You don’t have to commute

Many Lamar countians commute to metro Atlanta or elsewhere to work. Local high school students often feel as if they have to leave home for a good job.When Carter’s, which was employed 1500 people in its heyday, abandoned the community years ago, employment here did plummet. Then came the housing crash of 2006. It nipped what looked to be a period of unprecedented growth for the region in the bud.Businesses closed or failed. Commercial and residential construction flatlined. Permit books at the courthouse and city hall gathered dust.But things are changing. Continental AG is sinking millions into the Aldora Mills plant here. Expansion is coming in our forest products industry. Agriculture is booming. Residential construction is back with a bang.Land values, long stagnant, are rising. Retail and fast food operations suddenly covet land on Veterans Parkway in Barnesville. Vacant industrial buildings will soon be humming again.All that means good local jobs and boosted local payrolls which are good for the economy.With each day that passes, it becomes less necessary for locals to commute out of the county for a good job. High school students can take advantage of the excellent LCHS College & Career Academy, Gordon State College, UGA Griffin and Southern Crescent Technical College to get degrees and skills that will aid them in getting a good job with the opportunity for advancement right here at home.It is Manufacturing Appreciation Month and, here in Barnesville-Lamar County, we have more to appreciate than most. Read more about it on pages 1-5C in the 4.24.18 print edition of The Herald Gazette.