Thomson and McDuffie County officials certainly have something to be proud of this week.
The announcement that The HP Pelzer Group had selected our area as the home of the new Pelzer Acoustic Products' plant comes as welcome news around the holidays, especially since it represents a significant investment in the community and 34 new jobs.
And it shows that local leaders have learned a valuable lesson: In the battle to recruit new businesses, sometimes keeping those already in your backyard happy can pay dividends. In this case, the dividends fill a vacant building and could set off a revitalization of a blighted area in town.
You see, beyond the cash investment and new jobs, Pelzer Acoustics represent hope -- the hope government officials carry to rebuild parts of Thomson. They see the new company as the first step toward getting back to the heyday of Thomson Company -- when the west side of town was buzzing and helping bolster the local economy.
In the current economic climate, any expansion news is good news. In this case, it's great news.
