Hard to believe what we have seen in 2021, but even with 7% inflation, Orangeburg County had another big year economically.
We attracted business, expanded operations and jump-started some ambitious goals.
It was truly an exciting year too. Not even the ongoing impact of COVID-19 can slow our progress.
We hosted 58 prospects during the calendar year and the staff and board have been dedicated to in-person, Microsoft Teams or Zoom to make economic development our top priority. As a result, 2021 represented over $100 million in announced capital investment and over 400-plus new jobs to the area. Those are record numbers.
Our county saw a number of projects get rolling in 2021, including Premium Peanut, which announced in September it would establish operations here.
The Georgia-based grower-owned peanut-shelling company will invest $64.3 million and create 130 new jobs in Orangeburg County and represents one of the largest agriculture manufacturing projects in the state. Over the next five years, Premium Peanut is looking to invest $27.5 million in buildings and $36.8 million in equipment.
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The new Orangeburg County facility, which should be partially operational by the end of 2022, will provide more capacity and opportunities for South Carolina peanut growers as well. The company’s customers consist of the major snack, candy and peanut butter manufacturers in the U.S., as well as more than 30 countries worldwide.
Another huge win for our county in 2021 was attracting BRN Sleep Products.
The Turkish company announced in July it will create more than 300 new jobs in Orangeburg County over the next five years, investing $4.3 million.
BRN Sleep Products is a supplier of mattresses, box springs, covers and ready-made brands. It has brought new life to the former Utica Tool Building, and it will begin manufacturing a new product line here to meet increasing need. Orangeburg is now the company’s flagship manufacturing plant in the United States.
With the addition of BRN, Orangeburg County can celebrate being home to 28 international companies from 17 foreign countries. Truly, economic development brings the world to our community.
These were not the only economic development announcements we saw last year.
- INDEVCO, a world leader in packaging products announced it will create 50 new jobs and invest $22 million in a new 100,000-square-foot facility that is nearly completed in the Orangeburg County Industrial Park.
- Zeus Industrial Products, headquartered in Orangeburg, is expanding operations around the state, hiring new employees at all locations to meet customer demand. The jobs, primarily for machine operators, pay $20 or more per hour.
- Okonite continues to grow too, adding new positions. In fact, most industrial companies are hiring all over the county. We have never seen this many positions available all over the state.
- Allied Air Enterprises Inc. announced investment of millions more in our county with a significant expansion. Allied now has more than 1.2 million square feet in the County/City Industrial Park.
We also continue to rapidly complete new industrial buildings and sites, ready for new industry.
Last summer, we announced plans for a new 242-acre industrial park at U.S. Highway 301 near I-26.
The industrial park, named the Shamrock Commerce Park, is anchored by a $25-plus-million, 534,702-square-foot spec building – the largest ever built in the Midlands by the way.
Construction of this building is completely privately funded, and I am excited to see what new industry will choose to call this amazing facility home when it’s complete in the fourth quarter of 2022.
We are also seeing the development of a connected retail corridor on U.S. 301, along with a new $7 million travel center near the Orangeburg County/City Industrial Park.
The 1,322-acre South Carolina Gateway Industrial Park got new life with the start of construction of an $8 million 125,000-square-foot speculative building. The park’s master plan projects more than 6.5 million square feet of building space when complete.
Construction also began at the new 745-acre Orangeburg County Power Site Industrial Park.
The city and county are partnering to develop the site, which is perfect for heavy manufacturing. The South Carolina Department of Commerce has designated it a certified Palmetto Site, which means due diligence is complete and the park is “shovel ready.”
The new $600,000 spine road funded by the state is a wonderful addition and will greatly enhance the new park.
In addition to that, we added another 1,000 feet to Logistics Drive with all utilities in the John W. Matthews, Jr. Park. This opens up more of the 300-plus acres shovel ready for growth and created our 11th industrial park in the county.
The new broadband investment from Tri-County Electric and Aiken Cooperative represents a total investment of over $29 million in our county. Connecting our industry and our people to the web is a critical next step for rural America.
As you can see, 2021 was an outstanding year, and the Orangeburg County Development Commission enters 2022 with a ton of momentum.
We are busy and I am confident more exciting developments are on the horizon.
Our community has so much to offer – a unique, friendly, pro-business environment with an incredible location midway on the East Coast. The people of Orangeburg County are hardworking, focused and well-trained. This is a place where businesses can succeed.
And if you are looking for a new job opportunity, the companies here need you. The opportunities are plentiful in Orangeburg County.
Check out the great resources at www.SCWorks.org to learn more. Send us your resume too.
2021 was a momentous year, and the road ahead in 2022 is exciting. Stay tuned!
Robinson.
Gregg Robinson is executive director of the Orangeburg County Development Commission.
Gene Zaleski
T&D Staff Writer
