Business This Week - Oct. 11

Four new businesses have located or will be locating downtown, Main Street Economic Development Director Laqurica Gaskins announced this week. They are Encore, a boutique at 353 Main St.; Roberts & Co. Retailers LLC, 169 Love Ave., a jewelry store moving from Virginia Avenue; Mt BFF’s Closet, 332 Main St., a clothing store; and Annie’s Place, 1019 Love Ave., a gift shop moving from Second Street and Central Avenue.

Gaskins said all of the stores have either added new awnings to their store fronts or are waiting for installation of new awnings, “really adding a special touch to downtown.”

When I heard about Charles Kent’s death this week at the age of 83, I immediately thought of what he said as I interviewed him for a story when he retired as county commission chairman.

While I was growing up in Tifton, there were a handful of people who led our community to economic success through their hard work and true concern for this town. Mr. Kent was one of these, as shown by the dozens of accomplishments listed in his obituary in Saturday’s paper. Just a few: County commission chairman for 24 years, vice chairman for four years, on the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce’s board of director for 55 years, president of the Tifton Merchants Association, Tifton Rotary Club president, president of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia.

The businesses he helped bring to town include Shaw Industries, Burlen Corp., Union Camp, Heatcraft, Kanebo Spinning, Queen Carpet, Mastercraft, Schwan’s, Prestolite, Target Distribution, Orgill, Chickasha, COI, Tifton Aluminum, Kelly Manufacturing, Georgia Ag Lab, Wal-Mart Photo Lab and Moultrie Technical College.

When he retired in 1996, I went to interview him at his real estate office on Fourth Street. I had been working as a reporter for about a year, having been the lifestyles editor at The Gazette before that, and I was a little intimidated by the thought of sitting down and talking to someone so distinguished.

But as the interview progressed, I felt comfortable enough to ask him something I really wanted to know. What makes a town grow? Is it the location, the infrastructure, the work force, or can people who live in a city really make a difference as far as attracting businesses?

I’d had a feeling as he answered my questions that he was politely going through the motions because it was appropriate for the newspaper to recognize his retirement, but this question caught his interest, too, and he told me that “you have to work and work and work,” but yes, the people in a town make all the difference.

I never forgot this, and I hope I don’t, because I think too often people look at situations in town, not necessarily business-related, and think there’s nothing they personally can do. I have known only a few people in my life who were real leaders, but that afternoon, balancing my notebook on my lap as I scribbled notes, I knew I had seen something worthy of respect.

Is your business moving, building or just opening? Call me at 382-4321, ext. 1903.