Fayette and

other Georgia counties are suffering from a decline of locating new industries

and businesses here, specifically in Peachtree City, according to officials.

But since the

prospects aren't calling on Fayette, the county will begin calling on

them, Fayette County Development Authority President/CEO Chris Clark told

the Peachtree City Development Authority at its workshop last weekend.

The county

development authority which is the lead agency in attracting companies

here wants to specialize in recruiting international companies, Clark

said. The idea is to dovetail on the successes of businesses like Panasonic

and Hoshizaki America that have flourished once locating in Peachtree

City's industrial park, the largest such area in the county.

This specialization

tactic will separate Fayette from the rest of the pack, Clark noted.

"There

are no other communities in Georgia that are niche marketing like we will,"

Clark said.

The effort

will likely take visits overseas to lure prospects for small to medium

size office and flex space, Clark said.

Fayette has

nine different countries represented in the Peachtree City industrial

park, noted Tate Godfrey, chairman of the Development Authority of Peachtree

City.

The county

authority is also hoping to get new prospects by luring the suppliers

and customers of existing businesses and industries, Clark said.

With just 43

calls from potential prospects in the past nine months, Fayette County

was hurt by the development moratorium that was enacted by the Peachtree

City Council in January, Clark said. Still, Fayette has had 22 initial

visits and 12 repeat visits from prospects in the past nine months while

Statesboro hasn't had a prospect visit in 18 months, Clark added.

Pat Murphy,

who's in charge of marketing industrial property for Pathway Communities,

said one key issue to the industrial park's future will be its past. New

uses will have to be found for older buildings as they are abandoned by

their current companies, Murphy said

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