20-Year Celebration Draws Hundreds; 3 Company Announcements
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New-to-Greenville announcements by Gissing North America and Epsilon, expansion by STAR EV add hundreds of new jobs
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Greenville County economic development momentum surges, GADC celebrates 20 years |
Greenville County and nearly 400 business and government leaders convened online for GADC's 20th Anniversary recently with a "live virtual" program that included videos, presentations, awards -- and another major economic development announcement -- as the county celebrated 20 years of growth and success in economic development.
Special guests including U.S. Senators Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham, Gov. Henry McMaster and Lt. Governor Pamela Evette, Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt, Representative William Timmons and Jeff Duncan joined to congratulate the GADC team for its annual economic impact in the county of over $6+ billion which sustains 64,784 jobs in Greenville County alone. Since launching in July 2001, the cumulative impact of all GADC-affiliated business activities total over $55 billion.
The GADC team also announced that Gissing North America LLC, which manufactures acoustic systems for the automotive industry, would establish operations here with an $18.7 million capital investment and creating 116 new jobs.
Within days of the event, Epsilon Inc. -- a Carolinas-based information technology and services company -- announced it would establish new operations in Greenville County, investing over $2.6 million creating 145 new jobs. And just days later, yet another announcement came from STAR EV, a specialized electric vehicle manufacturer, stating intentions to expand operations by investing more than $8.7 million and creating 50 new jobs.
For full details on the Virtual Event celebrating 20 years of the GADC, click here.
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GADC Salutes Wesley Crum with 2021 Chairman's Award for Contributions |
Greenville Area Development Corp. Chairman Tom Epting presented the 2021 GADC Chairman’s Award at its Virtual Annual Meeting to Greenville attorney Wesley Crum, founder of J. Wesley Crum, III P.A., and a longtime advocate of smart economic development in the county.
Mr. Crum’s economic development work has focused on companies seeking and receiving incentives and incentivized financing, and over his career, he has worked with more than 100 companies ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 global corporations and participated in over $6 billion in fee-in-lieu of tax and other incentive transactions.
"Wes has been a vital partner and contributor to the growth and success of Greenville County economic development throughout his career, and was an advocate and leader in the creation of the GADC,” said Chairman Epting, an attorney with the Fox Rothschild firm in Greenville. |
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GADC Names Officers, Adds Directors to 2021-22 Economic Development Board |
The Greenville Area Development Corporation has named noted aerospace industry executive Don Erickson as Chairman of its Board of Directors for 2021-2022. Joining him as officers are Beverly Haines as Vice Chair, Chad Tumblin as Secretary, and Barry Leasure as Treasurer.
Simultaneously, the GADC announced that prominent business leaders Joy Hemphill, McNeil Epps and Councilman Stan Tzouvelekas have been appointed by Greenville County Council to three-year terms on the Board. In addition, Beverly Haines was reappointed to the Board by Council, which also voted to expand the Board by one seat to include the permanent addition of the County Auditor as a Board member. Scott Case is Greenville County’s current Auditor.
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Message from CEO Mark Farris:
3 Reasons Greenville is Poised for Success for the Next Decade
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As the GADC celebrates its 20th anniversary, the solid economic development foundation that has been laid in this community is now a launching pad for our future.
With the help of multiple partners and allies, we use that underpinning to explore how to incorporate innovative initiatives to meet challenges and opportunities coming our way. So what key characteristics are positioning Greenville County for long-term success?
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Expert Panel to Address "The Future of Higher Education in SC" at August 12 GADC Investor Breakfast
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Join your fellow business and community leaders for breakfast, networking and incredible insights as GADC presents the latest program in its Executive Insights series, "The Future of Higher Education in SC" on Thursday, Aug. 12 from 8am - 9:30 at the Westin Poinsett Hotel's Gold Ballroom. The program is open free to all GADC Investor organizations and invited guests, and on a space-available basis to others. The star-studded panel of education leaders includes:
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Dr. Elizabeth Davis – President, Furman University
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Dr. Marjorie Jenkins – Dean, School of Medicine - Greenville and Associate Provost, UofSC
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Dean Wendy York – Dean, Clemson University College of Business
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Dr. Keith Miller – President, Greenville Technical College
Topics to be covered include:
- Post-pandemic: Returning to normal
- Future of higher education/career devel. in SC
- Educational challenges post-Covid
- Enhancing the educational system and graduate skills
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Growing Greenville County -- A Recent Round-up of Good News
Celebrating its 101st anniversary, Elliott Davis has relocated to new offices in the new Camperdown development, with floor-to-ceiling windows providing an expansive view of the downtown skyline. The new 75,000-sq. ft. office features panoramic views of the downtown area, with outer space of the new office serving as common area for team members, with private offices on the interior.
Bosch Rexroth's facility in Fountain Inn focused on mobile hydraulics production now has the first large-scale solar array for the company in North America. The plant started producing energy in late 2020 from 3,300 solar panels on 5 acres of adjacent land, and now can provide 25% of power needed for one of its campus buildings.
Gov. McMaster has announced a partnership between South Carolina's technical colleges and the S.C. Dept. of Employment & Workforce to provide training opportunities for unemployed individuals in the state... free to the student. Unemployment claimants can now explore short-term retraining programs at their local technical college in lieu of conducting the weekly work search to retain benefits.
With post-COVID passenger air travel returning to normal, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is moving ahead with plans for a new hotel, parking garage, expanded Concourse B and eventually a new terminal. The on-site hotel will be built on a 42,500-square-foot lot at the terminal building, and will i nclude a rooftop lounge where travelers can relax and watch planes take off and land. The new parking garage will provide 1,500 new spaces. |
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Quick Hitters You Need To Know |
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During 2020, 35 buildings in Greenville earned Energy Star certification, placing it 6th nationally among mid-size cities with the most Energy Star certified-buildings, according to the EPA. The buildings total 5.2 million sq. ft., saved owners $2 million in energy, and stop 7,600 metric tons of emissions from being released into the atmosphere.
The University of South Carolina has ranked among the Top 100 worldwide universities granted U.S. utility patents again according to an annual list by the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Assoc. It is the 9th consecutive year USC has led all state institutions.
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