Skip to Content

Small town could get 20,000 jobs

More
Text SizeAAA

Filed under: Recession, Stimulate US

Imagine trying to make ends meet by commuting across town to the nearest city in search of employment. Transportation expenses add up, and there is little hope of a recovery to help your little town succeed.

Welcome to West Point, Ga., a tiny rural community south of Atlanta. Its population is just 3,500 and the recession has left it with an unemployment rate of 8.6% compared to the state's 9.7%. West Point's downtown area is almost deserted with scars of the economic slump well apparent. Not anymore, according to a CNN report.

Along the roads of West Point, signs display support for a new KIA auto factory that is set to open by the end of this year. KIA Motors, a Korean car manufacturer, will use the West Point factory to make the KIA Sorento. The new plant has already hired 500 workers and it hopes to bring 2,000 more on board in the years to come. This is great news for tiny West Point...or "Kia-Ville", as some residents like to call it.

The announcement draws workers and businesses to West Point from neighboring Alabama to burnt-out Detroit, Michigan. The community is well underway with preparation. Downtown West Point is bustling with infrastructure projects, hotel services, restaurants and more.

To make this KIA factory possible, the town's government has offered some economic incentives. Tax breaks of $400 million and 2,200 acres of former cattle farmland have been granted to KIA Motors in return for a thriving economy.

What's happening in West Point can and should happen across our nation. As states scrounge around trying to balance budgets while residents feel the pinch of the economy, businesses are awaiting opportunities. Offering incentives and clearing the way for economic growth will eventually help businesses and residents recover from this fiscal storm.
Subscribe to Walletpop
Ensuring a Safe Manicure and Pedicure
Millions of women (and a few men) visit nail salons regularly to have their nails done. ...
Lalique and Haviland Open Flagship Boutique
Two of the most prestigious brands in the luxury industry have joined forces to open a flagship ...

Laura Heller
Laura Heller Filed under: Shopping, Technology

DVD wars come to online retailers

First books, now movies, the price wars between the biggest retailers just keep getting hotter. Walmart, Target and Amazon are all slashing pre-order pricing on some hot new releases like "Harry ...
Gina Roberts-Grey
Gina Roberts-Grey Filed under: Extracurriculars, Home

World's cheapest iPhone case wants your artwork

If you've got some mad art skills, or at least the ability to cut and paste, this contest is for you. Case-mate, the makers of the cheapest (and perhaps ugliest) iPhone case the "Recession Case" is ...
Julia Scott
Julia Scott Filed under: Shopping, Technology, Bargain Babe

Hot deal! $199 Xbox at Walmart with $100 gift card

Walmart is selling the Xbox 360 Arcade console for $199 this Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, but the package includes a $100 gift card -- shazam! "If you were thinking about purchasing an Xbox 360 this ...
Farnoosh Torabi
Farnoosh Torabi Filed under: Credit, Debt, Kids and Money, Saving Money, Health, Bankruptcy, Video, Credit cards

Bank of Mom & Dad's Money Coach: The truth about debt

My task each week on SOAPnet's Bank of Mom and Dad is to provide young women with solid advice that will improve their messy financial lives. In return I've received quite the education on some of the ...

Headlines from WalletPop Partners