VALDOSTA — The impact local businesses feel from having a military base nearby is one that can’t be avoided. For Moody Air Force Base, the more than 3,000 military personnel living off-base translates to a combined $146.2 million payroll that is spent on local housing and businesses.

The more than 900 on-base residents who hold a combined payroll of $25 million only adds to the local economy.

“Any business is going to benefit from having a base here,” said Shelley Rehberg, marketing director of Colonial Mall Valdosta. “We’ve got a large population that’s out there. Granted, we have several residents on base, but the mall offers different ways to get off base. We know that they’re one of our shoppers.”

While the mall expansion project is not a direct result of having Moody Air Force Base nearby, Rehberg said military personnel contribute to the overall population retailers review.

“I can’t see that it would hurt. There are several factors involved when you’re looking at expansion. First, there needs to be consideration with the way the town or city has grown and the need for additional retail opportunities,” Rehberg said. “For us to add on to what we have is to make something more inviting.

While Moody’s population contributed to Valdosta gaining metropolitan status, Myrna Ballard, president of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce, said retailers usually look at the overall population.

“The retailers look for a critical mass and of course metro status was our way of telling the world we have met the retail mass,” Ballard said. “When retailers look at the numbers, they most certainly just look at the numbers.”

However, Ballard added that Moody’s population contributes to those businesses that do locate to Lowndes County.

“It would be very difficult to exaggerate the impact of those Moody dollars on the retail community,” Ballard said. “But there are some businesses that, of course, depend on Moody personnel more than others.”

For instance, Ballard said one business has reported that about 40 percent of its sales go to Moody personnel.

“Obviously a business like that would take a huge hit if the unthinkable happened,” Ballard said. “Certainly there are businesses that see Moody personnel out on a daily basis in their restaurants, in their stores and in their shops.”

The new Harveys on Bemiss Road is one of those. Walt Vickers, store manager of Harveys, said in the time that the supermarket has been open he sees military shopping daily.

“We just opened the store three weeks ago so of course we see a lot of military day to day throughout our store,” Vickers said. “Without the base, not just the grocery industry but Lowndes County in general would be hurt. (Moody) has a huge impact on businesses.”

With Moody about five miles from Harveys, the relative location to the base contributed to the supermarket’s establishment at that Bemiss Road location.

“It had a part. Of course it wasn’t the sole reason, but of course it had the desirement due to the military base,” Vickers said.

If Moody were to face closure, Vickers said local businesses would feel the effects.

“In the area which we are out on Bemiss Road it would have a huge impact on everything from fast food restaurants to convenience stores to all the strip malls built out on Bemiss,” Vickers said.

Besides retailers, mortgage companies and real estate agents would take a big hit, said Becky Herndon, assistant vice president of Market Street Mortgage.

“It’s endless what they contribute as far as the economic health of Lowndes County,” said Herndon, who specializes in mortgage loans for military families. “I would hate to think what would happen if 3,000 families vacated our area.”

Besides business and housing, Herndon said Lowndes County would lose the military’s contributions to the community.

“They’re heavily involved in all sorts of sports with their children and the school system, they’re active in parent teacher associations and get involved in Red Cross, Cancer Relay for Life, the American Heart Association,” Herndon said. “What I would miss most is their friendship. They’re great people, and they’re top quality people with good work ethics and moral ethics.”