Region to be marketed for economic development
Twin Rivers partners with Coastal Gateway

Blankenship

Twin Rivers Economic Development Partnership and Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Author-ity have formed a collaborative marketing effort.

The collaboration will, for a limited time, market the complete region around Mobile County to enable the region to have the best opportunities for any economic possibilities that could result from two large current projects, EADS CASA and ThyssenKrupp Steel Mill.

Wiley Blankenship, President/ CEO of Coastal Gateway will lead this effort. Coastal Gateway is a regional partnership between Conecuh, Escambia and Monroe Counties.

Blankenship's primary responsibility with Coastal Gateway includes the marketing and promotion of the counties to prospective industry and businesses. In addition, Coastal Gateway also serves as a clearing house for existing industrial parks and sites in the region. Blankenship has been with Coastal Gateway just over two years, since its inception.

In addition to his responsibilities at Coastal Gateway, Blankenship also serves as a guest lecturer for Auburn University's Economic Development Institute. There, he teaches a course on developing and implementing a rural retail development program. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Business Council of Alabama. Blankenship previously served as the vice president of business and workforce development for the Decatur-Morgan County Alabama Chamber of Commerce.

Blankenship holds a degree from Auburn University in Public Administration and the University of Georgia's Institute of Organizational Management and is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma.

"It is in the best interest of the region to take full advantage of the opportunities that could present themselves to us as a result of the joining of forces," Blankenship said recently.

Twin Rivers Economic Development Partnership (TREDP), a regional effort between Clarke and Choctaw Counties, is modeled after Coastal Gateway and currently operates on a budget of approximately $300,000 a year. The partnership, whose chairman is Chip Harrigan of Scotch Lumber Company, has nearly completed its $1.5 million campaign.

Bridgett Shewmake will continue to manage the offices for TREDP in Clarke and Choctaw Counties. For more information, call the Twin Rivers office at (888) 256-3537.

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