Frito-Lay to open distribution point in Milestone Park

Cairo will soon be a new distribution point for Frito Lay, according to Grady County Joint Development Authority Executive Director Brian Marlowe.
Marlowe made the announcement Tuesday at the monthly meeting of the authority.
Also Tuesday, the board authorized the sale of 2.10 acres of land in Milestone Industrial Park for a purchase price of $50,000 to Dkota Investments, Inc., of Texas, a preferred developer of Frito-Lay.
Marlowe says the operation will be up and running by Dec. 1, and the facility to be built is valued at $400,000.
According to the JDA chief, the distribution point will create 12 to 15 jobs locally. Semi-trucks will bring in product which will be unloaded and route drivers will then load delivery trucks to service area outlets.
Marlowe also briefed members of the authority on Project T, which is a tomato packing operation of Two Feathers Farm, Inc., and Bonnell Forehand, which has set up shop in a portion of the Heritage Industrial Complex, the former W.B. Roddenbery Co. pickle plant.
“They are currently operating on a small scale, but have plans to purchase and install an automated line for next season. At peak times, they will employ 30 or so workers,” Marlowe said.
Even though the firm’s work load is seasonal, Marlowe says the improvements the company has made to that portion of the Heritage Industrial Complex is a “plus” for the authority.
In other business on Tuesday, the authority:
Heard an update on the lease payment schedule for L&L Business Associates, tenants at the Heritage Industrial Complex. Marlowe says if everything goes according to plan, the company will be current with its lease by August.
Approved a recommendation by Marlowe to give MacTavish Furniture a chipper that was purchased through the city of Cairo Revolving Loan Fund for use by the defunct Park Model Manufacturing. The new tenant, Residential Elevator, has no use for the equipment and wants it moved. According to Marlowe, there is a possibility the loan made for the chipper purchase could be written off. If so, he recommended giving the equipment to MacTavish, which could utilize it as a backup to their much larger chipper. MacTavish has agreed to move the chipper to their location if the authority donates the chipper. Marlowe was instructed to find out if the loan can be written off and then to make the proposal to the Revolving Loan Fund committee for its approval.
Learned that during the week of Aug. 2 officials with a prospect, code named Project Leaf, will be making community visits including one to Cairo. Marlowe says this is a prospect that will be brought to Grady County by Georgia Power Company economic developers.