By David Tidmore – Chattooga Chamber of Commerce

Governor Deal’s announcement of the new Lowe’s distribution facility off Highway 53/140 in north Floyd county is good news for Chattooga County.  The center will be 20 minutes from Chattooga county and will provide up to 600 new jobs once at full capacity. 

 According to those close to the deal, the minimum wage at the facility will be over $10 an hour, and acceleration of the four lane from I-75 to Hwy 53 on Hwy 140 is an added bonus for Chattooga county.

The deal has been in the works for over 5 years to give you a little insight into how long economic development really takes. 

With unemployment numbers over 10% in several Northwest Georgia counties, including Chattooga,  the prospect of additional jobs is a welcome bit of good news in a dismal overall economy.