Limestone County ground zero for economic development in north Alabama

Southeast Limestone County is ground zero for economic growth in north Alabama.

Mazda Toyota Manufacturing calls the county home with about 4,000 employees in Greenbrier, along with other major employers such as Amazon and Polaris.

Bethany Shockney is playing a role in the county’s success. She is the president and CEO of the Limestone County Economic Development Association and has been with LCEDA since March 2019.

Shockney brings 35 years of experience in various roles in workforce and economic development in both Alabama and Tennessee. She received a bachelor of architecture from the University of Tennessee and a master of education in vocational education from Alabama A&M University.

She had 29 years in workforce development with the State of Alabama to include years at Drake State Technical College, the Alabama Community College System and the Alabama Department of Education in Montgomery.

She finished her last eight years at Calhoun Community College as the dean of workforce development, technologies, CIS and liaison/co-director to the Alabama Robotics Technology Park.

Bethany is married to Darren Shockney. They have four grown children and five grandchildren.

She recently participated in a question-and-answer session with the Lede.

Can you talk about your duties as president and CEO?

I’m lead point of contact and recruiter for all industrial development. I support commercial, retail, hospitality and residential development as needed.

I serve as a workforce development liaison between business/industry and education to ensure training is being delivered that aligns with the needs of our local businesses and industries. I’m involved with community marketing and “spreading the good news!”

Can you talk about recent development in Limestone County people may not be aware of?

Industrial development, Gregory Industries – is from Canton, Ohio, and has a facility in Decatur. Their building is almost complete in Athens and will employ 100, producing various metal products in roadway safety such as guardrails, vertical beams for signs and guardrails, etc. Once the new campus goes online, it will expand the company’s regional manufacturing capability and allow the company to grow and serve its customers in the southeastern United States and surrounding regions faster and more cost-effective.

There have been several expansions of existing industries all over the county. There are several retail, restaurants, and hotels but they are probably more aware of these because they are more visible and talk of the town (and region).

Southeast Limestone County has been a hotbed of economic development with Mazda Toyota and other companies locating in the Greenbrier area. Why do you think that area is so attractive?

Location – exceptional access to I-65/565 that allows efficient access to major metropolitan areas in eastern US. This makes it attractive to distribution centers like Amazon (two facilities) and Target. There are more coming.

There are dedicated improvements to infrastructure. There’s also attractive land availability.

How much collaboration goes on with entitles such as the cities of Huntsville, Athens and Madison, as well as the Limestone County Commission when it comes to luring companies to the area?

Collaboration is a must, and our region works well together during the recruitment process as well as supporting the companies after they locate and are in full production.

We also have a considerable amount of Decatur city limits in the same southeast region of the county.

Pryor Field is also an incredible asset with a significant economic impact. It is one of the busiest regional airports in the state and is co-owned by Limestone County, City of Athens, Morgan County and City of Decatur. We are currently recruiting and developing parcels on airport property as well as land near the airport for aviation-related companies.

Besides southeast Limestone County, what other areas in the county are seeing development?

Athens and Elkmont have also had growth throughout the past few years. We have a small industrial park on the north side of Elkmont, occupied by five companies. Limestone County is of great interest to consultants representing national and international clients for all industry sectors, particularly automotive, battery, and distribution. The interest in the area is due to our highly skilled workforce, convenient location, property availability, quality of place, exceptional healthcare, and great education systems.

Can you talk about the future of economic development in Limestone County?

We are targeting aerospace/aviation, battery, defense, R&D and other related high skilled, high paying jobs. The future is bright,

LCEDA will also continue to work with existing industries to ensure that they stay healthy for years to come.

A healthy economy is sustained by all pertinent sectors growing and improving at an equitable pace. It is a balancing act. Our stakeholders in the community are committed to working in concert to support and sustain that healthy balance.

Scott Turner reports from Huntsville for the Lede.