Local

Bartow awaits new business

August 16th, 2012

An automotive parts supplier from Austria will build a manufacturing facility northwest of Atlanta.

Bartow County’s been waiting for this kind of news since before the recession.

In 2005, Bartow County and Cartersville city officials started building Highland 75. The industrial park needed sewer lines and roads. Melinda Lemmon says those finishing touches were complete in late 2007.

“Just in time for the economy to be a challenge associated with new construction projects,” said Lemmon.

Lemmon heads the Cartersville-Bartow County Economic Development Department. In 2008, Lemmon says Highland 75 had the infrastructure companies wanted. But she says businesses sought cheaper leases elsewhere.

On Wednesday, Voestalpine said it will lease space inside Highland 75. The Austrian company will be Bartow’s 6^th automotive parts supplier. More importantly, Lemmon hopes the company won’t be the last tenant inside Bartow’s industrial park.

“We feel like it will be the first of several really good employers over the next year or two to get our park started,” said Lemmon.

Voestalpine will employ 220 people at the Bartow facility.