Local economic development officials say Volvo Car Corp.'s plans to bring up to 4,000 jobs to the region by 2030 is a potential boon for the area.
"The eyes of the world are on us," Orangeburg County Development Commission Chairman Kenneth Middleton said. "Unquestionably, this raises the probability of new plant placement in the Orangeburg County market."
In May 2015, Volvo chose adjacent Berkeley County for its first manufacturing facility in the Western Hemisphere.
The new $500 million plant will be located on a portion of the Camp Hall site in the northwestern portion of the county. The site is about 20 miles from Interstate 95 and the Orangeburg County line and about 35 miles from Santee's 1,322-acre Jafza Magna Park.
The first vehicles are to roll off the assembly line in 2018. The facility will have an annual production capacity of approximately 100,000 cars.
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Gregg Robinson, Orangeburg County Development Commission executive director, cited the proximity of the Volvo site at Exit 177 off of Interstate 26. It is 10 miles from Holly Hill in Orangeburg County.
"This puts the Global Logistics Triangle in a 'honey hole' of suppliers," Robinson said. "This elevates every aspect of economic development, the attention to workforce and what we have to do to be ready to take training to the next level of generations of workers for Volvo."
The GLT is a county trademarked designation consisting of the area near Interstate 95/I-26 and U.S. 301 near Santee.
Robinson said Orangeburg County is ideal for automotive suppliers with the availability of 3,000 acres and eight industrial parks.
"We have been putting money where our mouth is. This is truly an exciting opportunity for I-95 and the proximity of Holly Hill, Bowman, Santee, Vance and Eutawville," he said, noting such an economic development announcement is one that can "transform" a community.
An economic impact analysis compiled by Dr. Frank Hefner at the College of Charleston estimates that, for an initial 2,000 in direct jobs, more than 8,000 total jobs would be created as a result. Operating with 2,000 employees, the plant would contribute approximately $4.8 billion in total economic output on an annual basis, according to Hefner.
State Sen. John Matthews Jr. said Volvo's announcement is the "largest investment that has ever been made in District 39."
"I really believe this can be a game-changer, especially for lower Orangeburg around the Holly Hill and Eutawville area," Matthews said. "Normally, the job search is 35 miles, which will take in all of eastern Orangeburg County."
