We’ve all heard that persistence pays off.

Now, Troy city leaders are hoping to prove that saying is true.

Reacting to news that Ansell Corporation plans to shut down its nearly 140-employee manufacturing plant in Troy, Mayor Jimmy Lunsford struck a determined tone.

"We’re not going to accept it until we have an opportunity to change it," he said.

His tone was not defiant, simply determined. It was the tone of a mayor focused on economic development, on community growth, on getting and keeping good jobs for his community.

It’s a tone that permeates the Pike County community, from Troy city leaders to Brundidge officials to volunteers and paid staff working with the Chamber of Commerce on economic development. And it’s the attitude that drives Pike County, Ala., to woo new Wal-Mart Distribution Centers, with more the promise of more than 500 jobs added to the workforce. It’s the attitude that says "what can we do to help you succeed here?" And, ultimately, it’s attitude that can tilt the scales in favor of one community over another.

Whether or not that persistence is enough to change the minds of an multi-million dollar international company facing serious losses and difficult business decisions remains to be seen.

But even if local leaders fail to change the corporate minds of Ansell’s parent company, they will have done the right thing ­ in this case pushing to save the jobs we have, working to help the businesses succeed here, and being persistence in those endeavors.

It’s the kind of community attitude that businesses like to see, and it’s an approach that will likely reap rewards in the long run as Pike County and Troy develop the reputation as being "business-friendly" and committed to real economic development.

In the long run, persistence will "pay off."  

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