It is welcome news that Brooks Brothers officials are looking to expand its industrial reach in Sampson, a move that, if realized, will benefit city and county coffers and open the door to 21 good paying jobs.

Such a move is good news for everyone, particularly in terms of the investment that will be made and the tax revenue that will be realized. It’s also a great testament for other potential industries looking to locate in Clinton. What better reference can a county have than an existing industry’s top executives being so satisfied with a location that they are willing to invest even more time, energy and money here?

That Brooks Brothers is consideirng an expansion of their Warsaw Road Distribution Center speaks volumes about the partnerships that have been formed between that industry and city and county officials, the employment pool from which they have been able to draw and their satisfaction with aspects of our community, whether it’s schools and restaurants, transportation or economic development. Perhaps it’s the sum of all those parts. Whatever the reason, it bodes well thatfor Sampson and its residents that the industry is eyeing a $2.56 million investment.

We thank Brooks Brothers officials for their continued loyalty to our county and their willingness to make a sizable investment in both our community and its people.

In our minds, it’s a no-brainer, but we admittledly are prejudice toward this great county which, we believe, has much to offer any industry looking a place to call home.

Brooks Brothers, like all our industry friends, has proven to be a solid community citizen, willing to give back to an area that has opened its arms to welcome them.

For the past several months, local government representatives have been working with those at Brooks Brothers concerning the company’s desire to expand the distribution center. The two sides agreed that, if Sampson County were selected as the location for expansion, certain incentive payments would be made to Brooks Brothers in return for the company’s commitment to make certain capital investments and maintain certain levels of employment in the county.

Brooks Brothers’ Clinton distribution center currently provides 48 full-time positions and 30 part-time or temporary positions. The company purchased its current building in 2012 after leasing it for several years and, as of 2013, the tax value for the Brooks Brothers facility was $1.41 million.

Under the proposed incentives agreement, the county would provide performance‐based payments to Brooks Brothers in the amount of $57,963 over a 10‐year period in return for the company’s taxable investment of $2,555,000 in equipment and $112,500 in building improvements.

County tax revenues would be a shade under $100,000 over that 10‐year period, with the project bringing the additional employment of 21 full-time positions at an average annual salary of $31,714.

There seems to be no negatives in the proposed plan, which seems to be a win-win for all parties involved.

While government incentives sometimes cause heartburn among some residents, when one looks at the big picture it is clearly a beneficial move for all involved.