Why Pike County?

Representatives from Rex Lumber and Kimber Manufacturing will answer that question when they speak at the Why Pike County Business Development Breakfast on Monday, February 25.

Both companies were recruited to Pike County over the past two years and are each expecting to be operational in June.

Dana Sanders, president of the Pike County Chamber of Commerce, said Jared Banta of Rex Lumber and Scott Moore of Kimber Manufacturing will come to speak about how the final decision was made to come to Troy instead of a variety of other places that were competing to be the new homes of the industries.

“They’re going to come and speak to the residents of our county about what made our site stand out from the others and what kind of labor force we have to provide these companies with,” Sanders said. “We appreciate the efforts of the Pike County Economic Development Corporation, the City of Troy and the Pike County Commission for all their hard work that went into recruiting these industries and we look forward to seeing the impacts that they are going to have on our economy.”

Both of the companies were recruited under Alabama’s 772 amendment, which allows municipalities and counties to offer certain incentives to bring industry.

The two companies together will provide over 450 jobs in the area initially and both are expected to grow even larger as they become established in the area.

Rex Lumber is committed to investing more than $100 million in the economy initially and will employ more than 110 people. Kimber will inject more than $38 million into the economy and employee more than 360 people.

Tickets are now on sale for the breakfast, which will be held in the Troy Parks and Recreation gym at 8 a.m. Tickets are $12 for members of the Chamber and $15 for non-members.

“It’s an idea that our business development committee had,” Sanders said. “We wanted to showcase the great things in our county and what the people who live here have to offer.”