Sen. Jeff Mullis of Chickamauga and Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce director Martha Eaker recently returned from a trip to Germany in which they represented Georgia as a good location for companies looking to relocate.

On Tuesday they made a presentation to the Catoosa Board of Commissioners concerning their trip.

“More companies than ever are wanting to relocate,” said Sen. Mullis, a Republican who represents District 53, which includes all or parts of Catoosa, Walker, Dade and Chattooga counties. “And we want Catoosa County to give them the red carpet treatment.”

On the trip, Mullis and Eaker attended Hanover Messe, a business expo showcasing 6,000 companies. Mullis said a concern expressed from companies they spoke to was they did not know if they were coming to Chattanooga for the upcoming Volkswagen plant.

“They are in the same spot as us,” Mullis said.

Currently, there are more than 20 German automotive developers in Georgia.

“The competition is very strong,” Mullis said. “We have made many contacts and are following up on them.”

Mullis said a plus for Catoosa County is property on Ga. 151 that is slated for an industrial park and owned by the county. He said only two of the companies they had spoken to preferred privately owned land when considering relocation. He added that concerns such as the school system, economic well-being and quality of life were expressed by the companies they spoke to.

“It’s like a stew,” Mullis said. “Everything has to be just right.”

Mullis also said in the meeting that Gov. Sonny Perdue has signed off on the new Northwest Georgia Technical College campus to be developed in Catoosa County and that funds for the campus are allocated in the state’s budget. Mullis said currently the state is investing $3 million in engineering and clearing the land. The complete project will cost around $21 million.

In other business at Tuesday’s Board of Commissioners meeting:

The board approved a proposed change order for the county’s jail mezzanine project, which included caulking areas considered to be “hiding places” for inmates, trim plates to keep inmates from climbing to the new area, and a deduction in man hours. The total amount for the project is $309,201 and will be paid through the jail construction fund.

The board approved a proposed change order for a piping project on landfill site No 2 at $27,880. The total price of the project is $314,805.