SPANISH FORT, Ala.— With the nation’s current economic slump many businesses and families have endured financial difficulties, but Darrelyn Bender, president of the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce, said Spanish Fort has the makings for a bright future.

Bender cited two reasons for her optimism: location and planning.

“We’re in one of the best places we could be in because of all the expansions in Mobile,” she said, referring to companies like the ThyssenKrupp steel mill, which located in Mobile County, and Segers Aero Corp., which last summer purchased a 130,000-square-foot facility near the Fairhope airport. Segers Aero provides aviation services to fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft, involving military and commercial customers worldwide, specializing in engine maintenance and repair.

About 60 employees from its Opa-Locka, Fla., headquarters will move here, needing homes, and Bender said she hopes that similar increases in population will lead to spikes in the housing market and retail sales.

“Hopefully we’ll see the domino effect,” she said.

Bender also said the chamber has a marketing plan for 2009; it will initiate a Web-based incentive program with coupons and information about Eastern Shore businesses.

“It will promote (everything from) accountants to hotels to help drive business,” she said.

“The slogan will be, ‘Come see how the Eastern Shore offers more.’”

As for right now, Bender said the Spanish Fort economy hasn’t been hit as hard as other places.

“It’s looking good for Spanish Fort because cities are supported by sales tax,” she said. “I’m having a hard time taking a left in front of the welcome center to get to my house (because of traffic at Bass Pro Shops); I’ve asked Mayor (Joe) Bonner to put a service road in his front yard.”

Bender added that citizens can help during hard economic times by shopping locally.

“We need to have consumer confidence; have confidence in where we are right now,” she said. “We have wonderful things to look forward to.

“People can make a difference by bringing some of that money home instead of only shopping on the Internet.”