Business activity is picking up in Newton County as eight industries, totaling 2,000 jobs, are considering locating in Newton County, industrial recruiter Dave Bernd said Friday.

He said Newton County is close to landing two particularly large industries that would provide a big boost to the local job market, though neither deal has yet been finalized.

Out of the eight companies considering Newton County, only one is looking at a greenfield site – a piece of property that has not been previously developed – while the other seven are all looking at existing buildings, Bernd said, noting the county still has a lot of building inventory available.

Bernd said five of the companies are interested in Newton County because of its relatively close proximity to the Savannah port, a major international trade port.