By Sarah McCurter
Correspondent
TRENTON, Ga. - A possible employment opportunity for Georgia and Tennessee residents is on hold while officials in Chattanooga and Dade County wait for answers.
During the Dade County Commission meeting last November, Chairman Ted Rumley spoke briefly of a toilet-paper manufacturing mill that was looking at a local site for a plant.
Clearwater Paper, with executive offices in Spokane, Wash., had high interest in a Kenco building on Wauhatchie Pike, Mr. Rumley said. The building straddles the Georgia/Tennessee line.
Local officials said then that they expected to know shortly after Jan. 1 whether Clearwater would lease the building. But six months later, Mr. Rumley said he has not heard from Clearwater.
"Last I heard, they had narrowed down to three sites," he said.
Mr. Rumley said that as far as knows the Kenco building still is in the running.
Clearwater officials have declined to comment before the decision is made.
Lee Norris with the Chattanooga Public Works Department also said he doesn't know what is going on with the building. Public Works was in on initial discussions.
"We don't really have any information on it either," he said.
Mr. Rumley said other companies also have expressed interest in the building, but he could not give more information on them.
"Whether it is Clearwater or someone else, we need someone there," Mr. Rumley said. "We need the jobs."
Sarah McCurter is based in Dade County. She can be reached at smccurter.ctfp@gmail.com.
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