Gordon pumps over $100 million into local economy

University system Chancellor Errol Davis was in Barnesville March 31 to meet with community leaders. (Photo: Walter Geiger)

Gordon pumps over $100 million into local economy

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Walter Geiger

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Wednesday, April 1. 2009

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Gordon College pumped more than $100 million into the regional economy during fiscal year 2008, according to a report released Wednesday by the University System of Georgia.

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#1 Anonymous on 04/01/09 at 02:02 PM

he's got them crazy eyes!

#2 Andrew Odom on 04/01/09 at 02:56 PM

I must disagree with the following:

“For each job created on a campus, there are 1.6 jobs that exist off-campus because of spending related to the college or university,” said Jeffrey M. Humphreys, director of economic forecasting for the Selig Center.

Perhaps in a region such as Tallahassee, Florida (FSU), Savannah, Georgia (SCAD) or Athens, Georgia (UGA) this applies. However, I have not noticed many businesses (if any) that directly cater to or have an impact on the Gordon campus. So to suggest that for each job Gordon has on campus provides 1.6 jobs off-campus....I must completely disagree.

I feel as if there is a large and somewhat self-imposed (on the part of us, the citizens of B'ville) separation with Gordon. Those students over there have jobs, money, and time, and I simply don't think we capitalize on it at all.

#3 Anonymous on 04/01/09 at 04:32 PM

slum lords resturant and dope pushers get the $ not the city or merchants

#4 Journa-who? on 04/01/09 at 05:41 PM

While the title of the HG story states the impact is to the local economy, the actual report and body of the release indicates the impact is regional. To claim Gordon has no local impact is quite bold. I can't claim to have facts or have a completed study, but I can certainly think of a handful of local jobs that would not exist if Gordon was not there, not limited to city employees in the water, sewer and electrical divisions, those employed for trash collection, the vendors and suppliers of items for the college vending and food service departments and so on. Further, the college must publish various documents for class schedules and the like, and I can't think of a local print company able to handle such a request, however, someone does receive this business and require workers outside the school to make that happen.

Reviewing the study, the context of the statement is that there are 1.6 jobs created for each campus position across the state. In the local area, that number becomes about 2.5. Whether those jobs are employees at McDonalds feeding students, or DOT workers maintaining the highways to the school, I can't discern from the report, but to imply that Gordon does not bring jobs beyond the boundaries of the campus is irrational.

Being a graduate of a certain Technical School on North Avenue, I don't always agree with the products of the "University" in my hometown of Athens. That said, I don't find 1.6 outside jobs per campus job all that unreasonable, given the facts and figures given to support those numbers. Of course, I have nothing to substantiate my thoughts other than the report on which this release is based.

#5 Somebody on 04/01/09 at 06:33 PM

I think you totally miss the point, Andrew. Have you actually read the full report? This statement does not have anything to do with businesses that "cater" to students. It has everything to do with Gordon's impact on this region. Who supplied the bricks for the recent construction? The lumber? Gordon gets its utilities from the city and how about the more than 1,100 students who reside in town? Where do they buy groceries? Get their gasoline? Go out to eat? The study is based on SPENDING and it is also based on this geography--not Florida's so to say you disagree is a bit comical. You can only dispute if you conduct a similar study and find differing results. Go to Gordon and take a statistics course. Read the study and educate yourself about economic miltipliers. many communities are wishing they could attract a college or a satellite of a university to their city--proof of that is in the number who have provided buildings and space and incentives--they know a college is a good, "clean industry". Ride around town and look for Gordon decals on the back windshields on cars at gas stations, grocery stores and the downtown. You may be surprised by what you see. It is rare for me to go out at lunch and not see Gordon faculty, staff and students in area restaurants. In my humble opinion, again not having completed my own study, I thought the number would be higher as far as jobs created as a result of having this instituion in our town.

#6 crack smoker on 04/01/09 at 07:05 PM

he got dem crack head eyes.. looks like the walrus on alice in wanderland too.... creepy looking joker anyway you look at it

#7 Andrew Odom on 04/01/09 at 07:10 PM

Actually 'Somebody' I don't think I do totally miss the point. I am, however, happy to hear that someone does have some insight into this. I did read the full report. I am completely aware that the report did not to do exactly with businesses that cater to students. However, when considering economic impact one does have to think of the whole issue. Therefore your notion of bricks, lumber, groceries, gasoline, etc is also included.

My comparison to Florida was not based on the report. It was a comparative note which also included Athens...not a Florida school.

While I still disagree and I especially disagree with the fact that you rarely go out and not see Gordon faculty, staff, and/or students as I often go out and see no one directly related to Gordon.

I don't think that either of us will be proven right or wrong as I don't see Gordon or Lamar County conducting a macroeconomics study anytime soon.

And as far as the bumper sticker...my car has an older Yale sticker on the bumper that was there when I bought it. I do hope people think I went there. That would be sweet irony for my comedic opinions.

#8 Andrew Odom on 04/01/09 at 07:31 PM

This is great. I honestly didn't expect anyone to respond to this report as actually having to read a report generally deters any analytical thought. However, you are correct 'Journa-who?'.

The report was for the region. I could not however find the parameters of the region and when trying to research it again I couldn't even find the report online any longer.

I think however it is the semantics of the report that concerns me the most. The initial quote was “For each job created on a campus, there are 1.6 jobs that exist off-campus because of spending related to the college or university." While this statement does not directly reference Georgia it indirectly speaks to all schools studied by the Selig group. I question the word exist. Defined as "to continue to be" the word exist would mean that those 1.6 jobs exist because of said college or university. So, while 'Somebody' made reference to brickmasons and carpenters as well as gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. the term exist coming into play would mean that without Gordon all those providers would meet their demise.

You make mention of city employees in the water, sewer and electrical divisions that would not have jobs if Gordon did not exist. While technically Gordon owns no streets and therefore the city maintains those right of ways, Gordon supplies its own maintenance crews, lawn maintenance workers, and garbage contractors which may or may not be from the region. But yes, someone must do those jobs so I guess Gordon does provide some jobs. The question at hand though is are those dollars directly contributing to the region?

I stand corrected though in that whether McDonalds employees DOT workers or what not would or would not be employed should Gordon move out, Gordon IS here and those jobs DO exist. And because at least 1 Gordon student reads the Herald-Gazette (at least I hope) it is contributing to me having a job.

#9 anon on 04/01/09 at 08:36 PM

Looks like Reggie Jackson all geeked up!

#10 Journa-what? on 04/01/09 at 10:10 PM

http://www.icapp.org/pubs/usg_impact_fy2008.pdf

The link in the article above lacks a "p".

Has Gordon instituted some sort of branding or tattooing campaign to identify those associated with the school? If so, that surely created a few jobs.

That said, I would think a more reasonable endeavor would be to look into the modeling software used to create this figure of an average of 1.6 non-campus jobs per campus job.

Reading briefly, the selling points of the IMPLAN system is that collecting real data is really hard so our model gives good output with easily obtained input. That seems a lot more novel than saying "I never see Gordon people supporting local business."

But I am just sayin'. If you did that, you might end up looking like a UGA hater, and that could be dangerous at the HG office.

#11 Andrew Odom on 04/02/09 at 07:08 AM

Thank you for the corrected link. I have changed it and it should work correctly now.

You make a very valid point in that saying the IMPLAN system is a guestimate, so to speak, rather than my abrupt and, perhaps, hastily spoken "I never see Gordon people supporting local business." I don't care to split hairs but I just don't think the "region" is gaining that much from Gordon and I don't think Gordon is gaining that much from the "region."

I think that with more planning, more flexibility, and more desire, both parties could benefit more.

And about UGA? I am an FSU grad so I think I alright sit in the 'dawg house,' if you know what I mean. hahahahah

#12 Anonymous on 04/02/09 at 08:53 AM

If you want to see the extent of Gordon's economic impact on Barnesville and Lamar County just look at the AJC report on P-card spending and see how many local businesses benefit.

#13 Louie on 04/02/09 at 09:29 AM

You can play with the numbers all you want but there are only a few good paying jobs that come out of Gordon that compensates enough to be able to live on. Compare the required education, the competition to get the job, the hours required to work and you do far better working in the private sector. I know this to be true first hand

#14 Andrew Odom on 04/02/09 at 11:06 AM

For those who don't know university p-cards are a type of credit card issued to certain employees which allow them to charge for work-related expenses.

An investigation of the p-card programs at 35 public colleges and universities found 18 cases of fraud, according to a report issued in January 2008 by the University System of Georgia.

#15 www.Proper-Azzi.Com on 04/02/09 at 02:23 PM

As a Gordon college student who is heavily involved with the surrounding area as well as the system of Gordon College, I KNOW first hand that the "gap" between Gordon college and the surrounding community is extensionally wide. I am chief and editor of the Gordon newspaper so I research these topics. I work on campus and off campus with different entities and I have seen no huge contribution to the surrounding community to what this article is stating. The only jobs in which Gordon college creates are the jobs of maintenance and such on campus. They bring "some" business to the surrounding community, but in my eyes it is merely a "Contribution to the magnitude in which stated by sources on here. The gap between the two needs to be patched up and bridged most definitely and soon.
-Proper-Azzi

#16 Anonymous on 04/02/09 at 02:44 PM

Don't worry. Republican Party meeting. We can save... Big Won! Vote Republican 2012. Don't vote Obama. God bless America!!!!

#17 Anonymous on 04/02/09 at 06:32 PM

Go back and read your first post. Much of what you say does not make sense in relation to this post. You did specifically mention businesses that cater to students and in your response you now say you included a Georgia School. True, a Georgia School that was included in the study--so you believe this about Athens but not the other colleges? You also mentioned a private school not included in the study and a Florida School not included in the study so what does the fact that you included UGA show? You are now contradicting your own argument. The sad thing about all of this to me is that you say you were surprised someone read the report or had any insight into it. So much ignorance is displayed on these comment pages and so many people think that this represents the community of Barnesville. How sad this is for all of us.

#18 Anonymous on 04/02/09 at 06:45 PM

The report is not about jobs working at the college. It is about how Gordon and the business it does in this region impacts the economy. It is about how all the faculty, staff, and students who work at Gordon spend money in this county at retail places, purchase homes, pay rent, purchase services--how all of that impacts this economy. Someone could have done a similar story about how the William Carter Company impacts the region or how the spending of any number of entities in this community impact the region--it doesn;t really have a thing to do with employment opportunities at the College per se. Was there an economic impact on Forsyth when Tift College closed? Yes there was. Was there an impact on this area when William Carter Co. closed its first mills here and will there be one when it closes the last facility here? I would think the answer would be yes, it is likely. If Gordon went away tomorrow Barnesville would be a different place. Some places would likely remain and some would likely disappear. I bet you'd be able to find a lot of low cost rental property!

#19 Anonymous on 04/02/09 at 06:51 PM

Are you sure you are the editor of the Gordon College Press?

#20 Peter Boltz on 04/02/09 at 08:24 PM

As adviser to the Gordon College Press, Gordon's student newspaper, I am compelled to correct an inaccuracy stated by properazzi. Tabitha Bosarge and Chike Chukwunwike are the editor-in-chief and managing editor of the GCP and have been throughout the fall 2008 semester and the spring 2009 semester. I am not sure what properazzi is "chief and editor of," but I assure you, it is not of any Gordon College publication.

#21 cats on 04/03/09 at 07:22 AM

Well, I'm just going to say that I don't get a warm fuzzy feeling when I think of the words "Gordon College".
In many small towns, a local college adds to the town in the sense of community events, young people who attract new businesses that will cater to the young crowd and an atmosphere and liveliness that then attract new residents to the community.
Gordon somehow seems isolated and removed from the rest of Barnesville.
Shame, really, the campus is pretty.

#22 Paul on 04/03/09 at 08:32 AM

I am amazed that you people do not see the contribution to the local economy that Gordon brings. I'm a Gordon student, and a local business person. I see every day students and faculty shopping in Barnesville. If Gordon was not here, how many restaurants would you see here? I'd bet better than half of them exist because Gordon is here. For instance, if you go to a Braves game, or a Hawks game, or a rock concert, you are going to stop somewhere around Atlanta and eat, gas up, shop, whatever. You are going to spend money in addition to the cost of seeing the event. Now multiply that times the attendance of the game. It works the same way with Gordon. Students, faculty and staff have to do the same things.

#23 Anonymous on 04/03/09 at 05:33 PM

Now, now. They bring in at least $1 mil a year in beer and condom sales.

#24 samzer on 04/05/09 at 10:40 AM

Hey, try for the big picture. Gordon faculty and staff as well as Carters employees receive serveral millions in salary that is very likely spent in the surrounding area. Additional funds spent by students has to, by sheer numbers present, amount to significant support for the local economy. Barnesville on the other hand is severely lacking in businesses that cater to and support the students. Barnesville's stupid housing laws(that are probably unconstitutional) and lack of opportunities for entertainment ought to be a concern of local citizens. It's alarming to see so much antagonism to Gordon expressed in these comments.

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