“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,” said Limestone County Economic Development Association president and CEO Bethany Shockney.

LCEDA works to help businesses in Limestone County. Shockney said this help comes in the form of helping existing businesses “to ensure that they stay healthy for years to come” and finding new businesses that will benefit Limestone and its residents, such as “aerospace, aviation, battery, defense, research and development and other related high-skilled, high-paying jobs.”

With Limestone overlapping with other cities’ and counties’ properties, Shockney says that collaboration is vital to the improvement and health of Limestone economics.

“Our region works well together during the recruitment process as well as supporting the companies after they locate and are in full production,” Shockney said.

One of these focuses is Pryor Field, a joint property of Limestone County, Athens, Morgan County and Decatur. LCEDA is working to bring avation-related companies into the area to support the regional airport.

“Pryor Field is also an incredible asset with a significant economic impact. … We are currently recruiting and developing parcels on airport property as well as land near the airport for aviation-related companies,” Shockney said.

Southern Limestone isn’t the only area seeing growth, though. Athens and Elkmont have also seen growth in the industrial sector.

“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,” explained Shockney.

Shockney and LCEDA also shared the answers to five “top questions” they receive frequently:

The Limestone County Economic Development Association says its mission is to create jobs in Limestone County, Alabama by recruiting new business and industry and by fostering the expansion of existing industries. How has the job and new business growth looked during the last year? Five years?

For industrial developments, we have been just about as strong with the expansion of existing industries as we have for new industries. In our world, the growth of an existing company is an extremely important indicator of our community’s economic vitality because it shows the sustainability of our industrial base. Retail and hospitality in our community have grown exponentially with so many new stores, restaurants, and hotels locating in our community.

What do you hear most often from businesses after they visit Athens and Limestone County for potential growth/building?

We often hear from businesses that they recognize several of our great community assets and why they should invest here. Those often mentioned are our great educational offerings, quality local hospital and healthcare facilities, vibrant downtown, and being conveniently located to Huntsville, Nashville, and Birmingham.

How do you manage the city and county’s growth and maintain its small-town charm that so many residents hold dear?

Our organization works in partnership with multiple stakeholders that are involved in the planning and development process. Due to our geographical location, growth is inevitable and we all have a unified goal of staying focused on what makes Athens so desirable. At the same time, this presents a consistent challenge to maintain a high quality of place while ensuring our infrastructure is developed to accommodate this growth.

What types of businesses and industries do you hear residents clamor for the most?

Residents often express the desire for the convenience of more entertainment, shopping, and food options. Even though we are conveniently located to bigger cities, we recognize the need for more family-oriented experiences that would allow our families to shop, eat, and play locally.

Where do you see the state of the city and county’s portfolio in the next five years in terms of offerings?

Our organization is an independent, non-profit and can only make professional recommendations to the city and county’s portfolio.