April 2017 | Business View Magazine

74 75 FAA, Georgia Dept. of Transportation, the City of Griffin, and Spalding County are all paying for it.” Airport plans are in the land purchase phase now, followed by three to four years of con- struction. Completion is estimated in five years. Once the new site is up and running, the cur- rent airport (approx. 180 acres) will be open for redevelopment. Bids are now being accepted for purchase of the property, and parties are expressing interest. Industry, Innovation, Infrastructure Right next door to the new airport is the city’s latest industrial park. Classed as a green infra- structure project, this eco-friendly park has several lakes used for stormwater management.Three Japanese companies have recentlymoved onsite. Smith notes,“From an industrial standpoint, Caterpillar is our largest manufacturing plant. Norcom is another major one, producing office and school paper products.We are also home to one of the largest domestic towel makers in the US, called ‘I888 Mills’ because it has been in pro- duction since 1888. It’s owned by native Griffinites and is a tremendous partner in our community.” In the 1960s Griffin was a textile town, em- ploying up to 10,000 people.When most of that work went offshore, the textile mills closed, and unemployment became a brutal reality. Thank- Griffin, Georgia fully, 1888 Mills stayed, and the city survived by diversifying its industrial base. Smith adds, “We are also a regional medical hub–WellStar Spal- ding Regional Hospital is a significant employ- er; as is Southern Crescent Technical College, bringing in students from all over the region to study here.” The University of Georgia has a satellite cam- pus in Griffin, and recently opened their food product innovation center; teaching students how to produce and market food in today’s business environment - a boon for bringing food product companies into the new industrial park. Also on campus – a turf-grass innovation center is being built as a scientific research facility to assist with turf grass management for golf courses and athletic fields. When it comes to infrastructure, Toussaint Kirk knows his numbers: “Griffin has earned eight Community Development Block Grant