Orangeburg County Special Section from the 2018 Spring issue of SCBIZ

Spring 2018

Gearing up for growth

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County Spotlight: Orangeburg | S.C. Business Hall of Fame | Cities Mean Business

county spotlight

ORANGEBURG

The Edisto River is one of the longest free-flowing blackwater rivers in North America, meandering over 250 miles from its sources in western South Carolina through Orangeburg County and to the Atlantic Ocean. (Photo/Orangeburg Times and Democrat)

ORANGEBURG COUNTY IN SWEET SPOT FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH

Proximity to ports, transportation infrastructure are keys to attracting new industries

By Steve McDaniel, Associate Editor

O

rangeburg County appears to be in the right place to grow.

“We are in a unique position to succeed in competition

for industrial development,” Ken Middleton, chairman of the

Orangeburg County Development Commission, said. “Our proximity run through and close to the county, all of this makes us attractive to business.”

Orangeburg County Spotlight presented by:

ion........................ ...... 91,282 Per capita income.. ................$31,575 Median household income.....$34,175 Age distribution Median age.............. ................... 39.3 18 and older............ .................78.5% 65 and older............ ..................18.1%

Source: Orangebu rg County Development Comm ission

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to ports in Charleston and Savannah, the number of interstates that

Orangeburg Co by the numbersunty Populat

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COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: ORANGEBURG Above: Orangeburg is home to three schools of higher education: Claflin University, South Carolina State University and Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College. OC Tech has construction underway on the Nursing & Health Sciences Building. (Photo/Orangeburg County Development Commission) Right: Orangeburg County is rich with historic charm and character. Downtown districts are seeing a resurgence of activity in town squares and plazas.

(Photo/Orangeburg Times and Democrat)

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Leading local employers

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Company: Number of Employees Husqvarna: 2,000 Orangeburg County School District Five: 1,350 The Regional Medical Center: 1,200 Orangeburg County: 600 Orangeburg County School District Three: 600 Orangeburg County School District Two: 554 Koyo Corp. of USA: 550 Zeus Industrial Products: 520 Food Lion Distribution Center: 498 Allied Air: 450 S.C. State University: 435 North American Container Corp.: 280 Cox Industries: 280 Claflin University: 240 The Okonite Co.: 236

Source: Orangeburg County Development Commission

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The county, one of the state’s largest in land area, sits between two of South Carolina’s biggest metro areas, Columbia and Charleston. Interstates 95 and 26 intersect in the southeastern corner of the county, and it has regular rail and truck service.

Orangeburg County’s location gives it convenient access to the state ports in Charleston, about 75 miles to the east. The Savannah, Ga., ports are about 100 miles to the southeast, and the metro areas of Columbia and Augusta, Ga., are within about an hour’s drive or less.

Recent activity points to growth on several fronts, according to OCDC Executive Director Gregg Robinson.

“It has been a record 18 months,” he said.

“We have almost 1 million square feet in new industrial construction, our prospect activity has been very good and our unemployment rate is the lowest in 30 years.”

Allied Air Enterprises has been part of that record activity. The company, which has been making residential heating and air

conditioning systems in the county since 1999, recently announced a $10 million expansion and the addition of 100 jobs, said plant manager Lee Rachels.

“Orangeburg County, both the Development Commission under Gregg Robinson and the Chamber of Commerce, under the leadership of Melinda Jackson, have been true partners throughout our time here,” Rachels said. “With OCDC, Gregg is always willing to lend a helping hand. Whether it is keeping us updated on the current development activities around the county or helping us navigate through specific things such as FILOT (fee in lieu of taxes) applications and renewals, Gregg is engaged.

“Under Melinda’s leadership at the Chamber of Commerce, there has been a vision created for Orangeburg County, one of growth and cooperation,” Rachels added.

“The chamber has engaged businesses to understand their needs and is actively involved in efforts to help overcome some of the

COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: ORANGEBURG

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Above: U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn, D-S.C., speaks at the ribbon-cutting of the new I-95, Exit 97 interchange in May 2017. Orangeburg County has one of the highest numbers of interstate interchanges, a key factor for businesses looking to locate in South Carolina. (Photo/Orangeburg County Development Commission) Left: The growth in Orangeburg County is at a record-breaking pace. Manufacturing, industry and commercial business are choosing to locate in the county. (Photo/Times and Democrat)

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challenges they face.”

Other recent additions to the county’s industrial base include Tree Brand Packaging, a Charlotte-based provider of crates and other shipping material, announcing plans for a facility in Holly Hill; and Zeus, a polymer extrusion company, nearing completion on a $15.9 million, 65,000-squarefoot expansion project. Brazilian chemical company Inbra Chemicals recently finished construction on a 45,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.

Two planned solar facilities near Bowman, a $115 million, 75-megawatt project

by Cypress Creek Renewables, and an $89 million, 75-megawatt project by Tradewind Energy, are part of a $300 million overall solar investment across the county.

“We had over $108 million in capital investmests in 2017,” Robinson said. “We’re seeing a lot of interest from domestic and international companies, and we expect 2018 to be a good year as well.”

Orangeburg is home to the state’s only public historically black college or university, S.C. State University, and to privately supported Claflin University, the oldest HBCU

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Carolina Chips is one of the newer industries to call Orangeburg County home. Here, lumber is loaded by crane into the chipper in the chip yard. (Photo/Orangeburg County Development Commission)

COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: ORANGEBURG

in the state. Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, part of the state technical college system, offers two-year associate’s degrees and industry-specific certifications and training through partnerships with readySC and Apprenticeship Carolina. Enrollment at the three schools totals nearly 10,000 students.

Outdoor recreational activities are plentiful in Orangeburg County. The Edisto River provides world-class blackwater canoeing and camping on its way to the Atlantic Ocean, and the river’s floodplains are home to a variety of wildlife and scenic natural settings. Lake Marion, the upper lake of the Santee Cooper Reservoir and the largest in South Carolina, is widely known for its freshwater fishing and offers a variety of boating, camping and other outdoor activities.

Construction of new recreational facilities is underway in Orangeburg and Branchville.

Edisto Memorial Gardens in the town of Orangeburg features 175 acres of azaleas, roses and other blooms and is home to the annual Orangeburg Festival of Roses. The Grand American Coon Hunt, the largest field trial for coon dogs in the U.S., has been held annually in the county for more than 50 years.

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