The Cullman Times
CULLMAN —
By now word has circulated far and wide that U.S. employers added 163,000 jobs last month, which was well above the 100,000 economists expected.
Wall Street delighted in the news as stocks soared Friday. At the same time another report surfaced from Washington noting that unemployment rose slightly, even with the job increases. Alas, trying to figure the nation’s economy is becoming more complex than ever as the plight of the long-unemployed and under-employed compound the state of the union.
Nevertheless, news continues to be positive in many areas of the country, such as Cullman County. Investments are coming in for expanding industries and new businesses. More organizations are working together to draw visitors to the area, which beyond the immediate cash register sales is a strategic way of inviting more investors into the area.
News of the economy on the national level will remain uneven, according to economists who spend their days examining trends and longterm issues related to business and growth. Some of what these experts in the economic field report in the coming months, perhaps years, will continue to be troubling for everyone. But that’s no reason to back down in Cullman County.
Many area leaders are continuing to pull together the various entities that make Cullman a viable economic force. Some of these movers are in political office, while others are business owners, executive and entrepreneurs. If the current trend of pooling resources and ideas continues, the Cullman area should move far ahead of many other communities in the hunt for economic growth.
The resources that can continue to push Cullman County forward include sustained cooperation among local governments, utilization of city and county economic development offices, promoting the academic excellence of area schools and Wallace State Community College, an energized Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Merchants Association, support and recognition of the diverse agricultural community, improvement of roads and bridges, and commitment to charitable giving for the area’s needy residents. All of these institutions define the quality of life in the area, and they all should work as one force for the good of the community.
Cullman County no longer should see itself as a nice community between Huntsville and Birmingham; that’s a point pretty well understood in the region. The time is now to turn the defining qualities of Cullman into a major lure for new investments in industries, small businesses, and the arrival of new families. The quality of life here is good, and getting better all the time. Standing together as a single community will create lasting stability that ensures prosperity for the rising generation and beyond.
