own on the farm it isn't. Elegantly decorated Ralph Lauren and Estee Lauder perfume bottles are the last thing you would expect to find in Sparta, in rural Hancock County, Georgia. But French glassmaker Saint Gobain Desjonqueres announced early this year it would produce decorative cosmetic and perfume bottles at its Sparta plant, employing 200 workers. The site is one of six plants the firm operates in Georgia, and it demonstrates state efforts to bring jobs and economic development to all areas of the state, not just the metro Atlanta region.
        "This is great news for Sparta," says R. K. Sehgal, commissioner for the Georgia Dept. of Industry, Trade and Tourism. "We will continue to work aggressively to pursue new job opportunities for the people of Hancock County."
        That may be a tall order. Georgia is facing a massive budget shortfall, and Gov. Roy Barnes has proposed $900 million in new infrastructure projects as well as school construction. The pressure will be on Barnes to produce funding for these statewide projects, which will create new jobs and attract new business, while at the same time curtailing the budget. Barnes has been particularly sensitive to the needs of rural Georgia. His office has continued to sponsor programs to bring economic development and jobs to areas of the state that have not prospered.