President Bush Visits Franklinton North Carolina

(02/19/07 -- FRANKLINTON) (WTVD) -- Some people are wondering if it's the smallest town President Bush has ever visited.

He'll be north of the Triangle in Franklinton on Thursday.

The President is visiting the town of 2,500 people, to take a close look at a company at the forefront of alternative fuels research.

Bush is going to Novozymes following-up on his State of the Union pledge to help America become less dependent on oil.

Downtown Franklinton isn't exactly a hub of business.

Dianna Lyn, Subway Sandwich Shop Manager spent today trying to convince disbelieving employees that, yes indeed, the leader of the free world is coming to Franklinton.

Lyn stated, "I didn't think that he goes to little itty bitty towns."

In fact the president will be outside of town in a rural area to see the big Novozymes plant where research is well underway on biofuels.

Company officials say it's pretty easy to take corn kernels and turn them into ethanol. It's another thing to take corn stalks and wood chips and break them down with enzymes to produce alternative fuels. It's a complicated science but it's well on it's way.

Novozyme's Garrett Screws says after Bush's State of the Union promise to help wean America from oil it made perfect sense for him to come here. It's the biggest facility of it's type in North America.

If it's research is successful, Novozymes will not only profit, but so will many others including farmers who can grow alternative crops.

At the Franklinton Subway they're already profiting from the Bush visit.

Lyn commented, "It's good for all the little businesses here. So, as far as what Novozyme is doing and what they're trying to do, I think that's great.

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