Yesterday morning, the Lawrence Economic Development Corporation met to discuss the future of Lawrence County at the annual board of trustees meeting.

The board of about 35 heard various reports from 2010 including financial and loan reports, Convention and Visitor’s Bureau reports, Chamber of Commerce reports and updates on The Point industrial park.

Jeremy Clay, director of operations, talked about the future of The Point, including a new business, Chatham Steel, that he said would bring about 40 new jobs to the county. The 55,600 square-foot manufacturing facility is projected to be completed this spring.

“Chatham Steel is a huge project. It’ll be nice to get those people in,” said Dan Mooney, president of LEDC. “We’re glad to be able to create those jobs and have another business in Lawrence County that’ll continue to help us drive that unemployment rate down.”

Another Point project to be completed this spring is a river access project that would connect the Ohio River to the park.

Dr. Bill Dingus, executive director, gave his report on the state of Lawrence County, saying, “This county has been blessed by unemployment staying below the state average.”

He also said, praising the progress of the industrial park, “The history of this region is built on rail and river. Our goal is to try and rediscover it.”

Dingus also expressed that he felt the corridor between Hanging Rock and Wheelersburg would be growing in industry within the next five years.

After the meeting, Mooney said he realized that economic development takes a long time.

“From the time that somebody comes up with the idea, and starts making the initial contacts, to get the planning and the designing and funding and all that, it just absolutely takes forever.

“But,” he said, “we’re willing to wait for good things.”

Mooney also he feels the economy is beginning to improve, with development plans coming to fruition and more businesses starting to expand.

“If anybody in Lawrence County, any resident or any businesses, have a negative attitude toward Lawrence County, and think that nothing is going on, I would certainly like to invite them to one of theses meetings to hear about all that’s going on,” Mooney said.

The next meeting for the LEDC will be in July, Mooney said.