Tag Archives: 21 August 2012

Video playlist @ VLCIA 2012-08-21

Here are videos of the 21 August 2012 Regular meeting. of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA). Here's the agenda.

See also Steeda Manufacturing moving into medical parts and new markets.

Regular Meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
Norman Bennett, Tom Call, Roy Copeland, Chairman, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett, Andrea Schruijer, Executive Director, J. Stephen Gupton, Attorney, Tom Davis, CPA, Allan Ricketts, Project ManagerS. Meghan Duke, Public Relations & Marketing Manager, Lu Williams, Operations Manager,
Videos by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 21 August 2012.

-jsq

Steeda Manufacturing moving into medical parts and new markets @ VLCIA 2012-08-21

Dario Orlando, CEO of Steeda Manufacturing, which currently makes performance parts for Mustangs, told the Industrial Authority at its 21 August 2012 Regular Session that Steeda is moving into making medical parts, plus selling to GM, and into new geographical markets.

Here’s Part 1 of 4:

Video by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 21 August 2012.

Allan Ricketts, VLCIA Project Manager, explained that Steeda had requested a second extension, and an amendment to reduce the requirement of number of jobs from 40 to 30.

We certainly think that is justified in the very difficult economic climate and conditions that we’ve had over the past couple of years, and certainly acknowledging that in that very challenging economic time, we’ve had steady continued growth by Steeda. And so now we’re up to about 23 employees there.

I think it is also significant to note […] that Steeda has now moved its entire manufacturing operation to Valdosta. That move represents about a million five investment in the community. Actually specifically it is $1,480,950 in some very unique manufacturing equipment. I think it is important to understand that some of this manufacturing equipment provides a great resource here that two of the current projects that we are chasing are very interested in.

Here’s Part 2 of 4:

Video by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 21 August 2012.

Dario Orlando then remarked that things were going very well, and:

We’re expanding into other markets like I’d mentioned before the commencement of the meeting. We’re moving into medical manufacturing because we do have the most advanced manufacturing capabilities here in Valdosta. Furthermore, we’re starting to supply General Motors with performance parts, the GM performance brand. We opened up another company here in Valdosta called LSR Performance.

I was telling Allan this morning… that we’re all going to be looking back at this day. I plan to have a couple of hundred employees here in the next five years.

Then he mentioned a new development, and Roy Copeland reminded him this was an open public meeting. Hint: Continue reading

Runoff still undecided, Republican Primary, Lowndes County Commission District 5, 21 August 2012

Hall and Page examining precinct results With all precincts reporting in the Republican Primary Runoff for Lowndes County Commission District 5 (West half of the county), the numbers are:

Jody T. Hall 48.06% 855
John P. Page 51.94% 924
Total votes 1,779

So how is the election not decided yet? Provisional ballots, which won’t be completely sorted out until Friday. Those are for people who may have been in the wrong district or there was some other irregularity that must be deciphered. It’s unlikely there are enough of those to swing this election, but it’s possible. I congratulated both candidates.

There is no Democratic candidate, so less than 2,000 people are deciding who will be the County Commissioner representing about 55,000 people.

More pictures below.

Go to your precinct. Trinity Presbyterian polling place

Greg Gullberg of WCTV interviewing TP official signs

Back at the Board of Elections.

Jody Hall truck John Page truck

Deb Cox is Lowndes County Supervisor of Elections.

Hall, Deb Cox, Page

Pictures by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 21 August 2012.

One of those last two people, as County Commission Chair, will have to organize the Commission including whoever wins this race. I got them to grin by saying “Ashley Paulk.”

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VLCIA meets tonight, about what, we can’t tell @ VLCIA 2012-08-21

According to its website:

The Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority’s Regular Monthly Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 21, 2012, 5:30 PM at the Industrial Authority Conference Room, 2110 N. Patterson Street.

Last meeting, VLCIA Executive Director Andrea Schruijer told me the results of the focus groups would be presented this month. Maybe she meant at this meeting. On the VLCIA facebook page, there’s this paragraph from 14 August 2012:

We are excited to present our final Target Business Analysis to the community at the end of August. We took at 360 degree approach to targeting economic development activity concentrating on employment, workforce skill, investment, and innovation to identify clusters of economic activity and developing targeted strategies for economic development.

It links to this (unembeddable) video of Andrea Schruijer talking about cluster analysis. It’s good they’re branching out to new ways of doing PR. It would be even better if they also published agendas and minutes with content.

Here’s the (content-free) agenda for today’s meeting:

Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority
Agenda
Tuesday, August 21, 2012 5:30 p.m.
Industrial Authority Conference Room
2110 N. Patterson Street
Continue reading