inexpensively.”

Redneck Trailer Supplies will host a grand opening of its 20th branch at 308 James E. Williams Drive in Byron at 9 a.m. on Sept. 1. The 17,000-square-foot facility in the North Peach Industrial Park will distribute a full line of trailer parts to accommodate customers in the southeastern region.

Redneck Trailer Supplies began in 1979 as Redneck Trailers and Supplies, a manufacturer building gooseneck trailers. These gooseneck trailers were primarily painted red and that was the start of the “Redneck” name.

“Byron, Georgia is the perfect spot for our 20th distribution center. As a business-to-business entity, it is critical that we position our locations to provide the highest level of service to our customers,” said Ed Brady, President of Redneck Trailer Supplies. “The Southeast and Georgia in particular are growing markets in our industry. Being able to serve this market is an opportunity for our company and the businesses we will serve who require higher levels of service and broader product selection.”
 “We are tremendously excited about Redneck Trailer Supplies choosing Peach County for its newest warehouse location,” said Charles Sims, executive director of the Peach County Development Authority. “They are a great company with a wide reach and their new facility is strategically located with visibility on Interstate 75.”

Annie Marie Baxter, project manager with GDEcD, assisted the company in its location.

About the company
Redneck Trailer Supplies, established in 1981, serves the needs of trailer builders and dealers from coast to coast. The company is based in Springfield, Mo. and has 20 branches across the country providing a full line of trailer parts. Redneck Trailer Company specializes in same-day shipping and strives to provide customers with quality service at the best price.  

Thursday, Feb 9, 2012
Posted on Thu, Feb. 09, 2012

Work starts on $51 million mock city in Perry that will be used to train first responders
By WAYNE CRENSHAW

PERRY -- Work is under way on what might be one of the most unique construction projects ever done in Middle Georgia.

For years, the whisper of the wind around vacant buildings has been about the only thing to be heard at the former Northrop Grumman missile plant in Perry, but on Wednesday it roared with the sound of earth-moving equipment.

Guardian Centers of Georgia is building a 70-acre mock city that will be used to train thousands of emergency personnel and first responders from around the country.

The excavating equipment stopped briefly as about 100 people gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony.

Guardian founder and Chief Executive Officer Geoff Burkart gave some new details about the $51 million project.

The layout of the city is patterned after the downtown street grid of Seattle. Burkart said the city’s L-shape restricts sight lines and presents challenges to trainees.

It also will feature a neighborhood based on New Orleans’ 9th Ward, which was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina. The mock-up can be flooded or drained as needed for training, he said.

It also will have a high school football stadium, because Burkart said that’s where staging of emergency personnel is most often done when there is a major disaster in a community.

He has been planning the project since he worked in the Hurricane Katrina disaster area in 2005.

“This is a culmination of a long journey,” Burkart said.

Work is expected to take about a year, and when it is operational is expected to employ 100 people full-time. Other jobs will be available for people to play the roles of victims.

As many as 5,000 emergency personnel may be at the site at any given time. There will be some lodging on site and some will stay in local hotels.

Local economic developers are expecting a direct impact of $75 million annually. That’s not counting indirect impact such as trainees spending money in local restaurants.

Although Burkart said it’s not something he considered in designing the project, he already has had some Hollywood people call about filming there.

To contact writer Wayne Crenshaw, call 256-9725.


http://www.macon.com/2012/02/09/v-print/1897619/work-starts-on-51m-mock-city.html

Fort Valley Utility Commission
500 Anthoine Street
PO Box 1529
Fort Valley GA  31030

Phone:  478-825-7701; Fax:  478-825-7704
www.fvutil.com

The Fort Valley Utility Commission offers the following services:

Telecommunications 
The Fort Valley Utility Commission offers broadband fiber access.  The 33 mile fiber optic network offers various additional services from a high speed internet connection, dark fiber, up to a custom built point-to-point service to meet our customers need for speed.  We cover the entire Fort Valley area including the South Peach County Industrial Park.  In 2010, the Peach County Public Schools in Peach County were connected via fiber. The Utility Commission is a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) licensed by the Georgia Public Service Commission and is an Internet Service Provider (ISP).  Our fiber ring is connected to the 3,000 mile state-wide Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG) fiber backbone that is operated and maintained by Georgia Public Web, Inc. (GPW).  GPW provides telecommunication services to rural Georgia as a CLEC provider.  GPW is a non-profit provider of internet, private line and web solutions.  Utilizing its statewide fiber optic network, GPW is able to offer cost effective, state of the art products and services to its customers through its own Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) network that is multi-homed to several Tier 1 ISPs with high capacity, scalable connections supported by its own 24/7 Network Operations Center.  GPW is owned by 32 Georgia municipalities, one of which is Fort Valley.

Electricity
One of the most important utilities provided to any community is its electrical energy.  The electric department ensures a reliable and economical source of energy for all its customers – residences, schools, institutions, businesses and industry throughout its service area.  The citizens’ lifestyle depends on it; businesses stake their productivity and profits on it.  Energy is purchased through the MEAG, an organization of 49 member cities.  Our electric rates are in the lowest range of other Georgia providers as referenced in the Georgia Public Service Commission’s Residential Electric Rate Survey that is published twice a year.

The electric department provides an average of 12 million kilowatt hours of electrical energy monthly to its customers through a network of 150 miles of wire and 4000 poles, along with significant number of fuses, transformers, and other essential electrical infrastructure elements.  

Our five linemen maintain Substation Key certifications and always respond immediately to outages and storm damage, even in the worse weather.

Gas
Natural gas is available to citizens of Fort Valley and Roberta as well as areas in Peach and Crawford Counties.  Currently, there are approximately 4000 customer services in the system.  The gas is piped from a Southern Natural Gas cross country high pressure gas line located outside Culloden and distributed to customers over 84 miles of mains from 2” to 6” in diameter.  Although the gas is used primarily to heat homes, the system also supports several large industrial and commercial users that use the gas for their production needs.  The gas department’s customers consume 500 thousand cubic feet of natural gas monthly.  Fixed and interruptible gas rates are offered as well as future hedging for industrial customers. 

Four gas operators have Class I certifications and one has a Class II certification. 

Water
Water is provided from six deep wells approximately 500 feet deep.  These wells pump water to three water treatment plants where the water is disinfected to ensure no organisms are present, fluoride added to strengthen the teeth of young people, and pH adjusted to make the water non-corrosive to customers’ pipes and tanks. 

From the treatment plants, over 5000 gallons of water per minute are pumped to the distribution system.  Additionally, six elevated water tanks located throughout the system provide 1.3 million gallons of storage capacity and also ensure adequate water pressure to all customers.  Additional ground storage tanks bring the system storage capacity to 1,975,000 gallons.

The distribution system is comprised of 150 miles of water mains ranging in size from ¾” to 22” diameter which provide water to citizens of Fort Valley, as well as many residents of Peach County and some residents of Macon County.

We have one of only 35 certified water testing laboratories recognized by EPD in the State with five certified laboratory operators   Four of our five water plant operators have Class I licenses, the highest rating from the State Professional Board.

Reclamation (Wastewater Treatment) Plant and Sewer System
Fort Valley maintains a return activated sludge extended aeration reclamation (wastewater treatment) plant.  This means that as the sanitary waste passes through the treatment process, a portion of it is continually returned to the beginning of the treatment plant process for further aeration and treatment.  The treatment plant is permitted by the State of Georgia, which allows discharge of the treated water to a receiving creek.  Before discharge, the water is tested to make sure it meets stringent discharge requirements as prescribed by the plant’s permit.  Professional operation of the plant by its operators, daily testing, and vigilant inspection by state regulators all work in concert to ensure the discharged water is safe and healthy for aquatic life downstream, which has been reinforced by watershed assessments. Renovations to the reclamation facility were completed October 2009.

The sewer collection system is comprised of 52 miles of wastewater lines that vary in size from 4” to 12” in diameter.  These lines are maintained by a sewer collection crew, who constantly clean and inspect the lines.

One of our wastewater plant operators has a Class I license and three hold a Class III license.  In addition, two plant operators have wastewater laboratory licenses.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport - 90 minute drive from Peach County

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport proudly bears the distinction of being the world’s busiest airport and has long served as a valuable hub connecting various cities and countries around the globe. However, Hartsfield-Jackson is also a prime destination for travelers – business and pleasure – visiting Atlanta and other locales in the southeastern United States.

To keep pace with rapid growth, both in the metro Atlanta area and regionally, the Airport continues to expand capacity and improve efficiency through our $6 billion-plus Capital Improvement Program (CIP). One element of this forward-looking strategy has already yielded results.

From our Airport, Businesses can reach 80 percent of the U.S. market within two hours flight time, and any major North American city in four hours flight time.  For the Perry-Houston County Airport, click here.

Savannah, Georgia - 2 hour drive from Peach County

Savannah has emerged as the fastest growing and fourth largest container port in the United States.  The Georgia Ports Authority Facilitating global trade through strategic U.S. East Coast gateways, the Georgia Ports Authority is a leader in the operation of modern terminals and in meeting the demands of international business. Georgia's ports combine industry innovations with proven flexibility to create new opportunities along the entire global logistics pipeline, delivering what the market demands. Now. Because in the world of trade, we're not just keeping up, we're setting the pace.

Interstate Access - Minutes away

The Georgia Department of Transportation’s team of motivated professionals and quality-driven management will maintain and improve mobility by providing a safe, seamless, intermodal, environmentally-sensitive transportation system.

Through transportation leadership and wise use of human and financial resources, innovative technology, public/private partnerships and citizen input, we will ensure a balance of transportation options so that people and goods arrive at their destination in a timely and efficient manner.

Rail System - On site

Norfolk Southern Railway was established by the June 1, 1982 merger of Southern Railway and Norfolk and Western, creating an 18,000-mile system. Today Norfolk Southern and CSX are the dominant railroads in Georgia.  Our community is also served by CSX.  Our short line rail provider is Pioneer-Railcorp.

The Development Authority of Peach County (DAPC) is responsible for recruiting   new industries to Peach County as well as assisting existing companies with their expansion projects.  The DAPC is the primary point of contact for economic development projects in Byron, Fort Valley and Peach County, Georgia.  We assist businesses and industries looking for available sites and buildings in the Peach County area while working closely with the local and state economic development agencies. 

Our team of dedicated professionals can assist your company with all of your site location requirements such as:

• Available sites
• Available buildings
• Incentive structure
• Infrastructure assistance
• Demographic profiles
• General contractors
• Wage and salary surveys
• Workforce availability and training and
• Relocation assistance

We look forward to working with you!

The DAPC Team 

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Executive Director  (478) 825-3826

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Project Manager  (478) 825-0016

Development Authority of Peach County 2009/2010 Board of Directors                                              

Dr. William Moorehead, Sr., Chairman                             
Calvin Hyer, Vice Chairman                                                                       
Fred Greer, Treasurer
John Demons
David Cleveland
Ben McDaniel
Kevin Bentley
Jeff Liipfert, Attorney for DAPC                                                        

South Peach Industrial Park, located in Fort Valley, Georgia, has an 82,500 square-foot building (expandable to 250,000 square feet) with up to 20 acres ready for build out to customer specifications immediately.  All utilities are in place, including electricity, water, sewer, gas and high speed cable with WIFI.  The building is pre-cast concrete construction and ready to be modified to meet customer requirements.  The industrial park is rail served, with the lead track running the entire length of the industrial park. 

The former Step2 Company building is also available.  With over 100,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space and 2,500 sq. ft. of finished office space, this property will not be on the market for long!  Click here for more information about this building.