There’s no one who can sell LaGrange quite like Scott Malone, the city’s economic development executive director. We truly believe that if you gave him five minutes with just about any company executive, he’d probably have them on the verge of moving to LaGrange sight unseen.

Malone spoke at Thursday’s Troup County Commission meeting to provide an update on projects that might be heading the county’s way.Listening to him speak, it would be hard not to become convinced of Troup County’s bright future with a plethora of job opportunities. 

On Thursday, he spoke about a Chinese company named Winhere Brake Parts that has plans to move to Troup County, near the site where Sentury Tire planned to be located. He discussed Wellmade Performing Flooring, another Chinese company, that is considering moving to LaGrange. Other American companies were also mentioned, but he emphasized that companies don’t just happen to decide to move to the LaGrange area.

“A lot of communities are sitting back waiting for things to happen, and we continue to go out there and drive relationships both throughout Europe and Asia by going there and spending time, then bringing projects back,” Malone said. 

All of these talks — whether these companies move here or not — are good for LaGrange and Troup County. Malone and Kelley Bush have traveled all over the place in recent years, talking to anyone who might be interested in “America’s Greatest Little City.”

A lot of those companies have listened, and several have even ended up moving to LaGrange. For every Sentury Tire (which Malone says may still build in LaGrange at a later date), there’s a Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia or a Great Wolf Lodge ready to come in.

While these aren’t Target or Olive Garden — two places people ask about often — they provide jobs with good pay and stability to Troup County. 

We appreciate the update from Malone, and the hard work that he, Bush and others do behind the scenes. 

We also urge him and the development authority to continue pushing.