Good things come to those who wait, and the City of Vidalia seems to have the waiting behind it.

Three years ago city leaders started courting an industrial development. Monday, things became final.

Louisiana Elastomer, LLC, will locate a rubber processing plant at the Vidalia industrial park. The facility will turn old tires into pellets or sheets for recycling. The tires will eventually become car bumpers, truck bed liners, mats and shoes.

Construction on the facility should start within the next two months, Vidalia Mayor Hyram Copeland said.

The industry is the first for the city’s industrial park, and it leads to hope for more.

The LAEL CEO gave credit to town leaders, saying they were the reason his business was in the Miss-Lou. Copeland and others went after LAEL with the intent of getting the company, and they succeeded.

The facility will start with 50 employees, but may eventually employ 130. In a day and age where industry jobs often are dwindling, it has been worth the wait for Vidalia to bring in an environmentally friendly, profitable business.

Local leaders sold their city well, and now we’ll all wait for the future.