Century To Look To China For Local Jobs

February 18, 2014

In their search for local economic growth, Century is now turning to China for possible jobs.

The Century Town Council has approved spending about $3,650 economic development dollars to send Mayor Freddie McCall, Century Chamber Economic Development Coordinator Cindy Anderson and town consultant Debbie Nickles  to the  U.S.-China Manufacturing Symposium that will be held in Dothan on March 26-28. Co-organized by SoZo Group and China Chamber of International Commerce, the symposium will bring up to about 400  Chinese businessmen looking to bring businesses to American soil.

The Dothan event is the combination to two events, including the smaller Alabama-China Partnership Symposium that was held a few years ago in Monroeville, Ala.  That event paid off for Thomasville, , a town of 4,209 people just over 100 miles northwest of Century, landed a deal with the Golden Dragon copper tubing plant that now employs over 100 people with plans to triple that workforce in the next year.  The town was able to recruit the Chinese plant that employees local Thomasville residents without ever traveling to China.

Century was the only small Florida Panhandle community invited to participate, according to Nickles, by Dothan Mayor Mike Schmitz.

“I believe the symposium will provide a unique opportunity for the town,” Nickles said.

Century’s price tag for attending the event includes $2,400 in registration fees, hotel expenses for Nickles and McCall (Anderson’s lodging will be paid the Century Chamber),  and $1,253 for ad agency Ideawörks to create and print 500 tri-fold brochures promoting Century.

Comments

15 Responses to “Century To Look To China For Local Jobs”

  1. perdido fisherman on February 21st, 2014 5:21 pm

    Mark T, It’s called Global Economics. It is no longer about goods that are made locally for local consumption but goods that are made for global consumption. Foriegn companies manufacture thier goods here and we manufacture our goods there to avoid import taxes and tariffs. It seems it would be easier to just change the laws but that would be to complicated for those who make the laws. Goverments can’t be happy if they can’t make life complicated for thier citizens.

  2. Marie on February 19th, 2014 11:36 am

    Sending three very smart people. I hope it works out great for Century. I’m sure the town will be well represented for what we have to offer.

  3. Jane on February 19th, 2014 4:09 am

    Maybe the Escambia County Commissioners could learn something from China and Century. Jobs are needed here, not tourism.

  4. molino jim on February 18th, 2014 9:18 pm

    China is having a problem due the after effects of “one child per couple” Their labor force is getting old and the young people want more out of life than a bowl of rice. They now have a middle class in China who see what the rest of the world is enjoying. Trying to get China to build plants is like the auto plants in Ala. A VW, Kia and others plus the parts for them are American except for the name plate. Like it or not we are part of a world trade system. As to having a cruse ship— check and see how far in debt Mobile is for the dockage they had to build and then watch the cruse ship companies pull out for other locations.

  5. Mark T. on February 18th, 2014 6:53 pm

    I can’t wrap my head around this,, U.S. companies leaving to manufacture in China and ship back to U.S., and Chinese companies coming to the U.S.to manufacture and sell to U.S. consumers. I don’t get it..

  6. Chris on February 18th, 2014 3:33 pm

    Some folks Gripe about Century spending money to go to this conference to try and land jobs. If u don’t spend any money to try and get jobs u will never get any jobs!!! They may not get any this time but At least they are trying.. Stop ur bad mouthing and let um try and bring jobs to ur town!! Good Luck Century!!! Go do ur best, forget about the haters!!

  7. Jim W on February 18th, 2014 2:50 pm

    Far better they send their work here than us sending our there. Remember NAFDA?

  8. Trish on February 18th, 2014 11:17 am

    To cygle, we have the mayor and town council to look for ways to improve our community. I would not vote for anyone who could care less. You are not going to improve if you stay in your little cave. AND Century was invited so go for it, it may or may not happen but they are trying. Anyone with better ideas step up to the plate.

  9. JimD on February 18th, 2014 9:36 am

    LIke most things in the Florida Pan Handle, and Escambia Count in particular, there is no “Beach” insentative. So why would anyone south of Molino be interested.

  10. Kevin on February 18th, 2014 8:18 am

    It is all about logistics and incentives. Let’s hope that we can represent Century in a way that would have an appealing effect and draw business to our area. There should be no issue with China based companies due to a vast majority of our products that we buy and use are made in China. Good luck Mayor McCall and good luck Century.

  11. Big red on February 18th, 2014 8:18 am

    Robert S. I totally agree with you. The panhandle from its beaches should be able to handle cruise ship industries to cantonment to century should be able to handle manufacturing type of jobs. Escambia has so many resources to attract these industries. However the local politicians would frown if it’s nothing in it for them or their buddies. So we will never have anything here unless we get some new faces in politics here with a vision of creating long term careers for the residence here. Fact is escambia leaders don’t want it. I’m very suprised that NFCU landed here and is planing on this place to be their home office.

  12. Robert S. on February 18th, 2014 7:13 am

    I have long been puzzled about how Alabama can get so many “real jobs” and Florida with its human and geographic resources is left behind.
    Mobile, AL, news says that Remington Arms is planning to build a plant in Huntsville, AL where nearly 2,000 people will be employed.
    These are not jobs or work moved here from China, these are jobs generated in America for Americans.
    Are our politicians interested only in theme parks that produce mostly part time work?
    When a big business moves to town it benefits not just those who are hired to work there but to the entire surrounding community.
    Why are these jobs not coming to Florida?

  13. Safebear on February 18th, 2014 6:22 am

    I think it’s great that they are bringing the Chinese factories here and employing people in the United States than taking the factories there and employing people there. Good Luck Century!

  14. cygie on February 18th, 2014 6:13 am

    Seems like Century does a lot of spending to recruit new businesses, with little or no return that is able to be seen by the residents.

  15. Jane on February 18th, 2014 5:11 am

    It is too bad we have to go to China to find jobs for people here in the US!

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News