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Economic Development
economic
Development
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The Rome Floyd County Development Authority (RFCDA) serves as an economic development organization for Rome and Floyd County
Led by Missy Kendrick, President/CEO, and Project Manager Heather Seckman, the authority markets the community to industry prospects, representing public and privately-owned industrial property and buildings.
Rome and Floyd County have several industrial parks and sites available, including the North Floyd Industrial Rail Site located at the northwest intersection of Highway 140 and Highway 53. This site is 110-acres zoned heavy industrial and is served by Norfolk Southern Railway. This prime property is only 7 miles to Interstate 75 and has access to all utilities. Certified by the Georgia Department of Economic Development as a Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) property, this site is guaranteed ready for fast-track construction projects based on proactive due diligence done by the Authority to prepare the site for development.
Another area ready for development is the Berry Corporate Center on Technology Parkway, with hundreds of acres available. Zoning on this property ranges from Office Institutional (O-I) to Heavy Industrial (H-I). Years ago, Berry College reserved this property for industrial development, and
20 Suzuki Manufacturing of America and Neaton Rome, among others, have made this parkway their home. This corridor also has all utilities in place and has rail service available. The RFCDA works with Berry College to further develop sites to meet specific needs and prepare for GRAD certification.
The Authority works closely with local and statewide stakeholders such as the City of Rome and Floyd County, local department heads, project managers from the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Georgia Power Company, Georgia EMC, Norfolk Southern, and other utilities. It takes a team approach to develop, market and sell these sites to create jobs for the community and increase the tax base through capital investment.
The Authority also relies on Rome City Schools and Floyd County Schools to develop the next generation of employees for the companies being recruited. The available workforce is one of the most important location factors for new and expanding industries. Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia, Berry College, Georgia Highlands College, Georgia Northwestern Technical College and Shorter University all
work with the RFCDA to ensure companies can hire skilled workers. It is extremely unusual for a community the size of Rome to have four colleges.
Rome and Floyd County do an outstanding job of maintaining the quality of place that is so attractive to prospective industries. When site selection consultants look for a place for their clients, they analyze the community based on quality of life factors such as rivers, trails, parks and other recreational activities. Attractions such as the Rome Braves and Rome Tennis Center are key to providing an inviting community.
Missy and Heather stand ready to represent Rome and Floyd County and to help the community grow and succeed.
