SOUTH POINT — If the 2013 annual report is any indication, the Lawrence Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) and the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce had a banner year. Furthermore, all signs point toward 2014 being even better.

The report was given during the LEDC Board of Trustees’ Annual Breakfast Meeting on Tuesday and LEDC Executive Director Dr. Bill Dingus said 2013 was a great year and many projects in planning for the last decade came together.

“In Lawrence County, both the business and governmental leadership appreciates the amount of time it takes for all aspects of a project to come together and the importance of constant movement toward a goal,” he wrote in his message to the trustees. “That understanding has forged a great public-private partnership – the LEDC.”

Dingus mentioned the new bridge construction connecting Ironton to U.S. 23, The Gateway Development Project comprising a 79-room Holiday Inn and Suites and Frisch’s Big Boy, the opening of Orica’s 87,000-square-foot building, Intermountain Electronics moving into a 67,000-square-foot facility and FedEx Ground completing its new 75,000-square-foot building.

“These new buildings were accompanied by improvements at The Point including the installation of great rail support with southern Ohio’s only public rail scales and the beginning of a new $4.5 million public port to serve the region,” Dingus said. “Travel and tourism is on the growth as thousands of visitors participated in events in all parts of Lawrence County.”

Dingus cited the Chancellor Health Corporation’s new Wyngate facility being built in Proctorville and St. Mary’s new medical and dental clinic near Fairland East Elementary School.

“As we embrace 2014, we see additional industrial expansions and believe that growth will occur in all parts of Lawrence County,” Dingus said. “All the LEDC team, the LEDC board and all the employees appreciate the tremendous support received during 2013 from both public and private sectors and look forward to a fruitful 2014.”

Chief Financial Officer Phil Ramsey reported monetary growth for 2013 as well as assets at the end of year were more than $41 million, which is a 37 percent increase from 2012.

The Point industrial park director Jeremy Clay said a short drive through The Point would help one realize the amount of activity at the park in 2013.

“There is an exciting bustle of new industry settling in,” he wrote in his report. “There are new buildings under construction and future projects in the making.”

Projects for this year include the completion of the intermodal facility in May, Ken API’s 30,000-square-foot facility in the first quarter of 2014 and American Electric Power’s service center in late 2014.

Also discussed in the report was Orica coming to The Point, the Southern Ohio Procurement Outreach Center, the first calendar year of the Ohio Strategic Training Center’s operation and the Lawrence County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

In other business at the event, Liebert Plant Manager Jack Dingess was appointed to the board of trustees to fill the vacancy created by Dianne Clement’s moving to Texas.