Jafza puts Orangeburg on new maps

ISSUE: Jafza’s logistics center

OUR VIEW: Project is key for firm to expand into U.S.

How Jafza International came to choose Orangeburg County for its logitics center is an intriguing story — nearly as interesting as the big company’s plans for land in Santee.

The Times and Democrat has reported extensively on plans for the big distribution center that could include hundreds of companies and thousands of jobs. We’ve tracked the story of the land. We’ve told the story of the company’s solid international reputation. This week, we learned more.

When a leading figure from the company visited Orangeburg and spoke about the project, he reinforced what we know about location. Orangeburg County has it. He made clear that the Orangeburg County Development Commission and local leaders were crucial in the choice. And he sought to allay fears the project could have negative impact in Santee.

“This is a showcase project,” Jafza’s Managing Director Chuck Heath said. “We’ll do a lot of things in this project that we may not do in other facilities.”

The idea is to make Santee more than a trucking center, with nearly half of the 1,300 acres owned by Jafza being devoted to open spaces. Most of the remaining acreage will be warehousing and support businesses from food establishments to repair centers. Land across Interstate 95 may become recreation facilities.

Heath is convincing, offering an enthusiastic view based on his experience and global perspective.

Heath joined Dubai World-owned Jafza more than two decades ago and has been a key player in projects such as the massive Jebel Ali Zone in Dubai.

Jebel Ali, covering about 35,000 acres, is considered among the fastest-growing free trade zone operations in the world. About 6,500 international companies are operating there.

Orangeburg won’t be that big, but from an international business perspective, it could become equally important. Heath contends the Southeastern United States is to become the key entry point for commerce in the United States, replacing the West Coast. Savannah and Charleston are the top ports in the equation, he said. A logistics center serving them makes sense.

The ports have only so much room to grow in proximity to shipping terminals. Orangeburg is an initial site but is not the lone answer to the load. Jafza sees the Santee project as an entry point into the United States. There could be more locations, even in South Carolina and certainly in the Southeast.

This is a company with a global view, one that has enjoyed major success. International business wants to be associated with Jafza — from shipping firms to major companies such as Sony.

Jafza will put Orangeburg County and its Global Logistics Triangle on the international map. And while Heath and company are trying to maintain perspective on expectations here, it’s hard to resist being anxious about the possibilities for the county becoming a major center for international commerce.