COLUMBIA – An online magazine, Business in Focus, has dubbed Fairfield County as ‘South Carolina’s Next Big Boom’ in the cover story of its February 11 issue.
The article credited the County’s purchase of a 1,200-acre industrial mega site along I-77 at Exit 34 as the catalyst for the boom – stimulating future economic growth and manufacturing capacity.
The county acquired the site two years ago with a $3 million investment plus a $6 million grant from the state. Ty Davenport, Director of Fairfield County Economic Development, said the county is currently completing design work for the site’s infrastructure, paid for with another $2 million state grant.
The article also highlights the county’s other important but frequently overlooked amenities – Lake Wateree to the east and Lake Monticello to the west featuring water sports and fishing as well as the lush rural areas that are havens for hunting, sprawling farms and cattle ranches.
BOMAG facility in Walter Brown Industrial Park
“Fairfield County is an untapped resource that a lot of people don’t know about. We really have something good going on here. We’re poised for growth,” Davenport is quoted in the article.
The magazine targets industrial leaders and manufacturing companies looking for locations.
“It [the magazine] is designed to be a marketing tool,” Davenport told The Voice, “and it does a great job in this piece on Fairfield.”
The article points out the county’s ideal location with easy access to airports, seaports and other transportation networks.
“Within an hours’ drive from the county seat of Winnsboro, residents have access to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, the fifth busiest international airport in the world as of 2017. When it comes to labor for industry, there is a large pool of more than 500,000 skilled workers who live within a forty-five-minute radius,” the article states.
“There are really big opportunities here for people who want to grow their businesses,” Davenport said. “The county is on a very solid financial footing which gives us the ability to do projects, install infrastructure and help companies that are moving in. Our workforce is also younger than the national and state average.
“If, for instance, a major auto manufacturer should show interest in our mega site, we will be able to meet their needs in every way including infrastructure, internet and transportation,” Davenport said.
The article stated that Fairfield’s Economic Development Office is part of two regional development alliances that help market the county. The first is the Central South Carolina Alliance which is based in Columbia and mainly markets the area’s eight central counties to companies around the world. It also belongs to the South Carolina I-77 Alliance, which represents the five counties through which I-77 runs, known as the I-77 Corridor. This stretch starts out in Columbia and runs to Charlotte, North Carolina.
“Together, we are promoting the county and all it has to offer – especially in terms of manufacturing and distribution,” Davenport said.
According to the County’s Economic Development Office, the article states, Fairfield has many sites suitable for commercial, industrial, and distribution activities, making it an ideal spot for businesses.
“What makes it even better is the fact that South Carolina offers significant incentives that really benefit industry. This means that you can have a facility in Fairfield County and enjoy lower costs while still benefitting from Charlotte and Columbia’s amenities,” Davenport added.
This budding industrial haven has a lot to offer both new and seasoned manufacturers, the article states. With vision and drive, the magazine concludes that the leadership of Fairfield County is working to grow the county into the economic powerhouse it deserves to be.
