By Scott Mims

Chilton County Commissioners and other leaders will have the opportunity to meet CEOs of several Scandinavian companies next month when Chilton County hosts a trade mission.
The businessmen plan to stay in Clanton from Oct. 13-15, leading up to the Thorsby Swedish Festival on Saturday, Oct. 16. They will attend the festival as well.
During their time here, the CEOs will look at property for the potential expansion of new industry.
“We’re looking for 10 to 12 companies. We’ve already got five confirmed,” said Tracia Bussey, chairwoman of the Thorsby Swedish Fest Committee and board member with CAWACO Resource Conservation and Development.
Bussey extended an invitation to commissioners during Monday morning’s regular meeting. She said participants would get to see a presentation of industry and technology the companies could bring to the area.
In a similar venture, she said, five companies came to the U.S. in 2009 to look at potential property in the Southeast, and one located to Louisiana.
“We thought if we could bring them in and concentrate their attention here–if we could get just one company it would open the door for others,” Bussey said.
Bussey is also a board member of the Scandinavian-American Economic Development Alliance, which has been successful in getting green tech companies to locate in other states.
The effort is sponsored by CAWACO and is being funded through sponsorships and donations, Bussey added.
In other business, Tax Assessor Rex Cleckler submitted a contract from The Atlantic Group for updated aerial photography of the county to be done this winter.
“It’s something that the state requires to be done,” Cleckler said, adding that money was available in the department’s budget.
Because the item was not subject to bid, the commission voted to go ahead and approve the contract.
The commission also:
•Voted to hire Chris Moore as chief appraiser at the request of Cleckler
•Voted to fill the position of personal property appraiser, after the retirement of Lynn White, at the request of Cleckler
•Allowed the hiring of an employee to fill a vacant slot in the Tax Collector’s Office at the request of Tax Collector Tim Little
•Voted 4-3 to fill a vacancy in the commission office as requested by Administrator Vanessa Hendrick (Allen Caton, Red Turnipseed, Bobby Agee and Tim Mims voted in approval)
•Entered into a contract with the Shelby County Detention Center for the housing of juvenile offenders.