County administrator hints at huge investments
HARTSVILLE, S.C. — County Administrator Charles Stewart hinted Wednesday that huge investments may be coming soon in the region.
Stewart gave the hint during a meeting of the Darlington County Economic Development Partnership Board at Coker University.
During a report to the board, Economic Development Partnership director Lewis Brown said he has seen a trend of businesses moving to rural areas such as the Pee Dee region in recent months.
“Rural counties are seeing more interest from businesses looking to locate or relocated,” said Brown. “The Charleston and Columbia areas and the Upstate have always been the more popular choices, but we seem to be seeing a shift. Tier 3 areas such as the Pee Dee are drawing more interest. I’m not exactly sure why that is. It may be the other areas are now overcrowded and higher costs are becoming an issue, or that areas such as ours are more suitable for their needs, but it’s certainly good news for us.”
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Stewart agreed. He said he could not give any specific details but the county “could very likely see “very significant large investments by the end of the year.”
“We are very highly engaged in with several billion-dollar companies that are interested in locating in our area, including Darlington County,” said Stewart.
He said it might take a year or two for construction and getting off the ground, but he hopes announcements could be made by the end of the year.
The Board also heard a report onitss partnership program with the Darlington County School District. Board member Danny Hogge said attendance for meetings and applications for the Advanced Student Career Exploration & Needs Development program were “low but will hopefully pick up.”
Stewart said the program had a successful first year and said it’s important for it to continue.
“In the next decade it will prove invaluable,” he said.
The program is intended to help eighth-graders get ready for careers.
The program includes:
- Industry tours: Students participate in four on-site tours with partner organizations, such as Genesis Healthcare, Nucor Steel, and Sonoco Products Company.
- Active learning: Students participate in activities during their visits.
- Lunch: Students receive lunch during their visits.
- Meeting employees: Students get to meet employees and administrators at the companies.
- Exploring workspaces: Students get to explore the workspaces at the companies.
- Asking questions: Students get to ask questions about a career in each field.
The program is expanding to include partners in the health care and public service fields. The district is also planning to bring similar experiences similar to fifth-graders.
At the beginning of the meeting, the board elected Brianna Douglas as its chair for the coming year. Don Bockoven will serve as vice chair.
Bob Sloan is a person who possesses many titles: Veteran community journalist, Presbyterian pastor, husband, father, and grandfather. Please note the titles are not listed in order of importance. The priority of importance depends upon the day and the hour.
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