2024 Annual Report - Richland County Economic Development Office
20 24 ANNUAL REPORT
RICH L
AND COU NT Y Economic
De ve lopment
JEFF RUBLE
Director, Richland County Economic Development Office
2024 was a transformative year for Richland County. During the past year, the largest project in our county’s history took shape, we assisted the growth of longtime existing industries, we increased our support of workforce development and attainable housing projects, we evaluated new land development opportunities, and we explored innovative strategies. These initiatives expand avenues for the citizens of our community by increasing career options, opening doors to affordable and quality housing for families, and boosting economic development sustainability and growth potential.
As our community continues to evolve, so will our office. The “Richland County Economic Development Office” will become an independent not-for-profit publicprivate partnership over the coming months. This profound and impactful shift will broaden our capacity for recruiting new industries and working with those that call our community home, as well as collaborating in bigger ways with private industry and community allies.
We look forward to sharing the journey of a new year and the possibilities it brings with our partners and supporters throughout Richland County. With continued collaboration, we will increase prosperity for this generation and those to come.
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
RE-ENVISIONING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Richland County Council voted in late 2024 to transform the county-operated economic development office into a public-private partnership (P3). In doing so, the EDO becomes a not-forprofit, independent company working alongside Richland County to assist in achieving its economic development goals.
IMPETUS A strategic plan commissioned by Council and delivered in 2021 recommended the creation of “a new independent public-private partnership (P3)” as an evolutionary need for the county to stay competitive.
TIMELINE The P3 is anticipated to be fully activated in 2025 at which point it will assume oversight and execution of dayto-day economic development duties currently managed by Richland County.
2024
2025
NOVEMBER: Richland County Council votes to convert EDO to a P3.
DECEMBER: “Richland County Economic Development Public Private Partnership” is incorporated.
Q1: Members of the Board selected.
Rebrand for new P3 organization begins.
Development of new website kicks off.
Q2: Pre-launch event.
Q3: New P3 organization launches.
STRUCTURE
The organization will be overseen by a Board of Directors and managed daily by an appointed President/CEO. Support staff will be employed/hired through the organization to execute services.
FUNDING
Formed as a public-private partnership (P3), the organization will be supported by county funds and private industry with vested interests in driving economic development opportunity.
BOARD SERVICES
The Board of Directors will be composed of two Richland County Councilmembers, three Councilappointed members, and four private sector members.
The organization will continue to provide services supporting its mission of creating prosperity for citizens and businesses of the county. This includes: existing industry assistance, industry recruitment, project management and negotiation, workforce development engagement.
ANNUAL INVESTMENTS
INDUSTRIAL/OFFICE
US Brick Expansion Brick and stone products
Schneider Electric Expansion Switchgear and switchboards
McEntire Produce Expansion Fresh produce processing, repacking and wholesale
$41.2M INVESTMENTS (INDUSTRIAL/OFFICE)
223 JOBS CREATED (INDUSTRIAL/OFFICE)
14,630 JOBS CREATED (INDUSTRIAL/OFFICE) INVESTMENTS (INDUSTRIAL/OFFICE) (SINCE 2011) 2024
$4.96B+
$177M COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS SUPPORTED
$1.38B COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS SUPPORTED (SINCE 2019)
INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS
SCOUT MOTORS
In roughly a year’s time, bare land of the Blythewood Industrial Park transformed into the sprawling 1,100-acre Production Center campus for Scout Motors. The electric vehicle manufacturer made substantial progress on construction of three of its main buildings — the body shop, paint shop and assembly.
Additionally, groundwork was laid for other critical components of the campus, such as railroad connections, and plans put in place for a state-of-the-art training center for employees and technology center to support future vehicles.
Scout Motors has hired more than 230 initial team members and counting in South Carolina to oversee construction, planning, engineering and launch of the Production Center operations. The company will begin to gradually ramp up direct hiring of hourly manufacturing employees in the coming years as the start of production approaches, eventually creating more than 4,000 permanent jobs.
To great anticipation, the company revealed concepts for its Terra and Traveler models in the final quarter of 2024. Vehicle production is on target to begin in the next couple of years.
photo credit Scout Motors
THE RITEDOSE CORPORATION
To keep up with increasing demands, Ritedose neared completion of its multiphase campus project in Columbia. The first building - a main distribution center - will be over 225,000 SF and is set to open in Q1 2025.
Ritedose is a leading producer of Blow Fill Seal (BFS) respiratory and ophthalmic medications in the U.S.
TMC TRANSPORTATION
TMC Transportation made major progress on its new Columbia terminal during 2024, with the administration building and state-of-the-art maintenance shop both taking shape. The new campus will allow the Iowabased flatbed carrier to expand its presence in the Southeast and better serve its drivers. Its grand opening is planned for 2025.
photo credit The Ritedose Corporation
photo credit TMC Transportation
US BRICK
To increase output, US Brick focused on what it put into its facility this past year. The company received and installed new equipment and began testing for production.
A second kiln also underwent preparation to be readied for increased production capacity. US Brick anticipates it will be operational in Spring 2025.
INTEGER TECHNOLOGIES
Integer Technologies is a science and tech company headquartered in Columbia, S.C., transforming research into impactful solutions for national security and industry customers.
In 2024, it was named South Carolina’s No. 1 Fastest Growing Company. Integer grew its workforce by 73% and nearly doubled square footage at its downtown office.
MAJOR INITIATIVES
EMERGING INDUSTRIES
By staying on the forefront of emerging technology and initiatives, RCEDO is supporting initiatives that make Richland County a leader in innovation. We are partnering with entities in our community charting the path for key developments:
• SC QUANTUM is the leader of quantum technology growth in S.C. focused on education, entrepreneurship and engagement in collaboration with academia, entrepreneurs, industry and government.
• BOYD INNOVATION CENTER, POWERED BY GROWCO is Columbia’s destination for inspiring and supporting tech startups in the Columbia, S.C., region. Since launching new programs in 2022, the BIC has recorded a 292% increase in the number of new founders.
• GROWTH SUMMIT is a dynamic annual event uniting an array of entrepreneurs and growth-minded leaders to share their brain power on increasing support and opportunities in the state.
S.C.’s first-ever Quanthaton hosted 60+ southeastern university students.
EXISTING INDUSTRY
Existing industries’ ability to flourish at their local facilities is a powerful indicator of economic stability for our community. To improve our support for them, we evaluated our Existing Industry Program to refine existing services and develop new resources, resulting in a new brand with an expanded services approach - BRIDGE 4 BUSINESS. How we help:
• Assist with expansion projects, including: incentives negotiations, site selection, meeting coordiation, etc.
• Provide local market research on demographic and workforce data
• Coordinate educational sessions with subject matter experts on relevant and in-demand topics
• Referral network to connect company management with resources for taxes, incentives, workforce, business-to-business services, and more
Colite International manufactures signs for companies around the world.
COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Ensuring attainable housing for Richland County citizens is imperative to supporting economic stability and fostering a healthier, more equitable community for families to thrive.
Our COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM boosts commercial development opportunities in the region that may otherwise not be supported. The program carefully assesses the valueadd that these projects can bring to the community with consideration to items such as:
• Redevelopment of blighted spaces
• Attainable workforce housing
• Improvements made to public utilities
• Green space and/or other outdoor enhancements
• Inclusion of mixed use space
• Parking access for general public use
The Streams at Earlewood will boast 300 market rate apartment units.
WORKFORCE
Talent is a leading challenge shared by our businesses. In 2024, our team began an exploration into existing workforce development resources and identified more than a dozen nonprofit groups servicing citizens of our county that could be worker pipeline sources for employers. Thus far, this initial deep dive has yielded:
• insights into existing worker placement activities in Richland County
• improved communication and stronger connections with workforce partners
• a new RCEDO self-service resource library for employers
• a new RCEDO referral system to connect nonprofit providers with employers in need
This project is ongoing by our team.
Richland County is the second-most populous county in South Carolina.
COMMUNITY
To help build a stronger community you must also be part of it. Our team is making it a priority to step out of the office and engage with community builders.
• COLUMBIA OPPORTUNITY RESOURCE (COR) provides professional networking, community immersion and talent retention
• BENEDICT COLLEGE Advisory Board of Tyrone Adams Burroughs School of Business & Entrepreneurship
• HBCU ENGAGE strengthens partnerships between companies, universities and historically Black colleges and universities
• MIDLANDS EDUCATION AND BUSINESS ALLIANCE (MEBA) BOARD unites industry and K-12 educators to address pipeline needs
• MIDLANDS BUSINESS LEADERSHIP GROUP (MBLG) REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS COUNCIL convenes business leaders for collaborative initiatives to boost regional development and growth
This list is a sampling of groups, programs and initiatives included among RCEDO’s activities and support.
Along with networking, COR offers Capture Columbia and Crash Course Columbia.
