Tim Martin, Executive Director, Houston County Development Authority

I would like to share with you the purpose and goals of Team Houston, which is the name we give to Houston County's economic development effort. We are a county of just over 100,000 people, and growth has been steady over the past six decades.

Houston County is home to Warner Robins Air Force Base, which, historically, has been our largest employer with more than 20,000 civilian and military workers. The base is a vital link in the maintenance of our nation's Air Force. Soon it will have several hundred job openings as it expands due to closures and realignments at other installations.

But what we recently have been seeing is a growing job market off of the base. One of our goals at Team Houston is to encourage a diversification of the economy. We especially are interested in manufacturing and distribution of goods.

Our proximity to major transportation corridors, such as I-75, is one reason we feel poised in the right direction for growth.

Another is that our community's leaders have stayed on top of growth patterns in the country's economy and have been faithful to the idea that a healthy local economy needs a knowledgeable and willing workforce. To sustain our growth, the county has involved our area high schools and colleges, as well as our own Middle Georgia Technical College.

Georgia Quick Start also adds to the high quality of training. In fact, Quick Start is considered one of the premier incentive programs the state has to offer, and we, in Houston County, have greatly benefited from its services. The Frito-Lay corporation, specifically, has used Quick Start in each of its several expansions over the years.

To keep a viable network serving the area, we formed Team Houston in the mid-1990s. This brings together, on a regular basis, the leaders from existing industry; our board of education; the leaders from the municipalities of Perry, Warner Robins, and Centerville; and our county commissioners. We also have two convention and visitors bureaus and two chambers of commerce members on the team. State Senator Sonny Perdue and Representatives Pam Bohannon and Larry Walker participate as well. Leaders from the health industry and our labor training programs also are included. We meet on a monthly basis and have good cross-representation.

Our meetings are like a community staff meeting. If we get these folks together on a regular basis, we can know a little better what the other is doing and how we can complement each other's programs.

We are able to establish strong, interpersonal relationships among the groups scattered across the county. It has been rewarding to see friendships and goodwill fostered between these entities.

We like getting out into our established industries, like Frito-Lay, brag on them, help them tell their stories, and share the good news about their accomplishments and their contributions to Houston County. They are proud of what they have, and we are glad to show it off.

We also involve our industries by conducting a business retention and expansion program every other year. Our volunteers go out and discuss business climate issues with these industries. This fosters goodwill; if a problem arises, they feel they can pick up the phone and call a personal contact, not a total stranger.

The main challenge of economic development is to keep things fresh — keep them alive. We have to be alert and think ahead all of the time. We feel this Team Houston model is a great way to to do just that.