The Progress Index - June 12, 2005

Economic Expansion

BY SUSAN ROBERTSON

PRINCE GEORGE - Business is booming in Prince George and the proposals just keep coming. "We've had about $52 million in capital investment in the past 12 months," said G.W Bailey, deputy county administrator.

Once a primarily agricultural county, Prince George is now becoming a home for businesses that are looking to set up shop.

"I want very much to preserve the Prince George County as a county, and by that I mean the agricultural nature of it, but growth is inevitable," said Supervisor Jerry J. Skalsky.

And Prince George will see its share of growth in the months to come when American Enterprises, Wilco, Norfolk Southern Railroad Co. and a host of smaller corporations begin construction.

American Enterprises is investing $3.5 million in the building of a 50,000 square foot warehouse and a mini storage complex off Bull Hill Road. Wilco is planning to build a truck stop near the intersection of Bull Hill Road and U.S. Route 460 and a $4 million hotel is going to be constructed near the Interstate 95 interchange off South Crater Road by a company whose name has not been disclosed. However, construction on the hotel cannot begin until the area has been outfitted with a municipal water system.

"Development off exit 45 has been frustrated because there is a municipal sewer system but there is no municipal water system," said Board of Supervisors Chairman Dr. Joseph A. Leming.

The businesses in that area currently get their water from private wells, but officials have come up with a solution.

"We're going to take those wells and use them to fill the tower," said Bailey. "The water system constructed will be owned by the county. It will be for commercial use only, but it will provide infrastructure for additional business at the interchange."

After months of debate, the building of an intermodel facility by the Norfolk Southern Railroad has been approved. The intermodel will serve to facilitate loading from trucks to trains and vice versa. The project is an $11 million capital investment.

Service Center Metals, an aluminum extrusion company, is one of the economic boom's largest contributors. The company has already begun construction on a $28 million capital expansion at their plant in SouthPoint Business Park. The expansion will nearly double the size of the building, taking it from 7,800 square feet to 15,500 square feet. It will also serve to triple the plants capacity, allowing them to produce and house 90 million pounds of extrusion and create 40 new jobs at SCM.

"We're making pretty good progress and the equipment is on schedule," said R. Scott Kelley, SCM president and CEO. "We anticipate that the building will be complete in September. Equipment will begin to arrive in October and installation we start in November."

In addition to all the projects that have been finalized a number of others are planned.