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Economic Development in South Carolina


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So Boeing gets an incentives package worth over $900 million, an amount that easily exceeds the amount Boeing itself is paying to build its facility, but this comparatively small break for Amazon gets the ax? And they say the sales tax exemption for Amazon would have been "excessive." Well hey, it's SC; what more can I say? At least the Amazon distribution center would actually employ South Carolinians whereas a good bit of the Boeing workers will have to be imported because the workforce in SC isn't skilled enough.

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I bet you'd disagree if this was the Adidas distribution plant in Spartanburg. Plus, even though this doesn't have the multiplier effect of some other developments, we're still climbing very slowly out of this recession and SC's unemployment rate is still among the highest in the country. Those jobs are definitely needed right now.

I do admit that I hate SC's corporate welfare economic development strategy for every company wanting to set up shop there (which is really a loser's strategy), but I think the exemption should have been honored by the new administration since it was promised by the previous one. It makes the entire state look bad and this could cost the state future projects.

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ECAPS Corp., a manufacturer of “green” building materials, will locate its new operations in Marlboro County. The company plans to invest at least $3.4 million and expects to generate at least 150 new jobs over the next five years, with the potential of more jobs and investment added during that time.

Interstate Container will locate a containerboard manufacturing plant in Lexington County to produce specialty boxes used in shipping food products. The containers are considered “green” packaging and much easier to recycle than traditional boxes. The company expects to have the facility online in September. The more than $13 million investment is expected to generate 60 new jobs.

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Good luck to the state on being able to attract anymore big business. South Carolina's word will be dirt. Neither Amazon nor the rest of the business world cares that we have a new governor since the promise was made. Whether the tax break would be right or wrong on its own merit, a promise is a promise.

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Re: Boeing

If South Carolina doesn't recruit businesses that require more skill and knowledge, the overall skill and education level of the state will not improve. There is a reason North Carolina has a great education system, and it sure ain't because of tobacco farms.

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According to this GSA Business article, the "Amazon Decision" could affect our ability to attract a business to the Upstate that we're currently vying with Tennessee for right now.

This decision was really foolish. This was a distribution center, it's not like people would've ordered from Amazon more often since they were in our state (as if it were a retail location). Guess what? You can still order something from Amazon in the future, and not pay any SC sales tax. Except now, we won't have 1,249 new jobs in the state. And it's not like the stuff people buy on Amazon is stuff they would otherwise buy at a mom-and-pop store on "main street"; they'd buy the stuff at Wal-Mart. Good job, SC legislators! You really showed Amazon!

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According to this GSA Business article, the "Amazon Decision" could affect our ability to attract a business to the Upstate that we're currently vying with Tennessee for right now.

I do wish the political agenda would be removed from news reports. The above article states: “There’s a project right now in the Upstate that involves jobs tax credits and pits us against Tennessee,” Cooper said. “Other states are going to use this against us.” Well guess what? Amazon had already been approved for Federal Tax Credits for each employee. Amazon received 6 million plus in waived property taxes. Amazon received numerous incentives that we offer to all major coprorations and these incentives were never in question for Amazon.

Amazon, wanted above and beyond, to be exempt from sales tax. Unless a company locating in SC is a retailer / distro center for a retailer, this is a moot point. A Boeing or BMW type facility or headquarters doesn't need to bypass sales tax as they are not distributing consumer goods direct to the consumer.

Read up on what Amazon has done in other states.....they don't exactly seem like the good corporate citizen any of us would really want, unless we are bottom feeders. Texas is suing them at the moment..........

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So we've already got some economic fallout occurring over the Amazon deal. Two companies that were looking at Lexington County have scratched the area from consideration. What's really significant here is that one was a facility that converts trash into biodiesel fuel and the other was a fuel cell plant. The former would have added 200 jobs and the latter decided to expand in its hometown of San Francisco, adding up to 1,000 jobs at its existing facility. These are specifically the kinds of jobs that the Midlands is trying to attract.

It's really a shame that Haley is having the opposite effect economically on her home region than Sanford and Carroll Campbell had on their home regions, and we may never know how many other companies out there have scratched SC off their lists regardless of the particular region they were looking to invest in. I'm pretty sure we're looking at a one-term governor here.

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Walmart is going to bring jobs and open new stores? Where is the good news in this?

Given that Wal-Mart already employs 28,000 in SC, this really is probably just a continuation of the decades-long trajectory for them.

This was the Governor's attempt to B.S. everyone into thinking she has brought jobs into the state and/or made amends for the lost Amazon jobs.

For Walmart part, this is payback to her for helping to kill the Amazon deal.

Carroll Campbell must be spinning in his grave, with the crowd that governs this state now.

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The Amazon distribution center would have had higher starting pay and attracted other companies that would have had more of an economic trickle-down effect. To try to make this so-called economic development "announcement" from Wal-Mart seem equivalent or better is an insult to intelligence.

I can't believe SC elected this woman.

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Lexington County leaders questioned the timing of an announcement Wednesday by Wal-Mart and S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley which promised dozens of new stores and 4,000 jobs over the next five years, with one politician calling it a “shell game.” Several said the announcement was a political favor for Haley, who opposed giving a sales tax break to Amazon.com for a planned distribution center in Cayce that would have brought 1,249 jobs to the area. Wal-Mart actively campaigned against the Amazon incentive, saying it gave a competitor an unfair advantage.

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Michelin North America is investing another $200 million in its Lexington facility to expand its tire building capacity to meet “dramatic” post-recession increases in demand for passenger car tires. The latest project, for which all equipment will be installed by the first half of 2013, will create 270 new jobs, phased in over the next two years, the company said. Work will begin immediately.

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Fits News is reporting that Haley will announce 4,000 jobs coming from Walmart.

Walmart was behind the campaign to prevent the Amazon sales tax break.

^ Well this is just a joke. Quite sad.

I do find it funny though, all the bashing of Haley over low paying Amazon jobs, when at the moment, the biggest SC economic story is also politically driven....the jeopardy of the thousands of higher paying Boeing jobs in SC. Thanks to the Obama administration and his cozy relationship with the union......trying to force Boeing to keep the SC jobs in the union state of Washington. That is the big story at the moment, but funny how little play it has received on this and other forums. :ph34r:

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Amy's Kitchen to create 700 new jobs and invest $63 million in the old Sara Lee plant along I-85 in western Greenville County according to the Greenville News. :thumbsup:

Love it, love it, love it! They are the best organic brand going and growing by leaps and bounds. I have Amy's in my fridge at the moment. EXCELLENT (almost high end boutique) corporate name to add to the Greenville area. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

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That is great! It's awesome to see a vacant facility being revamped and used!

Skyliner posted that today at Innoventure, Kemet claims to have received money for an electric vehicle program, and is going to hire 115 in Simpsonville...? It's a GREAT day for Greenville!! It's a good day for South Carolina! :thumbsup:

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