Program Overview

One of the fastest growing trends in the site location business is the demand for project-ready industrial sites. The reason is simple: companies continue to put pressure on the time allowed for making a location decision as well as the time required to start construction and complete the project. As such, the location decision process demands available sites, and those sites need to be ready for development. Companies looking to build new facilities want sites that are ready to go and relatively “risk free.”

Recognizing this trend, the South Carolina Department of Commerce (SCDOC) initiated an Industrial Site Certification Program. This initiative has enhanced the level of community preparedness throughout the state. In 2010, SCDOC sought to revamp its program and retained McCallum Sweeney Consulting (MSC) to help with this endeavor. As such, the MSC team along with the SCDOC team and a group of stakeholders from around the state has redesigned the program, the minimum criteria, and the process to achieve certification. The remainder of this document describes the SCDOC Industrial Site Certification Program and process. In addition, a schedule for the program implementation is outlined.

Program Objectives

The objectives of the SCDOC Industrial Site Certification Program are as follows:

• Provide prospects with comprehensive site data and ensure that certain minimum information is available on a site;
• Assist the communities in determining the marketability of existing sites; and
• Certify sites or industrial parks that are ready for industrial development.