The company will operate in Orangeburg County as UFP Cameron LLC and is expected to come online in the fourth quarter of 2018.

The facility will be dedicated to manufacturing products for the industrial market.

“We are excited about this opportunity, which has been made possible, in large part, through the assistance and cooperation of the S.C. Department of Commerce and the Orangeburg County Development Commission,” Universal Forest Products Regional Vice President J.F. Granger said.

Of its investment, $4 million will be spent on buildings and $2.17 million will be spent on machinery and equipment.

The company had been identified only as Project Global up until Tuesday.

“As the nation’s leading manufacturer and distributor of wood and wood-alternative products, we are grateful to be part of UFP’s continued success,” Orangeburg County Councilman Johnnie Wright said. “We also want to thank Santee Cooper and Tri-County Electric for their vision in helping us establish a speculative building program at Matthews Industrial Park.”

“Orangeburg County is becoming recognized as the perfect place for companies to grow even more successful,” Orangeburg County Development Commission Chairman Kenneth Middleton said. “We pride ourselves in creating great partnerships.”

“We are grateful for the opportunities that will be provided to our citizens and the value that UFP will add to our community,” said Harold Young, Orangeburg County administrator.

Orangeburg County Councilman Johnny Ravenell, whose district will be home of the company, praised the announcement.

“We want to thank Universal Forest Products for investing in Orangeburg County and its people,” Ravenell said. “We welcome you and look forward to a long, successful partnership together.”

The county has provided the company with a fee-in-lieu of taxes agreement. A fee-in-lieu of taxes agreement is a tax incentive counties can provide to attract industrial investment.

The company has also been placed in the multi-county industrial park with Dorchester County, which is another mechanism that allows the county to provide incentives to industries.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved job development credits related to the project. Additionally, a $500,000 Rural Infrastructure Fund grant was awarded to Orangeburg County to assist with the costs of building improvements.

The announcement received statewide praise.

“As we continue to work to make South Carolina the best place to do business, we are encouraged by global companies like Universal Forest Products that choose to come here. We’re grateful for this new partnership and look forward to strengthening it in the years to come,” Gov. Henry McMaster said.

“Manufacturing continues to be a source of wealth creation throughout our state,” Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt said. “Universal Forest Products’ investment adds to South Carolina’s manufacturing portfolio, and I’m excited to see what the future has in store for this new partnership.”

Universal Forest Products Inc., is a nearly $4 billion public company (NASDAQ: UFPI) that was founded in 1955, supplying the retail, industrial and construction markets. The firm has approximately 130 facilities in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America.

Those interested in the Universal Forest Products jobs can visit http://www.ufpi.com/en/careers.

The incentives will help areas that have been overlooked for investment, Orangeburg County Development Commission Executive Director Gregg Robinson said.

“It helps those census tracts get attention,” he said.

South Carolina sent a list of 135 sites in each of the state’s 46 counties to the federal government last week to encourage investments in housing and business in low-income communities. The proposed areas could be approved within the next 30 days.

Gov. Henry McMaster says he picked the sites to get private investment and economic growth to areas that need it the most.

The opportunity zones are a development program established as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. A federal tax incentive will be available for reinvesting unrealized capital gains in the opportunity zones.

Orangeburg County

Holly Hill Mayor William Johnson said the federal incentives are appropriately named, since they open potential opportunities for the town.

“We are certainly looking forward to it being something that will bring businesses back to life that have gone away,” he said. “It will be what we need to revitalize and go to the next step for our town. Without it, we have been struggling.”

It’s an especially good opportunity for eastern Orangeburg County as Volvo prepares to open a manufacturing plant in Berkeley County just miles away from Holly Hill.

“I am excited about it and what it can do for our town and our citizens,” he said.

There are four census tracts within Orangeburg County that could become opportunity zones, including the areas:

• From Stonewall Jackson Boulevard to its northern boundary of Russell Street. The area’s eastern boundary is roughly along Clarendon Street and its western boundary is the North Fork of the Edisto River.

• The northwestern part of the city with its southern boundary being Russell Street and its northern boundary being roughly the Prince of Orange Mall.

• Portions south of the city of Orangeburg with the Edisto River serving as the zone’s western boundary. The zone includes the town of Rowesville in addition to areas south of U.S. 301, and goes east to about Four Holes Swamp.

• The town of Holly Hill to the Dorchester and Berkeley county lines, as far east as the Sandy Run River, as far north as Branchdale Highway and as far west as Target Swamp.

Calhoun County

In Calhoun County, the lone census tract that could be included runs through the center of the county from Orangeburg County to the Richland County line.

Calhoun County Development Commission Executive Director Pat Black said the tax incentives will take time to make a big impact, but “over a period time hopefully we will tell a difference between unemployment rates and the workforce participation rate.”

“There are still two South Carolinas: rural and urban,” Black said. “Hopefully this designation will afford us the opportunity for that remaining 44 percent (not in the labor force) to upgrade their skills when the opportunities do present themselves that they will take advantage of them.”

Bamberg County

One of Bamberg County’s two census tracts submitted to the federal government includes the city of Denmark, with the northern boundary going up to the Orangeburg County line and the western boundary to the Barnwell County line.

Denmark Mayor Gerald Wright said tax incentives would go a long way to helping the city come back.

“It can only be helpful,” he said.

There are a number of vacant buildings in the city’s downtown district, Wright said. “Anything that would provide incentives for additional investment would be welcome and appreciated.”

Wright says he welcomes both McMaster’s proposal and Congressman James Clyburn’s proposal to use federal funds as part of a 10-20-30 formula.

Clyburn’s initiative would allow 10 percent of federal money to go to communities where 20 percent or more of the population has been stuck beneath the poverty level for the last 30 years.

McMaster

The other tract includes the town of Bamberg along the Orangeburg County line to the Colleton County line. The southern boundary reaches as far as Ehrhardt Road with the eastern boundary roughly hugging the Little Salkehatchie River.

But then 2016 rolled around, and OCC dropped out (barely) of the top 50, despite ongoing attention to detail by owner and staff, evoking disappointment at the club.

Now, two years later, Orangeburg is back, this time at No. 43 in the Golf Panel’s 2018 poll. This weekend, the panel held its annual awards activities (and announced the poll results) at OCC, with many of the 120-plus voters on hand to eat, drink and play the course.

So: why the in-and-out of the past two ratings?

David Lackey, OCC’s director of golf, can only guess, but he believes it boils down to the truism of “out of sight, out of mind.” While golfers, both in-state and tourists, flock to the state’s coastal resort areas, central South Carolina is another matter.

“We realize that, like all Midlands region courses, we’re not located in a destination city,” Lackey said.

Indeed, of this year’s Top 50 – led for the third straight time by Kiawah Island Resort’s Ocean Course, built for the 1991 Ryder Cup by legendary architect Pete Dye – 45 are located along the coast or in the Upstate.

Panelists similarly are drawn to resorts and their big-name courses.

“We don’t have the ocean and we don’t have the mountains,” Lackey said, “though we are a great stop when traveling to or from either of those areas.”

A big reason for OCC’s return to the rankings is a decision made to help increase golf traffic and generate income. The club reached agreements over the past couple of years with two Santee Cooper golf package operations, making OCC available to outside tourist play while maintaining its status as a private club.

In fact, in 2017, the Golf Panel’s “Top 30 Courses You Can Play” (courses available to the public) listed Orangeburg CC among its top 10. As its reputation spread, Lackey said, the panel’s members apparently were listening.

“Word of mouth, as often is the case, is our best advertising,” Lackey said. “The groups that travel to the Santee area to play golf often cross paths with each other at other courses, lodging or restaurants, and we often hear (someone say), ‘We ran into another group that was down here, and they said that we have to play OCC.’

“There’s no better compliment than a third party saying that Orangeburg is a ‘must-play.’”

This weekend, members of the Golf Panel – those who have played OCC before and some who had not – got a chance to see what the fuss is about. Lackey said that can only be a good thing for both parties.

“We’re honored to be hosting the panel and to have been selected (for the gathering),” he said. “Orangeburg does enjoy the fact that it’s centrally located, making it an easy trip from any point in the state.”

Michael Whitaker, executive director of the S.C. Golf Course Ratings Panel, said the group is “excited to be holding our annual awards dinner at Orangeburg Country Club. The club offers some the state’s most outstanding facilities, comparing favorability with any upscale club anywhere in the state.

“We have wanted to have our meeting at an inland location for several years (for logistical reasons) and the clubhouse and course at Orangeburg make this possible without compromise. We are all very impressed with the beautiful clubhouse and the amazing remodeling work that was done to the golf course.”

Lackey also anticipated panel members being impressed by the club’s upscale dining facilities. “We feel we can offer the best in quality dining,” he said, “and we’re excited to share that with the panelists who travel all over the state.”

OCC did its best to put on a good show. Friday night, panelists were treated to an intimate dinner at the club, with food and beverages provided. Saturday night’s awards banquet, catered by the club, followed a day of golf on Orangeburg’s 7,032-yard, par-72 layout.

Lackey said hosting the panel is a step toward more recognition for OCC.

“There are a lot of excellent facilities in South Carolina,” he said. “We don’t like being (called) ‘the best-kept secret.’ We want the word to get out about the quality at OCC, not only the golf course but the facility, the food and the hospitality.”

NOTES – Harbour Town Golf Links, co-designed by Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus and site of the annual RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing, is again ranked No. 2 behind The Ocean Course, with another Hilton Head area resort, May River Golf Club at Palmetto Bluff (a Nicklaus design), at No. 3. Rounding out the Top 10 courses: the exclusive Tom Fazio-designed Sage Valley Golf Club (Graniteville); Greenville Country Club’s Chanticleer Course, a 1970 Robert Trent Jones design; Yeamans Hall Club (Hanahan), built by Seth Raynor in 1926; Secession Golf Club (Beaufort), a mandatory-walking course by Australia’s Bruce Devlin; Kiawah Island Club’s Cassique Course, by five-time British Open champion Tom Watson; The Dunes Golf & Beach Club, Myrtle Beach’s second-oldest course, also by R.T. Jones; and the Dye-designed Long Cove Club (Hilton Head). … The Golf Panel also voted on the top “most fun” golf courses for 2018, one in each of the state’s four regions. Bulls Bay was picked from the Lowcountry (Charleston and Hilton Head), along with Caledonia Golf & Fish Club (Grand Strand), Clemson’s Walker Course (Upstate) and Aiken’s Palmetto Golf Club (Midlands).

Leaders say it is particularly inaccurate at the moment, pointing to a number of ongoing projects in the area such as a new grocery store, a new bank, a new discount store, a retail strip mall as well as land-clearing projects for future potential development.

“There is a lot going on,” Orangeburg County Development Commission Executive Director Gregg Robinson said. “We are back with the commercial activity and the economy is responding well. It is an overall indication of better employment and opportunities from a manufacturing perspective and commercial follows suit.”

Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce President Melinda Jackson said the number of projects in and around Orangeburg are a positive for the area.

“Competition keeps us all on our feet and can be quite healthy,” she said. “The new bank will surely be a showpiece and the grocery store couldn’t be in a more prime location.”

“It’s a great time to live in a small town,” Jackson said. “Not only are we growing in new business developments, but we are also growing in collaborative efforts.”

Jackson cited a renewed understanding of the need to work together for the betterment of the county and its municipalities.

“One Orangeburg is growing stronger in numbers and our education entities are pulling together to share great successes and real solutions for progress,” she said. “It’s a great time to be in Orangeburg County and an even greater time to be a part of the chamber!”

North Road project

About 60 acres of land has been cleared for future development.

Fort Motte Partners, a partnership of Century 21 The Moore Group and C.F. Evans Construction, is working to develop the 62-acre tract adjacent to the North Road Walmart.

The development is expected to include restaurants, retail outlets, an entertainment complex with possible movie theater, as well as a hotel and residential areas.

Green space to include walking paths, ponds and open spaces is also planned.

“We have had a good bit of interest,” Century 21 The Moore Group President Marion Moore said. “We are so far behind because of weather getting the permitting done. We are looking at the end of April to get the final engineering permits in place. We were hoping to done by the end of January.”

Through the middle of February, Moore said work was being done on the road and additional shaping and land clearing is also in the works.

“We are going at it as hard as we can,” Moore said. “We are moving on it but it is a slow mover.”

Construction on the property was to begin around the middle of 2006 but because of the economic downturn, development plans were put on hold. The target date was pushed into 2009 or possibly 2010.

By September 2016, the property remained untouched. Then that all changed. Crews spent several weeks in October felling trees on the property.

In order to maintain the uniqueness of the property, the magnolia trees will be preserved. The name of the property, which was formerly owned by the Wannamaker family from which the magnolia tree had its origins, will most likely be Magnolia Village.

Currently, the work being done is focused on infrastructure such as roads, sewer, water, engineering and traffic.

Construction on retail will begin by early 2018.

The project will coincide and tie in with the city’s plans to build a recreational center behind Orangeburg Preparatory School.

Lidl

German discount grocery chain Lidl is constructing a new store on North Road next to Sonic.

The company, a division of German retailer Schwarz Group, is building an approximately 36,000-square-foot standalone store.

As of mid-February, Lidl has not announced the Orangeburg store’s opening date.

The company announced in May 2016 it plans to open stores in South Carolina, including Orangeburg, no later than 2018. It is the store’s first entry into the U.S. market.

The grocer chose the area due to its high traffic, dense population and established retail locations.

Lidl will sell products with its own store label and offer fresh breads, produce and meat. In addition to groceries, the chain offers discounts on household appliances, clothes and furniture.

A typical Lidl store has between 30 and 35 employees.

The arrival of Lidl comes on the heels of another German grocery store, Aldi, which opened on Orangeburg’s North Road in March 2015.

Some news reports have likened Lidl to a cross between Walmart and California-based Trader Joe’s.

The chain also has plans for two other stores in the Midlands — one in Columbia and the other in Lexington.

Kmart/Reid’s redevelopment

Plans are in place to redevelop the former Orangeburg Chestnut Street Kmart and Reid’s buildings and property for new retail and dining establishments.

Grand Oak Realty LLC is seeking to develop the 85,000-square-foot Kmart building by subdividing it into three units to include a big-box retailer and grocery stores. Each unit would be from 31,000 to 48,000 square feet.

There are also plans to develop two standalone parcels — about 4,800 square feet and 6,000 square feet — on the front portion of the property to include small retail and dining space.

Plans are to begin construction by the first quarter of 2017, with opening by the second quarter of next year.

Grand Oak Realty Principal Brandon Graham said the property has received two letters of intent from retailers and lease agreements have been worked on but he does not have “express consent or liberty to disclose who they are.”

The plans to develop the Reid’s property may prove more challenging as the lease on the building does not expire until 2024. The former 40,000-square-foot grocery store is under lease by Bi-Lo Holdings LLC, which purchased Reid’s in 2013. The Orangeburg Reid’s closed in 2014.

Through the middle of February, project developers and property owners were still working on possible arrangements to develop the property either through a sublease or property purchase.

The entire property is seen as ideal for a shopping center, theater or even a call center.

The city would be responsible for any connection fees and business licensing.

The two properties are owned by a Columbia-based trust DWB Orangeburg LLC Interprop Inc. and DWB Orangeburg-Reids LLC.

Graham said the development would be self-funded by the ownership entity.

The Kmart store at 1470 Chestnut St. closed in early August 2016. Kmart had a presence in Orangeburg since October 1972.

GrandSouth Bank

GrandSouth Bank is constructing a branch at 1055 St. Matthews Road next to Orangeburg Mall.

A temporary bank is located at the same site until the standalone bank opens. The land is the former site of United Hospice of the Midlands. The building was torn down earlier in 2016.

Through the middle of February, the building’s plumbing and electricity have been completed and the roof was being installed.

The 4,600-square-foot bank is expected to be open by late April or early May 2017.

Veteran Orangeburg bankers Allen Fairey and Michael Delaney, formerly of First Citizens Bank, both partnered in opening the bank.

Fairey serves as the bank’s senior vice president and relationship manager and Delaney serves as the bank’s senior vice president and market president.

When fully operational, GrandSouth will have 11 employees.

The bank will focus on the customer, customer service and taking care of the people when they walk in the door.

When completed, the bank building will have a three-bay drive-through. GrandSouth will not have an automatic teller machine, but customers can utilize other bank ATMs without paying a fee.

Greenville-based GrandSouth bank has branches in Greenville, Fountain Inn, Anderson and Greer. The bank is also in the process of opening a branch in Columbia.

The bank employs 136 people.

GrandSouth Bancorporation, the parent company, was founded in 1987.

St. Matthews Road strip mall

Heavy equipment was moving dirt on St. Matthews Road in preparation for the construction of a shopping strip mall, according to an Orangeburg building permit.

The land being cleared is at the corner of St. Matthews Road and Nelson Street next to the Walgreens and across the street from Grove Park shopping plaza.

The address of the vacant 15-acre property is 1580 St. Matthews Road.

The owner of the land is J&P Venture Group LLC with the registered agent named Man Suk Ha, according to South Carolina Secretary of State and county property records.

Attempts to reach the registered agent with the company were unsuccessful.

The building permit is from Dec. 16, 2016, to June 16, 2017. KG Contracting Company is the project contractor.

Sources close to the project say there are no specific retailers in place for the strip mall.

Dollar Tree opens

Dollar Tree opened its doors Feb. 9 at 1270 John C. Calhoun Drive.

The Dollar Tree is located at the former site of the Southland Restaurant across from Subway.

Dollar Tree carries items from housewares to party supplies. All items are $1 or less.

It will be the second Dollar Tree to open in Orangeburg. The other is on North Road near IHOP. There is also a Dollar Tree in Bamberg.

Virginia-based Dollar Tree, a Fortune 500 company, operates more than 14,000 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces. Stores operate under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree Canada.

Former Prince of Orange Mall Sears

Work is underway at the former Sears in the Prince of Orange Mall.

The space is being prepared for potential tenants, though none has been announced.

The mall is owned by Hull Property Group, which was formerly Hull Storey Gibson.

Sears Holdings, which is also the parent company of Kmart, announced in 2012 that it was closing about 120 stores across the nation, including Orangeburg’s Sears. The local store closed in May 2013.