Norton: Region's 'Road to Recovery' paved with tourism dollars

DAHLONEGA - A group of more than 100 students, faculty, and business and civic leaders from around the region gathered at North Georgia College and State University Wednesday morning to hear an update on the region's economy.

"The Road to Recovery" was presented by Frank Norton Jr., president of The Norton Agency, a regional insurance and real estate firm based in Gainesville.

Over the last decade, a growing population and healthy economy pushed the housing and construction industry into the number one industry in much of the region, Norton said. But the recession caused the growth engine to stall and brought the housing market to a near stand-still.

"Now it's paused, so tourism is second and agribusiness would be third," he said. "That pause, because of the housing and second home market and the development and the lending component and the banking component and buying refrigerators all being interrelated