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In a press release Monday, Valerie Gray, Executive Director of the Chambers County Development Authority, announced its plans to seek Food Site Certification for both Valley Industrial Parks (North and South). In cooperation with Garner Economics LLC and CDG, Inc., this process will position the City of Valley’s industrial parks to attract new business to the region.

The press release said the properties, located at 1033 Valley Industrial Boulevard and the 3800 Block of 55th Street SW, adds to the growing list of sites available statewide for companies looking to begin construction and commence operation as quickly as possible.

“To continue our momentum, we must be proactive in creating product where site selection consultants know their clients’ businesses can thrive,” Gray said. “A certified food and beverage site gives us an advantage over our competitors in that we can offer a shovel-ready site that has been vetted through a rigorous process of review by renowned professionals in economic development. In today’s environment, it’s all about speed to market.” 

According to Garner and CDG, Inc., 47,800 companies in the United States are defined as food and beverage (F&B) process manufacturers. The industry continues to expand despite economic recessions and has continually evolved to meet the ever-changing demands of consumers. Combined, these companies employ more than 1.9 million people. 

In the release, Gray outlined what is included with certification. 

“Receiving certification is not a given and is, in fact, a rigorous process,” she said. “This will require the CCDA team to work together with the local utilities and our allies in Alabama to achieve designation. The deliverables are a concise database record for hundreds of valuable criteria and variables necessary to support the critical business decisions of a food industry manufacturer considering your location.

“A comprehensive labor analysis focused on the workforce requirements of the food and beverage industry will be part of the certification process. This presents solid information to help persuade prospective clients of the value of your site. A building layout from engineers so that a prospective client can see how a building may be defined on the site(s) analyzed will also be included. And finally, the process includes a report with the Garner + CDG Food Site Certification label. If the site does not meet the criteria, an explanation of what needs to be done will be provided to achieve the Certification.”

Valley Mayor Leonard Riley spoke about what the new site certification means for the community’s future. 

“The council and I are pleased that the CCDA is taking such a proactive approach on the product we have purchased,” Riley said. “This process just solidifies our investment in economic development and sends a message to companies that Valley is open for business and ready for development.”