California company brings 50 jobs to Hart County

ATLANTA, May 8, 2007 – Country Boy Meat Stix announced today that it will move its company headquarters to Hartwell, Ga., bringing 50 new jobs to the region within the year. The company will invest $2 million in a manufacturing facility for its meat stick products. 'This announcement is a great outcome of our partnership with Hart County,' said Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). 'We welcome Country Boy Meat Stix and look forward to working with the region and the company to help ensure its continued success.' Country Boy chose Georgia for its new headquarters after a multi-state search, and will move into an existing 64,000-square-foot building, formerly the Cal-Main location, in the Highway 29 Industrial Park in Hart County. The company will retain its current California location and workforce. 'Locating in Georgia will help us establish a presence on the East Coast, and give us easier access to those markets,' said company president Sharon Smedley. 'We are very pleased with the ready workforce and warm welcome we found in Georgia. We are truly looking forward to working in Hartwell and building a company that fosters a sense of pride for the community.' "We are extremely pleased that Country Boy Meat Stix has chosen Hart County, Georgia not only as its operational site, but also the site for its headquarters,' said Doug Cleveland, chairman of the Hart County IBA. 'This will provide much needed employment opportunities for the citizens of our community." Carole Ciriacks, regional project manager for GDEcD, Dwayne Dye of the Hart County Industrial Building Authority (IBA), and Jason Rue with Industrial Properties Group assisted the company with its location. Country Boy Meat Stix, founded in California in 2004 by Doug and Sharon Smedley, uses only real meat and high-quality spices in its product, not fillers or animal by-products. Each meat stick is individually wrapped and vacuum sealed. The company sells its product to retailers, vendors and independent distributors. The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. For more information, visit www.georgia.org.