America's overall

economic outlook might not be so rosy, but local economic developers have

seen a spike in industrial prospects comparing activity so far this fiscal

year to the previous year.

Chris Clark,

president and CEO of the Fayette County Development Authority, said that

155 industrial prospects have been recorded in the first half of this

fiscal year, compared to 97 for the entire previous fiscal year. He shared

this information with the Peachtree City Council at its regular meeting

last week.

The authority

has also hosted 24 state and national project managers in the first six

months of this fiscal year compared to 32 the previous year, Clark added.

One large factor

in the increased prospect numbers is that the authority has generated

more in-house prospects while still relying on referrals from other economic

development entities such as state agencies, Georgia Power and Georgia

EMC.

"We're

looking for prospects that can grow," who don't necessarily come

as referrals from those groups, Clark said. He gave the example of a business

that pulls in $60 million in annual revenues from the United Kingdom that

will relocate its two employees locally.

"They're

going to grow and add good, high-paying jobs," Clark said, adding

that the initiative shows the authority "is much more proactive than

we have been in the past."

The authority

is also using a consultant to reach into the Asian markets for prospects.

Another key

number, representing the amount of new jobs created (which doesn't count

layoffs) is at 248 for the past six months compared to 290 total for the

previous year, Clark added.

Still, there

were 305 layoffs this year and Clark said he thought that was a challenge

the authority would continue to battle.

But the authority

is working hard to help existing industry in addition to recruiting new

industry to Fayette County, Clark added. And they're being pretty picky

about which industry can come here to protect Fayette's quality of life,

Clark said.

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