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About 15 years ago, Marion County’s healthy economy was fueled by mostly service industry jobs. When the national recession struck in 2008, the local unemployment rate soared into double digits, and at one point was among the Top 5 highest in the nation. Marion County officials, including state Rep. Stan McClain, who was a Marion County commissioner back in 2008, said the board vowed to diversify the local workforce before the next national recession, or other crisis, came to town. Flash forward to today, and the job market in Marion is much more diversified. The community has more manufacturing and logistics jobs. That workforce diversity means Marion’s economy faired much better during COVID-19 pandemic. ....