Mayors asked to join development efforts

The mayors of Orangeburg County’s 17 municipalities are being encouraged to actively participate in efforts to attract new industries and jobs.

“You can’t catch up with the big boys running at the same pace they do,” Orangeburg County Development Commission Chairman Kenneth Middleton said at a gathering with the mayors.

“We have to be ready to win. The mayors have to do their part. If you don’t have everybody on speed dial on your phone, we are not there yet,” he said.

Nine of the county’s mayors met with the commission on Tuesday at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College. Mayors attended from Orangeburg, Eutawville, Rowesville, Bowman, Branchville, Holly Hill, Elloree, Vance and Livingston.

Holly Hill Mayor William Johnson, who serves on the commission, said communication is critical. He also encouraged the mayors to attend the commission’s monthly meetings.

OCDC Executive Director Gregg Robinson echoed the sentiment.

“We have to collaborate more,” Robinson said. “We have to raise the bar on education because education leads to a brighter future of economic development. You can’t just have a job. You have to have a good job.”

Orangeburg County Council Chairman Johnnie Wright thanked the mayors for being present for the gathering.

“Unity is a strength. If you can work together and support each other, you will continue to strive and continue to grow,” he said.

Robinson said it’s an exciting time to become involved.

“We have seen more opportunities than we have ever seen,” he said. “Orangeburg is in the top tier of project activity. It shows you we are up there with counties triple our size.”

Last year, Orangeburg County received 57 project visits. So far this year, the county has seen 65.

“It is about product availability,” he said. The county has a 75,000-square-foot speculative building that is 95 percent complete in the John W. Matthews Jr. Industrial Park.

“We have some other properties coming available that were not available. Our activity level is up,” Robinson said.

About 75 percent of the interest is from manufacturing.

Robinson said about 44 percent of Orangeburg County’s project visits are international.

“Why is that? The port. We are the port,” he said.
Orangeburg County has about 105 industries under about 15 million square feet of roof. There is about 1 million square feet under construction.

Robinson said the county is targeting industries in the areas of aerospace, transportation, logistics, automotive, textiles, agribusiness, engineering and recycling.

The fourth round of the capital project sales tax includes money to start an industrial park near Holly Hill, Robinson said. The voters will be asked to renew the tax on Nov. 8.

The park would be designed to attract spin-offs from Berkeley County’s Volvo manufacturing plant.

Bowman Mayor Marion Glenn questioned why schools are not open at night to provide educational opportunities.
“I want the county to open up these schools that are doing nothing at night. Let these kids get a hand on doing things. This is how counties and towns move forward,” Glenn said.

“If we don’t recognize what these kids need today, these kids are going to be worse off than we are today,” he said.

OCtech President Dr. Walter Tobin said the college is striving to reach out to more at-risk students.

It is also working to ensure students have college credit when they graduate, he said.

Branchville Mayor Frank Dickson also asked Robinson if there are any plans to develop the southern part of the county.

“Towards the south down (U.S.) 21 is a legitimate timber play,” Robinson said.

He said there is also a “premier location” across from Okonite with required certifications. The 700-acre site has water, wastewater and broadband access.

After a meeting with the mayors, county leaders also held their quarterly meeting of the One Orangeburg County Initiative at the college.

Attendees received an overview of the 1 percent capital projects sales tax. The tax, which was approved by voters in 1998, has resulted in the completion of 357 projects costing about $208 million.

Voters are being asked to renew the tax for another seven years on Nov. 8. The tax is expected to bring in $74.3 million to help fund a list of 122 projects.

The One Orangeburg County Initiative includes about 100 Orangeburg County leaders, as well as a grassroots team called “The 1,000” who are working to make the county an even better place to live, work and play.

The initiative is supported by the OCDC.