The

Coweta County Commission enthusiastically

announced Tuesday that a new tenant has purchased

a tract in the Creekside Industrial Park.

Rufus

H. Smith Jr. and Company of Knoxville is

purchasing 21.237 acres in the park for $1.06

million. The company is a commercial real estate

development company and is also the parent

company of some other large companies.

It

plans to use eight of the acres for a

distribution facility, but has not determined the

use of the remaining 13 acres.

"The

sale of this property shows the excellent

potential of the Coweta County industrial

market," said industrial parks manager Buddy

Harrison.

The

Coweta County government took the bold step late

last year when it decided to purchase the

remaining land at Shenandoah Industrial Park and

Creekside Industrial Park.

The

county sold bonds to finance its $13.5 million

purchase of the remaining 900 acres in the

Shenandoah Industrial park.

An

additional $1 million in bonds is being used for

the continuation of Sanders Road and Amlajack

Boulevard, and the remaining half interest in the

Bill Hart property, land next to the industrial

park needed to help improve it. The county

earlier purchased a 50 percent interest in the

land.

The

park was built in the 1970s and has served as the

major industrial park for the county for the last

20 years.

The

announcement of the land purchase means the debt

on the bonds is covered for another two years,

said Coweta County Development Authority Chairman

Mike Barber.

All

the commissioners said they are hoping this is

the first of many announcements of purchases in

the park.

"We

don't plan to rest on our laurels," Barber

said.