VALDOSTA — An electric bill is something everyone has, but besides generating power, what do power companies such as Colquitt Electric Membership Corporation and Georgia Power Company do for the area?

As it turns out, both companies play a role in the economic development where the companies service.

Both companies use programs, whether internal or otherwise, to help local authorities attract and prepare for new businesses that have an impact on the local economy and work force. 

Georgia Power Company

GPC Community Development Manager Scott Purvis’ role in the community is two-fold, he said.

The community development side is working with communities directly and acting as an advisor. For the economic development side, it is a focus on recruitment and expansion.

When working with local development authorities, such as the Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority, Purvis can help with a strategic plan or citing a new piece of land.

A strategic plan is an outline that prioritizes goals and the steps it’s going to take to reach the goals, Purvis said.

Purvis works in 35 counties, and helps the counties find incentive programs through GPC, the state or the federal government, he said.

GPC has five different units of economic development and Purvis’ work falls under community development. The other four units are workforce development, education, economic development and engineering and research, said Anne Kaiser, vice president of community and economic development.

For workforce development and education, GPC focuses on supporting school systems, technical colleges, universities and local politics to encourage job growth and further investment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields involved in the school systems and local government. 

This ensures Georgia has a well-trained work force when companies look at the Peach State for expansions or relocations, according to Georgia Power.

The economic development unit really focuses on business leads for companies that are relocating or expanding and might be interested or have expressed interest in coming to the state.

The engineering and research unit offers deep analytics on demographics, workforce information as well as drawings of what a business park could look like or what a specific building would look like on a site.

The services are offered across the state at no charge, Kaiser said.

Nature Nate’s is a GPC success story in Lowndes County.

“They were coming out of Texas,” Purvis said. “We were able to work with the Development Authority to look at some sites and finally settled on Miller Business Park. … They originally brought in 15-20 jobs, but have added another 20 jobs or so through expansions.”

As to why GPC is willing to invest in communities throughout the state to encourage business growth and expansion is simply because it helps Georgia Power grow, Purvis said. When new businesses come in, it generates new business for the company. But also, the state grows and attracts new businesses and the local economies grow as well.

But, according to Kaiser, there are two important factors contributing to a potential company’s decision when deciding a location: leadership and regionalism.

Leadership is the local governmental bodies and the work they are doing in the area to encourage potential growth opportunities, Kaiser said. Regionalism is how different bodies of leadership interact with one another. So, in Lowndes County, that would be the interactions between the city, county, Lake Park, Hahira and Dasher.

“So,  in other words, if they look at Lowndes County, they want to know that they are dealing with one point of contact,” she said. “… They want to know the community is working together as a whole.

‘When I was down there for a visit, it was very obvious everyone worked together very well. … There was very healthy dialogue around the table from the county commission, mayor and city manager, and that’s important. Because as a prospect you don’t want to get tangled up in boundaries.”

But more than being a part of the company’s business model, it is a part of GPC’s history, said Heather Santiago, GPC community and economic development marketing. GPC employs many residents who live in Georgia and are invested in the community.

“At the end of the day, it’s impacting lives and making a difference,” she said. 

Georgia EMC

Georgia EMC is the statewide external affairs organization for the 41 electric cooperatives throughout the state, according to its website.

On a statewide level, Georgia EMC’s community and economic development program has a number of programs prospective businesses and development authorities can use.

These include confidential site selection assistance to corporate site seekers considering Georgia for new or expanding facilities at www.ga-sites.com, said Terri Statham, manager of media relations. 

This includes an interactive, searchable databases of available industrial buildings and sites across Georgia as well as demographics and data on doing business in Georgia.

Georgia EMC also offers drone photography and creating 3-D models of proposed industrial buildings as well as creating customized story maps to market communities and their assets, she said.

For Georgia EMC, investing in new businesses is more than just making money, but a way to invest in Georgia.

“History has shown that communities who invest equally in community development, leadership development and economic development are the communities that we see thriving and creating a sustainable economy that provides jobs, business growth opportunities and a well-balanced mix of services for its citizens,” said Pat Merritt, vice president of community and economic development. 

Georgia EMC has provided several leadership programs in Lowndes County including facilitating Leadership Lowndes and Leadership Lowndes Youth League on several occasions on behalf of Colquitt EMC, Statham said. 

In addition, Georgia EMC was one of the founders of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development, held regionally each year through a public-private partnership with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and Georgia Power.

During the past 23 years, the Academy has trained more than 6,000 Georgia residents on all aspects of a sustainable community economic development program.

For more information go to: www.selectgeorgia.com and www.ga-sites.com.

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1257.