Efforts to let business or industry owners know what Natchez and Concordia Parish have to offer are ongoing, economic development officials said earlier this week.

At the Natchez-Adams Economic Development Authority, Woody Allen, board chairman, is working fulltime to get out the word.

&uot;It’s mostly just putting out the information now,&uot; Allen said. &uot;We’re advertising Natchez and our assets directly to consultants that recommend places for location.&uot;

Most companies affected by Hurricane Katrina are not in a position to make big changes at this point, Allen said.

&uot;They still have questions about just getting into their businesses, about insurance,&uot; he said. &uot;And Baton Rouge is getting the lawyers; they’re already licensed in Louisiana.&uot;

Many companies will choose to locate in Baton Rouge, Shreveport or another Louisiana city since they already are incorporated by the state, he said.

Still, that does not rule out opportunities for Natchez to get new business and professional people in the near future, he said.

&uot;I think our time is coming, but first a lot of the companies will go to the big Louisiana cities,&uot; he said.

The EDA is getting plenty of calls, Allen said. Most are to request information. &uot;People want to evaluate their options.&uot;

On Thursday, he received calls from two consultants interested in what kind of workers are in Natchez as evacuees. &uot;They want to know who is here, what they can do,&uot; Allen said. &uot;He and others from the EDA are hoping to collect data from the WIN Job Center to make a database for such callers.

&uot;Of course, these consultants are looking for jobs that would take the people away from Natchez,&uot; he said. &uot;But there is a humanitarian side to this, to get the people back to work. And I know that if we help people to get a job, they’ll be our friend forever. You might lose one person and gain 10 more.&uot;

At the Natchez-Adams Chamber of Commerce, Laura Godfrey, CEO, said the phones ring continuously.

Chamber personnel have compiled a list of office space. &uot;We’re seeing a demand for warehouse space,&uot; she said.

Realtor Rena Jean Schmieg said she has not seen a demand for office or building space but knows first hand of people who have moved to Natchez with their businesses operated from their homes.

&uot;I think we’re going to see a lot of that,&uot; she said.

In addition, efforts are under way to modify the Natchez Web site to include a job-posting site, Godfrey said. &uot;People want to work. We have people who will do just about anything.&uot;

In Concordia Parish,

a job fair will take place on Sept. 19 at the former seventh-grade school in Ferriday.

Anyone looking for work may come to meet with prospective employers in Concordia and surrounding parishes as well as in Adams County.