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County Spotlight: Aiken | Best Places to Work | S.C. Delivers
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AIKEN
South Boundary is a beautiful, tree-lined lane in downtown Aiken. (All photos/ Economic Development Partnership).
A UNIQUE BLEND OF REACTORS, RACE HORSES AND ADVANCED INDUSTRY By Steve McDaniel, Associate Editor
T
horoughbreds and atomic energy are rarely associated with each other. In the case of Aiken County, however, those disparate entities are significant aspects of its character.
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A mix of suburban cities and small, rural towns dot the sandy, gen-
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tly rolling terrain of the county on the southern edge of South Carolina’s Midlands region. Its border along the Savannah River forms part of the state line with Georgia. The county is part of the Augusta, Ga., metro region, known locally as the Central Savannah River Area, and its population of 170,200 ranks it 11th out of 46 counties in the state. Special Advertising Section
Aiken County le ading local employers
US Department of Energy, Savannah River Si te................ 11,200 Bridgestone PSR pla nt...............1,486 Kimberly Clark...... ..................... 1,103 AGY.......................... .................... 716 Shaw Industries...... .......................611 UPS Custom Broker age...............597 Source: Economic Deve
lopment Partnership
COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: AIKEN
The county’s largest employer is the Savannah River Site, a 310-square-mile federal reservation straddling portions of Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell counties. It has been the site of various projects for military and governmental production, storage and disposal of nuclear material since the 1950s, and is run by the U.S. Department of Energy with a current workforce of more than 11,000 employees from across the region. The county seat of Aiken is a popular retiree destination, a trend the goes back to the 19th century when wealthy coastal South Carolina landowners looked to escape the brutal summer mosquitoes and humidity, along with many well-to-do Northerners seeking milder winters after the Civil War. Many of those who came brought with them an interest in equestrian sports and established training stables in the area. That tradition still lives, as several thoroughbred horse stables operate in the county and can boast entries into the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes, Breeder’s Cup and other high-profile races. Mild winters also helped in the decision to relocate MTU America, a division of
Above, MTU America produces diesel engines and component parts for use in a wide variety of applications from its facility in the Sage Mill Industrial Park in Graniteville. At right, research is a key industry in Aiken County.
Rolls Royce that makes diesel engines and parts, said Joerg Klisch, vice president and manager of the plant at the Sage Mill Industrial Park off Interstate 20 in the western part of the county. Of course, incentives such as tax breaks
and infrastructure improvements were the main factors in the company’s decision, which came in the middle of the Great Recession in 2009.
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COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: AIKEN
Aiken Technical College (above) offers two-year associate degrees and certifications and training for local industries. USC-Aiken (left) offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in a variety of curriculums and is regularly named among the Best Colleges in the South by US News and World Report.
“We made the decision to go against the prevailing strategy most companies adopted then,” Klisch said. “While most everyone else was staying put in a volatile economy, we decided to take advantage of some very good incentives offered by Aiken County. We were one of the few willing to do that at that time, and it has proven to be a very good decision for us.” Klisch added, “Leaving the Detroit area also helped us from a productivity standpoint. The harsh winters kept employees home many days there; here that has not been a problem.” While SRS is the biggest part of the economy, Aiken County has strived to diversify its economic base in recent years, said Gary Bunker, chairman of the Aiken County Council.
“We have several different layers to our economy,” he said. “We have a significant agricultural sector, a large and growing sector of retirees, the horse community. Alongside all of that, we have the industrial base with major companies like Bridgestone, MTU and Kimberly-Clark.” State Sen. Tom Young, the chairman of the Aiken County Legislative Delegation, echoed Bunker’s sentiment. “Our delegation is always talking to economic officials to keep Aiken County on the radar for new economic investments not directly related to SRS,” he said. “SRS and SRNL (Savannah River National Laboratory) are vital to our economy, but federal budgets are out of our control and can directly impact those operations. We continue to strive for more economic diversity and
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Sage Mill Industrial Park in Graniteville is home to several large companies. The park encompasses 2,400 acres and sits along Interstate 20 with easy access to Atlanta and the ports of Savannah and Charleston.
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overall health for our industrial base.” Besides Bridgestone, a tire manufacturer for passenger cars and light trucks, and Kimberly-Clark, a manufacturer of consumer paper products, other large employers in the county include AGY, a glass fiber yarns manufacturer for aerospace, automotive, defense and other industries; Shaw Industries, a global maker of carpet and other flooring materials; and global logistics service UPS. The Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative is being developed on the campus of USC-Aiken for the Savannah River National Laboratory, a part of the SRS operation. The lab is partnering with USC-Aiken, Clemson University and the University of South Carolina to conduct research and development projects. County officials also anticipate Department
COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: AIKEN
Equestrian sports have a long history in Aiken County. Several stables in the area train and develop thoroughbred race horses that have run in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and other high-profile races.
of Defense contractors to have interest in the area to support work for the U.S. Army Cyber Command, which was recently reorganized and is relocating its headquarters to Fort Gordon, just south of Augusta. “Some of our county officials have visited Fort Meade (Maryland, where Cyber Command is currently headquartered) to let people know about Aiken County,” said county administrator Clay Killian. “This
will be a great opportunity for the entire region with many skilled, high-paying jobs. I saw recently that 40% of the Army’s entire construction budget is tied for Fort Gordon, and that can only be positive for everyone in the region.” USC-Aiken is frequently listed No. 1 by US News and World Report in its annual Best Colleges in the South rankings. The school offers four-year bachelor’s degrees
and several master’s programs among its curriculum. Aiken Technical College offers two-year associate’s degrees as well as training and certification programs for specific industries. The Aiken County School District serves about 24,000 students in seven high schools, 10 middle schools, 20 elementary schools, three charters and a career and technology center. The district is actively involved with
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COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: AIKEN
A vine-covered trellis covers part of Newberry Street in downtown Aiken, an area that draws people to its many shops, restaurants and nightlife options.
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area business leaders in developing and implementing programs to train the next generation of the region’s workforce. “We have put in place a program called Aiken Works,” said school district superintendent Dr. Sean Alford. “Industry and business leaders in the county are working closely with school administrators in letting us know their needs and requirements for job training.” The Aiken Trials, which celebrate the city’s rich equestrian history, are held each spring, and the Masters tournament, regarded worldwide as one of golf’s most prestigious events, is played in nearby Augusta every April. A new ballpark complex was recently completed along the Savannah River in North Augusta and is home to the Augusta Greenjackets, a Class-A minorleague baseball team affiliated with the San Francisco Giants. The county offers plentiful outdoor activities. The Savannah and Edisto rivers give residents and visitors access to boating, fishing, kayaking and other water sports. Lake Murray and Lake Thurmond are within an hour’s drive of Aiken. Both large, manmade bodies have numerous camping, boating and fishing areas.
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