Saturday's Internet Edition, May 17, 2008.
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Following an hour-long briefing from Steve Googe, executive director of Davidson County Economic Development Commission, council members discussed various avenues in bringing new jobs in Thomasville. At the end of the discussion, council developed a long list of ways to recruit new businesses.
With a limited amount of job fairs in Thomasville in the last few years, council members said hosting a job fair every quarter would be a way getting displaced workers back on the job. One of the possibilities of where the job fair would be held is the recreation center. City Manager Kelly Craver said one of the obstacles is attracting employers to participate in the job fairs. Councilman Scott Styers agreed, and suggested working to bring more job fairs to the area.
“You got most of these [job fairs] that happen in Lexington, in Greensboro at the airport, and in High Point,” Styers said. “I think what our focus should be is how many of these job fairs can we get in Thomasville. We have lost a lot of jobs in this community. We have a product to sell, which is a work force.”
“Sometimes it can be a little intimidating to have to go to a job fair at the Marriott at the airport,” Styers continued. “Lets just try to get our fair share in Thomasville. That is the issue”
Councilman Ricky Murphy said there is an Employment Security Commission office located on Colonial Drive, which residents can utilize to get jobs.
“That place is like an ongoing job fair,” Murphy said. “You walk in there today and you get your needs met. They help you with education, job placement, give you scholarships and grants to go to the community college. It is like a one-stop shop.”
Council agreed that revitalization to downtown was a way of getting jobs to Thomasville.
“We should make the environment suitable that it is attractive in whatever way we can,” Styers said. “Whether it is in tax breaks, incentives or grants.”
But Styers said the city should be careful in offering incentives to companies that might bring a limited number of jobs. He used the recent selling of the former Thomasville Furniture Industries Plant D to Ison International in December 2007 as an example. The company is expected to bring 25 jobs, and possibly up to 100 in years to come.
“I applaud Mr. Ison for coming and I’m glad that somebody is going to use it and it is not going to be another flea market,” Styers said. “However, it is a limited number of jobs considering the size of the parcel of the land, considering the pre-China value of the property.”
Councilman George Burton said the city should see what existing businesses are doing and what they will be doing in the future.
“We can learn from that and be prepared on what is going to occur,” he said.
Other topics discussed at the retreat were communication, new buildings, a joint water plant between Thomasville and Lexington, transportation and finance.
City Engineer Bryan Fulbright briefed the council on transportation issues in Thomasville. He discussed the finishing of N.C. 109 to Winston-Salem, repairs to Valley Road Bridge and the removal of at-grade rail crossings in Thomasville.
City council will continue its retreat Thursday in City Hall’s boardroom at 6 p.m.
Staff Writer Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 472-9500, ext. 231, or ignasiak@tvilletimes.com.