TIFTON — With a new logo emblazoned in its halls, Tift County hopes to better express what defines its corner of South Georgia.

The county unveiled the new logo March 1, inviting members of the community to a small ceremony in the Charles Kent Administration Building to commemorate the occasion.

Tift County Commission Chairman Tony McBrayer presented the logo as a mural, painted by Karen Hicks of Tifton and her husband, along the wall of the first floor of the county building facing the entrance.

McBrayer described the symbolism of each part of the new design, citing both the importance of the colors and how each piece defines Tift County: green gears to represent its industry, a blue road for the prominent distribution sphere and the numerous highways that intersect in the county and a brown field to symbolize the agriculture that helped build the county.

County Manager Jim Carter spoke on the new design, expressing his pride for the project and giving thanks to every member of the community that lent a hand, chiefly County Clerk Miriam Jordan.

The county manager said Jordan’s contributions to the effort had been crucial and insisted on having her contributions recognized.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, guests were given gift bags, lanyards and cookies and water, while Jordan made sure the focus group that assisted in developing the logo walked away with souvenirs stamped with the new emblem.

Carter said the county’s website and letterheads were being updated, and would soon proudly display the new symbol of Tift County for all to see.

“We feel good about the image that it shows everybody else,” Carter said. “Everybody in Tift County knows Tift County is great; we want everyone outside of Tift County to realize that as well.”