Business View Civil Municipal - July 2023

133 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 7 EUFAULA , ALABAMA “Broadband is coming to the Wiregrass in a big way,” the mayor exclaims. Businesses turning to Eufaula There is nothing quite like the renowned southern hospitality, and it certainly comes in handy when trying to attract companies into the area and work with existing companies on any planned expansions. “Eufaula is home to a robust recreational and commercial fishing industry. Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics Inc manufactures their Hummingbird fish finders right here in Eufaula and they’re the only fish finder company making their products in the United States,” Hawkins explains. Eufaula can also boast two of the largest soft plastic bait manufacturers; Big Bite Baits and Southern Plastics. “Timber, wood, and wood pulp are also major drivers for Barbour County which is situated in the eastern ‘wood basket’ of Alabama,” The Mayor elaborates. “We have three industry-leading sawmills, a Westrock coated paper board mill, and several timber harvesting operations in the County which collectively employ over 5,000 people,” he adds. Rounding out the list of companies that enjoy doing business with Eufaula is Tyson Foods, which is an industry- leading poultry production operation. “We are very proud of Tyson Foods. They operate one of the largest poultry processing facilities in the country and they support an equally large number of growers. Tyson’s main facility is located in Baker Hill and they process several million pounds of chicken per week,” Sparks states.