COLUMBIA CITY — Whitley County is laying out the welcome mat for 45 families from Puerto Rico, local officials said today.

The workers are transferring from a medical device facility in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, that was damaged by Hurricane Maria, to a facility in Warsaw. Due to a housing shortage in Warsaw, the families will (and have already begun to) locate in Whitley County, officials said.

Columbia City Mayor Ryan Daniel called the news “a huge win” for Whitley County.

“They are huge benefits for us,” he said. “Not only population growth but from an economic development perspective.”

Daniel said local officials learned about the incoming families last week. Some of the families have already started to arrive. The rest will arrive in the next few weeks.

For a community of 9,000, welcoming a potential influx of 100 to 200 individuals in a matter of weeks will present challenges, including language services.

“At the end of the day, we’re preparing for challenges, but with those challenges come tremendous opportunity,” Daniel said.

Source: In Whitley County