been clamoring for more food choices for years and officials who have watched millions of dollars in spending leave the county. Covington Mayor Ronnie Johnston wants to reshape the city he’s been elected to lead. He envisions Covington as a destination for tourists, retail, industries and high-quality citizens looking for new homes that maintain the historic charm he and his wife fell in love with. Local filmmakers are planning a $100-million film studio to capture Georgia’s burgeoning share of the big industry and build off the town that’s trademarked “Hollywood of the South.” Chamber President Hunter Hall is helping craft the message, hiring marketing experts to take advantage of the spotlight on Newton County while rolling out the red carpet for Baxter executives.
So, this Baxter is a big deal, huh?
One-billion dollar business investments don’t come along every day, and Baxter’s announcement was the biggest in Georgia since Kia decided to build a $1.2 billion plant near the Alabama border. Of equal importance to local leaders is the 1,500 jobs the company plans
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to create by 2018, when the plant begins commercial production. (There’s a twoyear delay while the federal government ensures Baxter can consistently produce safe products.) Those jobs, which have an expected average salary of $60,000, mean more houses and more businesses to accommodate the increased need and available income. There’s already talk of building a hotel near the plant, and the master plan for the industrial park where Baxter is locating, calls for retail space as well. And that’s the key; there’s plenty of space in eastern Newton County. The Baxter deal could be much more important than its immediate effect, because Baxter was the very first tenant to choose to locate in the 1,620-acre Stanton Springs industrial park — the brainchild of commissioners from four different counties. The massive park was jointly funded by Newton, Walton, Morgan and Jasper counties; Baxter is actually located in both Newton and Walton counties. Officials have been dreaming about landing a company like Baxter for years, especially after it let fellow pharmaceutical juggernaut Merck slip through its fingers in 2006. Baxter’s a biotech company, part
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