Economic Development in South Carolina

[krazeeboi]

I think Toyota may have been the big-name company that Craig Davis was trying to court for Innovista. I say they go after GM or a car company that's starting to make a name for itself, like Kia.

[gs3]

Most of the economic development post seem to be about out of state companies opening IN South Carolina. Nice to see that home grown SC companies are growing and acquiring out of state companies and firms.

Ogletree Deakins is the nations third largest employment and labor relations law firm. Based in Greenville, South Carolina they have been actively acquiring firms around the nation and are now in 28 major cities with these latest acquisitions.

http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/.../25/daily5.html

[krazeeboi]

It's always good to hear about home-based companies expanding. We need to hear more news like this.

[goodbye]

This is a little late, but prevalent nonetheless, as it is yet another example of businesses from other larger cities around the nation bringing new jobs here through expansion. This is an official news release, but I have included only excerpts. You can read the entire release by clicking here.

For Release

[CorgiMatt]

The December 2006 issue of "South Carolina Workforce Trends" is out. Here are the jobs numbers for SC's three major MSA's through October 2006.

Jobs (net) gained from September 2006 to October 2006:

Charleston - 1,900

Columbia - 1,800

Greenville - 1000

Jobs (net) gained from October 2005 to October 2006:

Charleston - 7,800

Columbia - 10,300

Greenville - 2,100

Unemployment rates for October 2006:

Charleston - 5.5

Columbia - 5.8

Greenville - 5.9

Edited December 28, 2006 by CorgiMatt

[Spartan]

Is Greenville really GSA, or is it just the Greenville Metro?

The December 2006 issue of "South Carolina Workforce Trends" is out. Here are the jobs numbers for SC's three major MSA's through October 2006.

Jobs (net) gained from September 2006 to October 2006:

Charleston - 1,900

Columbia - 1,800

Greenville - 1000

Jobs (net) gained from October 2005 to October 2006:

Charleston - 7,800

Columbia - 10,300

Greenville - 2,100

Unemployment rates for October 2006:

Charleston - 5.5

Columbia - 5.8

Greenville - 5.9

[CorgiMatt]

Is Greenville really GSA, or is it just the Greenville Metro?

The Greenville MSA. There is no longer a GSA MSA. They are all separate.

[goodbye]

Those unemployment rates are for the MSAs, which are groups of counties, not individual counties. Greenville's MSA includes Pickens and Laurens Counties, which have struggled somewhat lately with textile manufacturing job-losses. Greenville County remains one of the state's strongest job markets with a very low unemployment rate, despite these losses in neighboring counties. Below is a map from the latest report available (November 2006) on the SCES website, indicating what I am refering to:

[gs3]

Your numbers don't jive with the November version. Please post your link to December.

Here is November:

http://www.sces.org/LMI/pubs/OnlinePubs/wft.asp

[krazeeboi]

^The unemployment figures are actually consistent with what was reported in the October issue. December's figures haven't yet been released. I'd like to see a link as well.

[CorgiMatt]

I don't know how to post links and do not have the techological wherewithal to figure out how. Someone would have to stand over my shoulder and show me how to do it several times. Google "south carolina workforce trends". If someone answers this post with instructions it will not compute. I got the figures from the hard copy on the shelf at Richland County Public Library. SCWFT is a monthly publication from the South Carolina Employment Security Commission. As I stated in my post, the December 2006 issue gives figures through October 2006. Each issue compares figures from two months prior to figures from three months prior. It also compares figures from two months prior with those of two months prior a year ago, thus the September 2006 to October 2006 figures and the October 2005 to October 2006 figures I cited. Each time I have posted the figures I have been challenged, but the figures are there. The publication is a slickback monthly that has been published every month for years on end. Their figures are the ones South Carolina's top economists use, including those interviewed regularly on SC Educational Radio (NPR).

Those of you from the Greenville MSA can take heart. While manufacturing layoffs slammed your area from October 2005 to October 2006 and took a big bite out of your net job gains, the figures from September 2006 to October 2006 show that you had a net gain of 1000 jobs. Economists fear that lots more manufacturing layoffs are in the future, but perhaps the new economy jobs coming to your area will offset those losses better in the future.

Edited December 29, 2006 by CorgiMatt

[Spartan]

CorgiMatt- Its really easy to post links- I promise that if you can post here, then you can post links too! Feel free to send me a PM and I will be glad to help.

The Upstate as a whole is feeling the pain of the manufacturing job losses. Greenville is fortunate to be in a position to counter that with other job opportunities.

[krazeeboi]

It appears as though Google has confirmed that it has an interest in Goose Creek. The company is also considering a western NC location, and NC has already announced that it is offering the company a $4.7 million grant. This is in contrast to SC's policy on pending economic developments, which are kept very hush-hush before a final deal is made final.

In addition to the Goose Creek site, it's possible that Google may also be scouting a site in Richland County. An SC Department of Commerce code-name describing the Goose Creek land negotiations--Project Y--also has been used to reference 295 acres outside Blythewood being sold by the city of Columbia to Arum Composites LLC, of Delaware. Arum registered with the SC secretary of state's office Nov. 9--the same day as Maguro Enterprises, which this month paid $17 million for the Goose Creek property associated with Google.

[CorgiMatt]

CorgiMatt- Its really easy to post links- I promise that if you can post here, then you can post links too! Feel free to send me a PM and I will be glad to help.

The Upstate as a whole is feeling the pain of the manufacturing job losses. Greenville is fortunate to be in a position to counter that with other job opportunities.

Spartan, I appreciate your confidence in my computer abilities, but I don't even know how to send you a PM, assuming that means personal message. I have ADD and sometimes I think I even have some autism on the lowest end of the autism scale. I don't even buy gadgets because I go into severe pouting mode at the thought of having to learn how to use them. I don't even own a cell phone. I'm not one of these people who I keep reading are in demand by high-tech companies, although I should be because once they tought me how to do something by standing over my shoulder, I could teach 99.99999999% of them how to communicate better in writing, so that computer illiterates like me could learn by reading their written instructions, which 99.99999999% of the time are as sorry as can be. Oops, I'm way off topic - sorry.

Edited December 30, 2006 by CorgiMatt

[Spartan]

Matt, its because I know you or anyone can do it. At some point you had to type in "http://www.urbanplanet.org" into Internet Explorer, so its just a matter of transfering that same principle to your posts on UP.

[CorgiMatt]

Matt, its because I know you or anyone can do it. At some point you had to type in "http://www.urbanplanet.org" into Internet Explorer, so its just a matter of transfering that same principle to your posts on UP.

So, you mean all I have to do is visit the website and write down the URL and type it in here like this? http://www.sces.org/LMC/pubs/OnlinePubs/wft.asp? Nope. It didn't become highlighted like everyone else's does, unless it will do so when I post this message. But anyway, guess what, their website doesn't have the December issue downloaded or uploaded or whatever yet. The latest issue on the website is November's.

[krazeeboi]

Hey CorgiMatt, you did it! Now if you run across an online source and you want to post the link here, all you have to do is highlight the URL, right click, choose "Copy," and in the message box here, press "Ctrl" + "V" buttons, and the link will appear.

[CorgiMatt]

So, you mean all I have to do is visit the website and write down the URL and type it in here like this? http://www.sces.org/LMC/pubs/OnlinePubs/wft.asp? Nope. It didn't become highlighted like everyone else's does, unless it will do so when I post this message. But anyway, guess what, their website doesn't have the December issue downloaded or uploaded or whatever yet. The latest issue on the website is November's.

Well, it did become highlighted after I posted it, but when I clicked on it it said website cannot be found. I was very careful to write it down exactly as it was on the URL.

[CorgiMatt]

http://www.sces.org/LMI/pubs/OnlinePubs/wft.asp OKAY, I did it that way, too. I'll see if it takes me to the website, but Richland County Public Library has December 2006's issue and the website still has only through November 2006. I guess RCPL didn't win 2001 National Library of the Year for nothing.

[krazeeboi]

I'm sure they'll have the December edition online soon. Thanks for trying, Matt.

[Spartan]

Yep thats all there is to it! You're on the right track, and and as you can see, the forum will "parse" internet addresses automatically.

Another way is to use the hyperlink button on the Add Reply page... its the one with a blue globe and a paperclip looking thing under it (probably supposed to be a chainlink). Anyway, if you click that it will prompt you for the link, and then prompt you for the text you want for that link so you can embed it in text.

Example: CNN

[krazeeboi]

I.N.C Engineered Materials, an Australia-based company that specializes in acoustic insulation products, is locating its first U.S. facility in Lexington County. The company is investing nearly $2.5 million in the project, which will create 10 jobs when a 60,000 square foot manufacturing facility at CAE Airport Park begins operations.

Las Vegas-based Purafilter 2000, a manufacturer of residential air filters, recently announced that it will establish a new manufacturing operation in Greer. To be located at 1623 S. Highway 14 (formerly Graco), the company will lease 60,000 square feet of existing space from ProLogis. The company intends to hire 20 new employees within a month, adding another 50 associates in early 2007.

Sun Paper Co., a family-owned company headquartered in Medley, Fla., has selected Owings Industrial Park in Laurens as the site to construct its new manufacturing facility. The company plans to hire between 35-40 employees over the next five years.

Bridgestone Firestone North America Tire, LLC recently announced that it will invest at least $33 million in its Aiken tire plant over the next four years to add new production equipment as well as retool existing equipment. The company will be investing at least $50 million in the Aiken County tire facility over five years. Most recently the plant added a new mixer, modified its tire assembly system and hired 36 new teammates.

[goodbye]

...

Las Vegas-based Purafilter 2000, a manufacturer of residential air filters, recently announced that it will establish a new manufacturing operation in Greer. To be located at 1623 S. Highway 14 (formerly Graco), the company will lease 60,000 square feet of existing space from ProLogis. The company intends to hire 20 new employees within a month, adding another 50 associates in early 2007.

...

I posted this one recently, if anyone would like to read some of the original press release.

[GvilleSC]

I don't know where this should go, but it's 100 jobs, so it's going here for now.

Clemson is landing a national retailer that will be a first in the Greenville area. The anchor of the shopping center is suppose to create 100 jobs alone. Any ideas on who it could be?

Link

[krazeeboi]

House speaker Bobby Harrell is proposing $15 million in state grants and tax credits be made available to companies that partner with South Carolina-based research institutions and conduct hydrogen fuels research in the state. The South Carolina Hydrogen Infrastructure Development Fund would be available to private companies that work with the University of South Carolina, Clemson University, South Carolina State University and the Savannah River National Laboratory and the institutions would have a voice in who receives the financial incentives.

The fund, spread over three years, is front-loaded to encourage companies to commit to research partnerships sooner rather than later. It would be funded at $7 million in 2007-08; $5 million for 2008-09; and $3 million in 2009-210. Funds unspent by June 30, 2012, would relapse to the state under Harrell