Lexington County - SCBIZ

Winter 2019

Furry farming

S.C. alpaca farmers share bond to find successful niche

ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED SC Biz News 1439 Stuart Engals Blvd.

Suite 200 Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

County Spotlight: Lexington | Trending: Agriculture in S.C. | S.C. Delivers

county spotlight

LEXINGTON

Boaters enjoying the waters around Bomb Island on Lake Murray (Photo/Capital City/ Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board)

GROWING INTO A PROSPEROUS FUTURE

By Jim Tatum

S

everal important elements contribute to Lexington County’s success, say county leaders. Lifelong resident and former school board and county council member Smokey Davis points to Lexington County’s

www.scbizmag.com

excellent quality of life, which is underpinned by an outstanding education

16

system.

“We have invested heavily in our school districts,” Davis said. “The result

Lexington Cou by the numbersnty

Population: 295,03

2

Average per capita

is that our schools have given parents a degree of comfort in their children’s

Median age: 38.9

education, which has drawn many people over here.”

Median household

Lexington County Councilmember Todd Cullum, who also chairs the Special Advertising Section

income: $29,311

income: $57,482

Unemployment rate

: 2.9 %

Source: Based on US Cens

us Bureau data

Lexington County Council’s economic development committee, agreed.

“We have put a lot of emphasis on education in this county, not only with K-12 but with Midlands Technical College as well. In fact, Midlands Tech is one of our strongest economic development partners; they do a phenomenal job.”

The county has many natural amenities.

At the northern end of the county lies what many consider the crowning jewel, Lake Murray.

“If you ride the 500-plus miles of shoreline, you will see all the beautiful homes people have built because they love the quality of life that is offered here,” Davis said.

COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: LEXINGTON

The Cayce/West Columbia Riverwalk is a popular destination for walkers, runners and anyone who loves the outdoors. It is one of many outdoor amenities in Lexington County. (Photo/Jeff Amberg)

Retail/commercial development follows residential rooftops, and the massive influx of newcomers over the past two decades certainly bears this out. Thirty years ago, there was relatively little retail in the more rural parts of the county and in places such as Lexington, Pelion and Batesburg. Today, the landscape is rapidly changing.

“Everything is certainly looking up, we’re seeing a lot of growth,” Mike Taylor, president/CEO of the Batesburg-Leesville Chamber of Commerce said. “I believe we’re doing the right things to handle it. The chamber, school district and town (Batesburg) work very well together. We’re focused on it; everyone is on the same page. It’s a very concerted effort.”

Another important quality of life aspect is an outstanding health care system, one which has thrived as it continues to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population, Otis Rawl, president and CEO of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce, said.

In fact, the health care system, Lexington Medical, has done an exemplary job of ensuring it can provide services to handle the

The Company We Keep

www.scbizmag.com

803. 785.6818

WWW.LEXINGTONCOUNTYUSA.COM LexCo_AD_1-2page.indd 1

Special Advertising Section 10/28/19 9:05 AM

17

COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: LEXINGTON growth, something Rawl wants to make sure is done at all levels.

www.scbizmag.com

Economic development

18

Lexington County has enjoyed significant industrial growth, attracting such companies as Michelin, Nephron Pharmaceuticals, Nucor Building Systems, Amazon and others to the area. In fact, in the fiscal year 2018-2019, at least 12 companies have announced new investments or expansions in the county.

“To me, one of the biggest compliments we can ever receive is from an entity who, after initially committing to investing millions of dollars into our community, subsequently agrees to invest even more and expand operations, because they have experienced that your community is a great place to live, to work, to play, to continue to do business,” Cullum said.

Cullum readily admits that Lexington County is fortunate in many ways. From the lure of Lake Murray to proximity and ease of transporting goods and services, the county enjoys advantages across the spectrum: education, cost of living, arts/entertainment/ recreation options, and strategic location.

“We have three interstate highways in Lexington County,” he said. “We are located favorably for easy access to the state’s port.

We have a major airport nearby and access to rail. We are located less than 10 miles from a major research university. We have an outstanding quality of life. So, when major corSpecial Advertising Section

(Clockwise from top left) Columbiana Mall, Michelin, Lexington Square (Photos/Jeff Amberg) and Icehouse Amphitheater (Photo/Ralph Mayer) are all important Lexington County landmarks.

porations are looking for a place to relocate, we try to have as much of a well-rounded package to offer as possible.”

Preparing for the future Currently, Lexington County has three strategically located industrial parks, all of which have infrastructure in place and the

county remains focused on developing more product, via public/private partnerships, to offer industry, Cullum said. The county is also focused on continuing to ensure a business-friendly environment, from reasonable tax and utility rates to ease of navigating government policies, departments and requirements.

Economic development announcements 2018-2019 • Amazon Logistics, a new addition to Amazon’s network of delivery providers, opened a location in West Columbia.

• Harsco Rail, a global supplier for railway track maintenance and construction, is expanding operations in Lexington County.

• Domino’s Pizza is opening a processing facility in Lexington County aimed at supplying dough and other ingredients to its regional franchise stores.

• CMC Steel has once again expanded their Lexington County operations.

• Savage Craft Ale is expected to open a new brewery in West Columbia’s River District area in the spring of 2020.

• Garden State Lumber, a distributor of quality moldings, trim boards, sheet goods and architectural accents, has leased 150,000 sq. ft. of distribution space in the Lexington County Industrial Park.

• C.R. Jackson has announced plans to expand their operations and build a new asphalt mixing plant in the BatesburgLeesville Industrial Park.

• JUUL Labs is investing in a new manufacturing facility at 375 Metropolitan Drive.

COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: LEXINGTON

This has not gone unnoticed.

“Part of what makes Lexington County one of the best places in the country to own a business is the permitting process,” Lou Kennedy, CEO of Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corp. said. “Working together with economic developers, the process is smooth, and that saves companies like ours time and money.”

Still, there are other aspects to which the county needs to turn its attention, such as infrastructural needs. For example, while South Carolina has implemented a massive roads improvement project, to be rolled out over more than a decade, there are roads many counties, including Lexington, must still maintain.

“I think there were missed chances in years past to deal with some of those issues,” Rawl said. “I think we need to be more creative in our approach to economic development.”

Rawl said he believes the county needs to continue to develop industrial parks and spec buildings, find ways to augment funding for infrastructure needs such as through a penny sales tax referendum and continue to focus on workforce development.

Taylor said one challenge, at least for his area of the county, will be to maintain the charm and character that small-town, rural western Lexington County enjoys.

“I’ve had people ask me, ‘Do you live in a time warp?’” Taylor said.

“But that’s one of the things that makes our area desirable.”

Taylor said he believes the various entities are doing a good job in maintaining the balance.

“We’re all on the same page here, something I think is pretty unique in this day and age,” he said.

• Ferrous Engineering and Tool is making a new investment in Lexington County.

• Nucor Building Systems South Carolina, has announced an expansion in Lexington County.

• Laguna Tools, a new tenant within the Lexington County Industrial Park, is expected to create 20 new jobs with a $1.75 million investment.

• Terminix pest control company has outgrown its Lexington County regional headquarters and has announced a $19.1 million expansion that is expected to create 40 new jobs.

SO UT HE AST

2019 BEST MANUFACTURING

PROJECT

www.scbizmag.com

Zeus IndustrIal Products • orangeburg

Special Advertising Section

19