Greater Greenville Economic Developments

[vicupstate]

The Journal had these updates on the recently incentive-approved projects for Gville County;

Gem: $12mm. Will be unveiled next week and is a 'technology-based advanced materials manufacter unlike anything in the Southeast'.

Lotus: $85mm

Phoenix: $15-25mm

Wrigley: $75mm

Only Phoenix is left. Has anyone heard any rumors about when an announcement might come, or what industry it respresents, or any other info?

I need something to fill the void over the holiday

[Danmire]

Demolition work has begun on the old US Finishing building on 253. I guess this is part of the remeduiation work that can begun now that it is a superfund site.

[vicupstate]

From Gville News. Hopefully, this will mean more jobs, but certainly more secure ones.

Greenville’s General Electric plant got a big piece of business Tuesday when Southwest Airlines booked $4.7 billion worth of GE jet engines, part of an order for 208 Boeing 737 aircraft the carrier will take delivery of beginning in 2017.

GE manufactures turbine airfoils and turbine blades here, which means steadily increasing production rates at the local plant for many years down the road.

The news comes on the heels of a GE announcement last week that a Boeing 787 Dreamliner equipped with GE engines for which the Greenville plant developed turbine blades set records for both around-the-world speed — 42 hours, 27 minutes — and unrefueled distance — 10,710 nautical miles in its first leg from Seattle to Dhaka, Bangladesh.

[gs3]

Not sure if this has been reported anywhere, but Michelin is opening a Technology / Innovation Center near their corporate campus. It will actually be across I-85 and down Pelham slightly. Had the opportunity to be inside the new space today. While the center will add some corporate jobs, the real economic boost is the fact that various buyers and executives from numerous companies that sell Michelin (AutoZone, Walmart, Sears, Sams, Costco, NTB, Target, Zellers, etc, etc, etc) will be flying in weekly for training events, seminars, one on one custom programs, etc. Should give a nice additional boost to air traffic, to the Marriott (which Michelin employees lovingly call the Michelott) and additional solid good exposure for Greenville.

[GvilleSC]

Not sure if this has been reported anywhere, but Michelin is opening a Technology / Innovation Center near their corporate campus. It will actually be across I-85 and down Pelham slightly. Had the opportunity to be inside the new space today. While the center will add some corporate jobs, the real economic boost is the fact that various buyers and executives from numerous companies that sell Michelin (AutoZone, Walmart, Sears, Sams, Costco, NTB, Target, Zellers, etc, etc, etc) will be flying in weekly for training events, seminars, one on one custom programs, etc. Should give a nice additional boost to air traffic, to the Marriott (which Michelin employees lovingly call the Michelott) and additional solid good exposure for Greenville.

Wow, that's great to hear! Visitors are always welcome!

[vicupstate]

The Greenville News is saying BMW will have a major economic development announcement on Thursday. The Governor will be in attendance.

[vicupstate]

The Greenville News is saying BMW will have a major economic development announcement on Thursday. The Governor will be in attendance.

The Greenville News is reporting $900mm investment and 300 new jobs.

[gman430]

Great news. Very large investment. That 300 new jobs is a conservative estimate also. It will more than likely be 1,000+ new jobs over the next few years.

[Lib]

According to GSA Business, the plant will be producing a new model there in addition to the three already being built.

BREAKING NEWS

JAN. 12, 2012

BMW to build new model at Spartanburg facility

Staff Report

BMW said today it will invest $900 million and hire 300 people as it adds production of a new X4 sports activity vehicle at its Spartanburg plant.

This will be the fourth model built at the growing Upstate factory, joining the X3, X5 and X6.

Frank-Peter Arndt, BMW Group board member responsible for production, made the announcement in a statement released today.

BMW opened a new assembly line in Spartanburg in 2010, leading to dramatic production growth last year from 150,000 annually to more than 276,000 in 2011. Additionally, BMW became the top-selling luxury brand in the U.S. last year, as sales of the SAV models built in Spartanburg increased substantially.

Today’s announcement is expected to push production at the plant to around 350,000 annually.

Check www.gsabusiness.com for updates to this story throughout the day.

[gman430]

Vacant office space downtown continues to get filled:

-The Symphony Center building's office space on Main Street next to the Westin Poinsett is now fully leased. Two tenants (can't remember who) have located inside it.

-Rogers Townsend & Thomas PC will open a law office this month on the first floor of 401 North Main Street: http://www.gsabusine...g-to-greenville This is the same building Hughes Investments is located in across West Elford Street from the Landmark building.

-Carolina Business Interiors has purchased the building at 205 East Broad Street. Navarro Real Estate brokered the sale of the 4,391-square-foot property, which will be transitioned into a CBI showroom and office early this year. Renovations are set for completion in May. Harper Construction is the general contractor for the design build model, and is partnering with Johnston Design Group as the architect for the project: http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/42215/

Edited January 17, 2012 by citylife

[gman430]

Southern Air Repair Corp., which repairs aviation components, has established a new production facility and headquarters in Greenville County. The company, located at 3396 Anderson Road in Piedmont, said it plans to invest $750,000 and create 20 new jobs.

Edited January 19, 2012 by citylife

[jmmiller]

Charleston-based Research & Development Company to move into Anderson innovation center

• S-F LLC, a Charleston-based research and development company, signed a long-term lease with SCRA in the Duke Energy Innovation Center on the campus of the Advanced Materials Center in Anderson County.
  
• The company will initially hire 10 engineers to develop and patent new products in the medical, chemical, energy and textile industries.
  
• S-F will focus on commercializing those new products patented or designed at Anderson innovation center which will then be also manufactured in the Upstate.
  

http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/42474-r-amp-d-company-to-open-at-anderson-innovation-center

[jmmiller]

Charleston-based Research & Development Company to move into Anderson innovation center

• S-F LLC, a Charleston-based research and development company, signed a long-term lease with SCRA in the Duke Energy Innovation Center on the campus of the Advanced Materials Center in Anderson County.
  
• The company will initially hire 10 engineers to develop and patent new products in the medical, chemical, energy and textile industries.
  
• S-F will focus on commercializing those new products patented or designed at Anderson innovation center which will then be also manufactured in the Upstate.
  
  http://www.gsabusine...novation-center
  

Related to the above post....

The "Advanced Materials Center" in Anderson will undergo a change of name in the coming months complete with a broadened marketing focus.

According to the article, the new focus of the innovation center will at least include information technology, advanced computing, environmental systems, toxicology and pollution prevention in addition to advanced materials.

http://www.independentmail.com/news/2012/jan/05/research-park-revamp-marketing-strategy/

[scgubers]

http://www.wyff4.com/news/30295328/detail.html An awesome brewing company just an hour away. Incredibly exciting.

[Birdbrain]

http://www.wyff4.com...328/detail.html An awesome brewing company just an hour away. Incredibly exciting.

Sorry, just gotta do it....

"I'll drink to that!"

Ugh. That even irritated me... :-)

[RiverWalker]

The Miniature World of Trains (aka "Transportation Museum of the World") is planning to open in the former Sam's Club on Laurens Road, adding 150 new jobs and expecting visitors from around the U.S.

At first I thought this was merely of minor interest, but then a friend forward to me a link to the web site of a similar concept that has grown into a huge attraction. Perhaps some of us underestimate the potential of such an enterprise. The two projects do seem similar. http://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/

Once the Miniature World of Trains/Transportation Museum of the World proves its potential, perhaps then it would be appropriate for it to move to a more prestigious location.

Edited January 30, 2012 by RiverWalker

[jmmiller]

Uniscite Inc., a Chinese company that makes plastic film often used to package food, is investing at least $70 million to build a new plant in Laurens County and hire 100 workers initially

http://www.thestate....m-maker-to.html

Edited February 1, 2012 by jmmiller

[Birdbrain]

Uniscite Inc., a Chinese company that makes plastic film often used to package food, is investing at least $70 million to build a new plant in Laurens County and hire 100 workers initially

http://www.thestate....m-maker-to.html

Wait a minute.... The Chinese are outsourcing to America? Hmmm...

[GvilleSC]

The US Postal Service is relocating its Asheville Processing and Distribution Center to Greenville. This will mean 183 new positions in Greenville.

[Greenville]

The US Postal Service is relocating its Asheville Processing and Distribution Center to Greenville. This will mean 183 new positions in Greenville.

Excellent! We'll take it!

[gman430]

More vacant office space getting filled downtown: http://m.greenvilleonline.com/business/article?a=2012302270044&f=1158

[GvilleSC]

More vacant office space getting filled downtown: http://m.greenvilleo...02270044&f=1158

That's great, and a nice compliment to our leaders' efforts and visions.

[gs3]

That is to funny that you beat everyone to this months ago. Does that count as UP effect?

Fun reflection on how wrong my post always are, so wrong when I post hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in investment for a specific company, MONTHS, before this board or local papers pick up on it. LMAO. Cheers gman/Citylife/carolinadude and other alias names.

[vicupstate]

I know the funding referenced below was used in funding several projects locally, including, I believe, the ONE project. The Journal listed some others in an article many months back, but I can't recall the other ones off-hand. Excellent news for potential new projects.

From the Gville News:

TD Bank has received a $65 million tax credit allocation as part of the 2011 round of the New Markets Tax Credit Program (NMTC).

Urban and rural low-income areas in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina are the principal service areas for TD Bank's allocation.

The bank's Greenville-based subsidiary, TD Community Development Corporation, was one of 70 recipients selected from across the nation to receive an aggregate total of $3.6 billion in new allocations.

In four out of the past five years, TD Community Development Corporation has been selected for an NMTC allocation. Established by Congress in 2000, NMTC is a federal tax program designed to stimulate community economic development and job creation in markets facing economic challenges.

"We are honored to again be part of this innovative program," said Charles D. Chamberlain, President of TD Community Development Corporation. "We will continue to use these funds to finance qualifying commercial and industrial projects in the communities we serve in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, helping to create jobs and stabilize local economies. In the past, this award has favorably impacted our communities and we look forward to the future growth and development it enables."

Through TD Bank Community Development Corporation, TD Bank has closed on more than 25 projects, which deployed $170 million in tax credit allocation and generated more than $231.5 million in total investments in helping to revitalize the communities TD serves.

[gman430]

The sale of Winn Dixie to Bi-Lo is scheduled to be complete later today: http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2012/03/08/winn-dixie-shareholders-approve-sale.html