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Hart County proclaims Manufacturing Week as IBA outlines workforce, site development priorities
Summary
The Hart County Board of Commissioners on a 5-0 vote proclaimed Oct. 3–10, 2025, Manufacturing Week after a presentation from Terry Partain, executive director of the Hart County Industrial Building Authority, who reviewed local manufacturing employment, recent capital investment and workforce-development activities.
The Hart County Board of Commissioners on a unanimous vote Sept. 2025 proclaimed Oct. 3–10, 2025, as Manufacturing Week in Hart County, following a presentation from Terry Partain, executive director of the Hart County Industrial Building Authority (IBA).
Partain told the commission that “we actually have over 30% of our workforce in manufacturing. That's about 3,200 jobs in our county,” and said manufacturing wages in the region average “anywhere from $60,000 to $70,000,” depending on the data source. She said about $1.5 billion in private capital investment has entered the county from manufacturing over the past 10 years.
The proclamation, moved by Commissioner Dorsey and seconded by Commissioner Teasley, passed on a 5-0 vote. The board read the proclamation into the record and asked that county residents recognize and celebrate local manufacturers during the designated week.
Why it matters: Partain framed manufacturing as a major local employer and a focus of the county’s economic development strategy. She described connections between manufacturers and the county’s education programs, including the College and Career Academy, and said the IBA works to create local career paths so students do not need to leave the area to find work.
Key points from the IBA report: Partain summarized the authority’s work over the past year and upcoming events: she said Hart County has roughly 3,200 manufacturing jobs (about 30% of the county workforce), average manufacturing wages of $60,000–$70,000, and approximately $1.5 billion in capital investment in the last decade. The IBA reported about 130 acres remain available in Gateway 3 Industrial Park, including a roughly 20.6-acre pad-ready site marketed for development. Partain said the IBA has worked six active projects this year, hosted four site visits and hosted several industry events and tours.
Workforce and outreach: Partain described the IBA’s workforce initiatives, including a Hart County workforce summit and task force run with Archway, quarterly industry events, and multiple industry–education partnerships. She announced a public Manufacturing Appreciation Reception set for Oct. 3, 2025, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the adult learning center and noted other outreach, including a JDA presentation for state project managers scheduled Oct. 7 and a Be Pro Be Proud mobile training trailer planned for Dec. 10, which the IBA expects can serve up to about 130 students in one day.
Future programs: Partain said the IBA has funded the first year of an educator externship program, HeartConnects, slated to start in June 2026; the pilot will embed five to six K–12 or College and Career Academy educators with local businesses for one week to strengthen classroom-to-workforce connections.
Commissioner comments: Commissioners thanked Partain for the report and congratulated the IBA on the year’s work. No board member questioned the factual figures Partain provided during her presentation.
What the board did next: After the presentation the board adopted the Manufacturing Week proclamation and moved on to other items on the agenda.
Ending: The proclamation and the IBA’s report will be part of the county’s public record; the IBA encouraged residents, students and local leaders to attend the Oct. 3 reception and other scheduled industry events during Manufacturing Week.
