Local & State Headlines

City works to attract auto parts suppliers

• Capitalizing on the good economic news of other cities is part of the development web.

Barbara Rivera Holmes

ALBANY — Economic development officials are wasting no time in trying to make a new west Georgia auto plant work to the advantage of Albany and Dougherty County.

The Dec. 20 announcement by South Korean Kia supplier Sewon Precision to locate a $170-million, 700-job plant in LaGrange made statewide headlines for its development implications.

While that plant will produce car body components for Kia Motors’ West Point plant, Albany could fit into the scheme as a tier two or tier three supplier, said Andrea Schruijer, vice president of the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission.

“There’s a Kia plant opening in LaGrange, a Honda (Motor Co.) plant in Alabama, a Toyota (Motor Sales plant) in Alabama,” she said. “There’s a huge automotive push happening right here in the Southeast states, and so, how can we capitalize on that growth?

“We are not going to get the auto factory, but what suppliers can we get to help them?”

As a tier two or three supplier, Albany could provide essential auto parts, such as steering wheels and turn signals, Schruijer said.

In terms of recruiting suppliers, she said, the EDC and other local entities work to ensure that state and local developers “are aware that we have the capabilities to take them on, we have the work force, we have the land, we have the existing buildings.”

“It’s making sure that we have the facilities and services available to them,” she said.

Another part of recruitment is ensuring the site information, work force demographics and commercial data are up-to-date on the EDC’s latest online venture, www.albanygaprospector.com, which utilizes geographic information system technology.

Potential sites for an auto supplier include property at the Albany-Dougherty Industrial Park and Pecan Grove Industrial Park, she said.

Talks of developing as an auto plant supply city are in the beginning stages.

“It’s something that will be a long time (away),” she said. “With the Kia plant opening up in LaGrange, the focus is on tier one.”

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