JDA wins CSX Partnership Award

The 2013 CSX Partnershipping Award was presented to the Bartow-Cartersville Joint Development Authority on Tuesday. (L-R) Cartersville Mayor Matt Santini, Bartow County Commissioner Steve Taylor, Cartersville-Bartow County Economic Development Executive Director, Melinda Lemmon, BCJDA Vice-Chairman, Tommy Strickland, CSX Assistant Vice President of Regional Development, Clark Robertson, CSX Industrial Development Manager, Aubrey Brown, and CSX Site Design Manager, Joe Mitchell.

May 23, 2014

The Bartow-Cartersville Joint Development Authority received Tuesday what one member described as a “prestigious” partnership award from CSX for its efforts in economic development.

“But we like to recognize those individuals or groups that we work with around our network, both inside our company and those external partners, that we get to do business with every year, and like to recognize certainly those efforts which we believe are much greater, more significant and people who really in our opinion kind of exemplarize collaboration, integrity, professionalism in how they go about their business and work with us,” said CSX Assistant Vice President Clark Robertson. “We’ll do about 100 to 150 different projects around our network every year. We give out maybe five to seven partnershipping awards.”

Of the five awards handed out for 2013, Robertson said the JDA was the only economic development agency to win.

“[We present this] Partnershipping Award to you in recognition not only really from efforts in 2013, but for a number of years on a number of different projects for which you all have contributed mightily not only to your own success, but obviously to ours as well. And so we want to thank you for that and congratulations,” Robertson continued.

Vice-Chairman Tommy Strickland thanked the company for the award, and noted CSX’s close relationship with Bartow County’s economic development agencies. Cartersville-Bartow County Economic Development Executive Director Melinda Lemmon thanked the company as well following the meeting.

“It is a complete honor to be acknowledged by such an important partner as CSX. I’ve never had a partnership with CSX like I have with this team. We value them and they are very responsive to us, and I really think that’s why we’re landing some deals that we have,” she said.

After receiving its award, the JDA moved on to business and approved three bids for accounting, auditing and common area maintenance for the Highland 75 business park. Mashburn, Ransom and Lemmings P.C., Williamson and Co. and Complete Lawn Service were awarded the respective bids.

Lemmon also updated the board on plans by Creative Solar, a Woodstock solar power company, to place a solar panel installation on land behind the Toyo Tire plant. Creative Solar made a presentation at the JDA’s March meeting, where it described a Georgia Power-funded lottery system that awarded contracts to submitted solar power projects.

“I will tell you they put in their bid as part of the Advance Solar Initiative. At a certain point these bids, all other things being equal as I understand it, they go into a lottery system for this electric provider, and unfortunately, this particular system wasn’t chosen. They did have another project chosen in another community, but where that leaves us with our lease agreement with the company they are discussing with our legal team. They may choose to keep it in place, [or] they may come back with a modification,” Lemmon said.

In other business, the JDA heard and approved financial statements for March and April and heard updates on the economic development department and Highland 75.

Article by: Jason Lowrey with The Daily Tribune News