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A familiar story in that Bruce Springsteen song is getting a new ending at least in a town outside Atlanta that was another casualty피해자 of bad economic times. It turns out a company from far away is turning things around in this hometown. The story tonight from NBC’s Thanh Truong.

 

Near the banks of the Chattahoochee River sits the city of West Point, Georgia, born and raised in this small town, Gus Darden owns a local shoe store. He remembers when it was home to huge textile mills and thousands of workers. “Well, now in the 50s and 60s, it was….it was a very vibrant활기 넘치는 town.” When the textile mills pulled out in the 1990s, they took with them a lot of the city’s hope for the future. But there’s now a new sense of optimism.

 

Korean car maker KIA began production this week at this nonunion plant in West Point creating more than 2000 jobs with an additional 7000 through its suppliers. In an area where unemployment tops 12%, the mayor says KIA is key to the city survival. “The job loss here is like many areas across America. The good news is that we’ve got the jobs coming back right now. They are real and they are here.”

 

“They bring this shoe back every now and then때때로.” It’s a big reason why Gus Darden is seeing a surge in sales. “I think my business has been up for the 11 or 12 consecutive months. Mostly double digit increases.” Down the street, this coffee shop is preparing for its grand opening. The owner says she wants to capitalize on the confidence KIA is bringing to the town. “We feel like West Point right now is the point and it’s a place where it’s flourishing.”

 

It’s also a place with two new Korean barbecue spots. What you won’t find here is any objection to a foreign company setting up shop in this southern city. “With Georgia proud, but I’m just delighted to have KIA and I….. I think that’s communitywide.” The holiday lights are starting to go off. But there’s a sense here that best gift has already arrived. Thanh Truong, NBC News, West Point, Georgia.

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