By Sherye Price FCDA Director

When I started working for the Franklin County Development Authority in 2006, I was confused by the different Industrial Development Boards in the county and the function of each. Eleven years later, I have learned that I am not the only one. I hope to help clear that up and differentiate between the FCDA and IDBs.

The Franklin County Development Authority is not an industrial development board. We are the county’s economic development authority. Each county in Alabama has an EDA. The function of each EDA, including the Franklin County Development Authority, is similar. The focus for FCDA is to recruit new industrial/manufacturing jobs. We work closely with each municipality and IDB in Franklin County, as well as many state and economic development agencies. I will talk more about the various functions of the FCDA in future columns; for now, it is important to note that the FCDA does not own property but is the only agency in Franklin County that actively markets industrial properties, most of which are owned by IDBs.

Industrial Development Boards are different from EDAs. IDBs are not charged with marketing nor recruiting, though they are vital to the process. Early on, it helped me to think of the various IDBs as branches, or offices, of the municipality they serve. Currently, Franklin County has three industrial development boards and one industrial development committee: the Franklin County IDB; Russellville IDB; Red Bay IDB; and Phil Campbell Industrial Development Committee.

The Franklin County IDB is a nine-member board of directors appointed by the Franklin County Commission. This board owns and manages properties, including the MG (Mike Green) Industrial Park and the Vina Spec Building. Because this board is also set up as an “authority,” it has additional abilities to apply for grants, among other things.

The Franklin County IDB is the administrator for the Franklin County Speculative Building Program that was funded by the State’s 666 Bond Commission. This program provided the funding for the Vina Speculative Building.

The Board meets as needed at the FCDA Office. Doug Aaron serves as the current IDB chairman.

The Russellville Industrial Development Board is appointed by the City of Russellville. This board also owns and manages industrial properties, including the Russellville Industrial Parks. The Russellville IDB also serves as the granting authority for projects in the City of Russellville. This board meets as needed at the FCDA office, and Larry Archer holds the position of chairman of the board.

The Red Bay Industrial Development Board is appointed by the City of Red Bay. The Red Bay IDB owns and manages properties, including The West Franklin Regional Industrial Park. They meet as needed in Red Bay.

The Phil Campbell Industrial Development Committee is the only “IDB committee” in the county. Members are appointed by the Town of Phil Campbell and hold the same function as others, though they do not own property. They meet as needed in Phil Campbell.

If you have questions or would like to know more about the FCDA or IDBs in Franklin County, contact the FCDA at 256-332-8726.