Economic Development in South Carolina

[gs3]

It is a green development, I've made no issue about that. And I'm not sure what makes parking decks so revolutionary. It's better than a parking lot to be sure, but that's about it. Come to downtown Charlotte and I'll show you why parking decks can be pure evil.

Anyway, sidewalks alone do not make a place walkable. What is there to walk to?

Have you BEEN in ICAR?

These parking decks are not "evil" ones. They have retail and office space on the first floor. What is there to walk to? The muliple companies, Carolina First Gallery, cafe, workout facility, the transit stop, the graduate school in teh first neighborhood..... And it isn't just sidewalks, it is a joining plaza within the neighborhoods where pedestrians and cars coexist.

I'm in downtown Charlotte ALL the time. Very walkable, some parking decks are evil yes, but again ICAR seems to have taken that into consideration.

You really should check out ICAR.

[Spartan]

What retail exists at ICAR besides that cafe?

[gs3]

More jobs for Columbia as a meat processing facility reopens.

http://www.thestate.com/2010/08/03/1401802/beef-processing-plant-reopens.html

[CorgiMatt]

Small businesses are the backbone of the economy. It's a good sign when a business that size can afford to invest and create jobs.

[CorgiMatt]

So far the Charleston harbor has lost out on funds for improvements. According to this op-ed in The State, SC must secure money that certain "no ear marks" senators may refuse to vote for. Without the funding will SC fall further behind in economic development? According to the op-ed that's a given.

http://www.thestate.com/2010/08/04/1402301/stern-federal-funding-crucial.html

[krazeeboi]

It's bad enough that Charleston's port has already fallen behind Savannah's. This certainly doesn't help things any.

On a more positive note, Canada-based Supermetal Structures will locate its new manufacturing plant in York County. The $6.6 million investment is expected to generate at least 125 new jobs.

[Spartan]

Lindsay Graham better step up. Its going to hurt South Carolina if that appropriation doesn't happen.

I agree with the principle that appropriations should go away, but until that happens across the board we need to get ours too.

[krazeeboi]

I agree with the principle that appropriations should go away

That will definitely hurt a "recipient" state like SC that gets more from the feds than it pays in.

[Spartan]

It would fundamentally change the way the federal government works. If that same pot of money is instead allotted through adequately funded federal programs (like the next Transportation Bill should be) then the good projects should rise to the top through that process... Not because some slick congressman hid a bridge project in a 2,000 page bill to improve the way cats are spayed (or whatever).

South Carolina gets a lot of pork that we would be doing just fine with out- my favorite is the pedestrian bridge over 277 in Columbia. What a waste of money. At the very least, pork projects should be vetted. The Charleston Harbor deepening project is a good one, and one that makes sense nationally.

[krazeeboi]

Personal income declined in 2009 in most of the nation’s MSAs, according to estimates released yesterday by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Personal income declined in 223 MSAs, increased in 134, and remained unchanged in 9 MSAs. On average, MSA personal income fell 1.8 percent in 2009, after rising 2.7 percent in 2008.

Here's how SC's metros fared. Current per capita income in parentheses:

Anderson: -2.3% ($29,542)

Charleston: -1.8% ($34,797)

Columbia: -1.4% ($34,847)

Florence: -0.4% ($32,477)

Greenville: -3.7% ($32,773)

Myrtle Beach: -1.1% ($28,354)

Spartanburg: -3.3% ($29,494)

Sumter: 1.2% ($29,653)

[krazeeboi]

Maverick Equipment Manufacturing Inc., a maker of hydraulic hammers and components, will locate its new facility in Dorchester County. The $1.5 million investment is expected to generate 71 new jobs over the next five years.

[GvilleSC]

BMW is apparently going to hire an additional 500 employees over the next few months. This will put the overall workforce at the facility near or over 7,000.

[gman430]

BMW is apparently going to hire an additional 500 employees over the next few months. This will put the overall workforce at the facility near or over 7,000.

Yes indeed: http://www.goupstate.com/article/20100901/ARTICLES/9011033/1112?Title=BMW-to-add-500-more-jobs-to-expand-production-team

[GvilleSC]

Apparently BMW is hiring an additional 600 contingency workers at its plant in Greer. That puts its 2010 job announcements at 1,600 to date.

[gs3]

Apparently BMW is hiring an additional 600 contingency workers at its plant in Greer. That puts its 2010 job announcements at 1,600 to date.

When these hirings are complete, it will put BMW total employment at about 7,000 (just at the plant), not inluding the ICAR BMW research facility or the BMW test track facilities. Wow!

[vicupstate]

When these hirings are complete, it will put BMW total employment at about 7,000 (just at the plant), not inluding the ICAR BMW research facility or the BMW test track facilities. Wow!

If I understood the Gville News article in the print edition today, the employment is already about 7,000 and will top out at about 7,600 when the hiring is complete.

[krazeeboi]

I read that some of those 600 jobs will go permanent. I hope it's most of them.

In other news, it looks like TD Bank is already have a positive effect in SC. The bank is adding 50 jobs to its Lexington mortgage operations center. This is an encouraging sign for the bank's presence within the state.

[goodbye]

BMW may build a fourth model at the Greer plant!

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-13/bmw-may-add-fourth-model-at-u-s-factory-to-take-on-lexus-mercedes-benz.html

[krazeeboi]

The Treleoni Group announced today it plans to invest $7.75 million in a new manufacturing facility in Clarendon County. The company, a startup manufacturer, expects to create 100 jobs. The Treleoni Group will manufacture nonwoven products for specialty industrial markets. The company will locate its new facility in the former Yanagawa building in Manning and expects to have operations online by late February.

[krazeeboi]

Roche is selling its Roche Carolina plant in Florence, which has 330 workers, as part of a move to cut its employment by 4,800 worldwide. Roche says it hopes to have a buyer by the end of 2011 that will operate the plant and preserve its jobs. “It is going to be sold and, hopefully, all of the infrastructure and workforce will be sold with it,” spokesman Peter Mazzaroni said.

South Carolina Tissue will locate its new production facility in Barnwell County. The $140 million investment is expected to generate 200 new jobs over the next five years. The company will locate its new facility at the S.C. Advanced Technology Park in Barnwell County, and will be installing state-of-the-art tissue manufacturing equipment and advanced post-consumer fiber recycling processes to supply the tissue machine. The facility will be designed to meet LEED standards and will begin construction of the facility in the first quarter of 2011 and plans to have it completed by early first quarter 2012.

Southeast Renewable Energy will build its new renewable energy facility in Allendale County. The $50 million investment is expected to generate 20 new jobs over the next five years. Southeast Renewable Energy will build a 15-megawatt biomass energy plant in Allendale County that will be fueled using timber residues. The company will sell the green power to Santee Cooper, and the plant is expected to be completed in late 2012. It is expected that the new plant will also create many indirect jobs in the logging, trucking and forest product industries.

[vicupstate]

A 1,200 job project is in the works for Cayce. Unofficial word is that it will be a distribution center for Amazon.com. May be announcement at Lexingotn County Council meeting next Tuesday.

[gman430]

Bosch has announced a $125 million expansion in Dorchester County that will create 300 new jobs over the next five years: http://www.charlesto...er-county-plant

Edited December 3, 2010 by citylife

[CorgiMatt]

A 1,200 job project is in the works for Cayce. Unofficial word is that it will be a distribution center for Amazon.com. May be announcement at Lexingotn County Council meeting next Tuesday.

The State reported a couple of weeks ago that a company that would employ around 1,000 was in the works for the Lexington County business park at I-26 and I-77. They were mum on who it was.

[gman430]

A 1,200 job project is in the works for Cayce. Unofficial word is that it will be a distribution center for Amazon.com. May be announcement at Lexingotn County Council meeting next Tuesday.

Could be wrong, but if a distribution center is in the works for Cayce I don't believe it's for Amazon.com and here's why: http://www.chattanoo...icle_189486.asp

Edited December 5, 2010 by citylife

[krazeeboi]

That doesn't necessarily mean Amazon.com isn't involved with this project. The company runs more than 20 distribution centers nationwide and actually closed three last year in an effort to streamline operations (probably in conjunction with the recession). But there wouldn't be a cause for disappointment if it were actually another project that would bring higher-paying jobs to the area. In TN, most of the jobs will be in the warehouse where you only need a high-school diploma or GED and pay starts somewhere north of $10/hour.