The Dawson County Development Authority announced Friday that the county has been included in the supplier ring for the massive Caterpillar assembly plant to be located near Athens.

According to Charlie Auvermann, executive director of the authority, this is extremely promising for the local economy and could have a significant financial impact.

"The Caterpillar facility has a wide reaching influence for many counties in North Georgia, including Dawson County," Auvermann said. "Being included in the supplier ring is very important for the county."

The authority has worked with the state on placing potential suppliers on the list for pre-qualification consideration.

According to Auvermann, two local steel fabrication suppliers, Impulse Manufacturing and World Wide Manufacturing, are already pre-qualified to become suppliers.

"Impulse Manufacturing and World Wide Manufacturing have pre-qualified and will be moving through the additional steps to become official suppliers to Caterpillar," Auvermann said.

The new plant, which straddles Oconee and Clark Counties, plans to produce two types of construction and grading equipment, including excavators and bulldozers.

The firm recently established a 50-mile radius around the new plant as the zone in which companies will supply parts and equipment to the operation. Dawson County falls in the outskirts of that zone.

According to the estimated project scope, the new plant will be one million square feet and offer 1,400 new full-time jobs. In addition, the suppliers serving the plant's needs could have a spike in employment and business.

As many as 40 regional independent businesses could be qualified to supply the plant, which could lead to an additional 2,800 indirect full-time jobs, said the authority's report.

"The multiplier effect of such a huge operation will be significant," Auvermann stated. "The supply list goes on for pages."

Auvermann said the next step for Impulse Manufacturing and World Wide Manufacturing is to be approved.

Also, since the 50-mile radius was announced on June 19, two Dawson County properties have been considered as sites for new supply firms to be established.

Critical supply firms from Japan could open operations in north Georgia with the purpose of supplying parts, according to Gretchen Corbin, deputy commissioner for global commerce with the Georgia State Department of Economic Development.

Some job opportunities spurting from the Caterpillar plant are already available, according to Auvermann. Since construction on the site has already started, there is currently a search for construction and trades workers.

Overall, while Auvermann pointed out that the plant's first units will not roll off the line until 2018, he also highlighted that the economic effect of the new plant on the region will be seen much earlier.