By STACYE LEE - The Courier Herald

Twelve counties linked by Interstate 16 believe there is strength in numbers.

The newly formed I-16 Corridor Alliance pools the resources from these 12 counties to attract the attention of the Georgia Ports Authority and those who have a hand in placing distribution, warehousing and transportation centers along the corridor, which stretches from Macon to Savannah.

“Any business we bring in along the corridor helps people through the creation of jobs and opportunities,” said Judy Sherling, executive director of the Jeffersonville-Twiggs Economic Development Authority and president of the alliance. “It helps the tax base of the counties.”

The mission of the I-16 Corridor Alliance is “To grow, promote and enhance the economic development opportunities along Georgia’s I-16 corridor through the synergies of joint innovation, information exchange, marketing and partnerships.”

Wednesday, economic development and chamber representatives from the 12 counties gathered at the Dublin-Laurens County Chamber of Commerce to discuss the organization’s bylaws, mission statement and construction of a website, which should be online by December.

The collaborative effort is intended to foster economic growth along I-16, which in turn can help all the counties along the corridor, Sherling said. This puts a formal structure to what we do, how we market, and puts strength in numbers when we market,” she said.

Once the website is created and online in December, viewers can be directed to a variety of information, including the contacts in each of the corridor counties, brief biographies of each of the economic development directors, links to each of the counties’ websites and up-to-date news and events happening on the I-16 corridor.

The counties represented in the alliance include Bibb, Twiggs, Wilkinson, Bleckley, Laurens, Treutlen, Chatham, Effingham, Bryan, Bulloch, Candler and Emanuel. The alliance plans to hold meetings throughout the year in the respective counties.

Laurens County is represented by Willie Paulk, president of the Dublin-Laurens County Chamber of Commerce and Development Authority, and Cal Wray, Vice President of the Dublin-Laurens County Development Authority.