BY PEGGY KING
CORDELE – Both the Crisp County Commissioners and Board of Education have given their support to an effort to create a Small Business Development Center in the county.
Dravian McGill explained to Commissioners during their Tuesday meeting that he is seeking grant funds to establish the Center. Its goal, he said, will be to help local contractors meet bid specifications for large projects such as the new courthouse building.
Because of assistance that was provided, McGill said 47% of the contracts on the courthouse project went to local contractors with over a $4 million impact on the community.
“If local people can learn how to compete for these contracts, we can keep dollars at home,” he told county governors.
Once the initial seed money has been used, he said, he is hoping that the county government and other entities will include a small percentage (possibly 2%) in their construction projects to sustain the Center.
McGill said South Georgia Technical College and the University of Georgia will assist with the training. He believes the Center can start operating with a director and two assistants. Administrative costs, he said, would be about $160,000 annually, and the grant funds that are available total $2.5 to $3.5 million.
Commissioner Brad Faircloth thanked McGill for the research he has done on the Center. “This is exciting. Whenever possible, we need to spend money with people who live here and pay taxes here.”
“The potential impact is huge,” Commission Chairman James Nance added.
The bid process for large construction projects is quite complex, McGill explained. “We want to train our local people so that they understand what they have to do to compete.”
Board of Education members, at their Tuesday evening meeting, also agreed to support the Small Business Development Center concept.
McGill said he wants to develop a consortium of local entities who will contribute to the future operation of the Center.
