Kudos Keep Coming for
Greenville County
Greenville County's track record of better jobs and a bright future is being noticed nationally
It's in the economic epicenter of the "Best State for Startups", says the First Citizens Small Business Forecast. And among Money Magazine's "Top 10 Best Places if You Work from Home."

Now CBRE has named Greenville County as one of the "11 Most Resilient Counties in America" for the coming decade.

Fresh off its best year ever in new capital investment here, Greenville County is giving doomsayers a thumbs-down on predictions of lagging economic recovery and slowing growth.

Greenville County’s role as an emerging innovation center, booming life sciences community, advanced manufacturing hub and workforce pipeline thanks to area technical schools played a crucial role in boosting its resiliency during the CBRE study, which considered such criteria as population size and growth, housing costs and foreclosure risks, airport access, fiscal health and risks from natural disasters.

“Greenville County has become a high-growth area due to its range of manufacturers, prime Southeast location, low cost of living, great transportation, and large talent pipeline,” Steve Smith, managing director of Greenville’s CBRE office, said in the report’s press release. “The area’s strong market fundamentals will help it continue to be resilient throughout 2021.”

And to think -- it's all happening in the "Fastest Growing State in the Eastern U.S.," according to the Census Bureau. Keep it up, Greenville.
Early Announcements by BMarko and United Community Bank Start Year Strong
United Community Bank, one of the largest full-service financial institutions in the Southeast, will locate its corporate headquarters in Greenville County and expand operations here to support its overall growth strategy. The $24.8 million investment will create 227 new jobs. By establishing Greenville as its corporate headquarters, United Community Bank will become the largest bank headquartered in South Carolina.

Founded in Blairsville, Ga., United Community Bank has over $18 billion in assets and 160 branches across 5 states, with nearly 290 employees in Greenville County.
The bank’s new downtown facility, to be located near Falls Park and the Reedy River, and will serve as its HQ and house a retail branch.

BMarko Structures has launched its first wood modular multifamily project to build modules that ultimately will add 190 lower-income apartments to help address the Upstate’s pressing need for affordable housing.

BMarko has created a modular manufacturing facility at 3309 Laurens Road utilizing prefabricated jigs. With the jigs installed, BMarko will create a pipeline of modules close to the final apartment community site, reducing transportation costs while ensuring speed and quality that come with traditional modular construction. The company is in process of hiring approximately 80 employees with varying levels of construction experience. The apartment homes will be in 1- to 4-bedroom options.
Message from CEO Mark Farris:
Promise Less, Deliver More...
Recently, legislators in Utah and Nashville decided to curtail use of economic development incentives in attracting new business and industry to their areas.  Although they came to similar conclusions, neither indicated they thought incentives didn’t work. Nashville feared a worsening, post-COVID budget shortfall and sought to reserve discretionary funds for other uses. The state of Utah was interested in slowing growth some thought was getting out of control.

So do incentives work? Eonomists debate the effectiveness of incentives -- some even calling them ‘corporate welfare’ and counterproductive. Others swear by them. 

So how do you judge if incentives are beneficial? Well, I am glad you asked. Please read on...
Growing Greenville County -- A Recent Round-up of Good News
Bon Secours St. Francis has broken ground on a new 41,450 square foot comprehensive health care center in Simpsonville. Located along I-385, it will house a retail pharmacy, an X-ray, an ultrasound, as well as offices for OB/GYN, phlebotomy, orthopedics, primary care, behavioral health and cardiology services.

ChartSpan, a leading provider of Chronic Care Management and Annual Wellness Visit solutions, announced their CCM platform, RapidAWV™ application, and Data Integration services have earned Certified status for information security by HITRUST, signifying ChartSpan's commitment to meeting compliance regulations and protecting sensitive information.

Food Lion's parent company, Ahold Delhaize, will acquire one of the region’s largest food distribution centers, located on more than 100 acres in Mauldin. The campus, formerly used by Bi-Lo, has sorted and shipped groceries regionally for decades, and will continue with many of the several hundred employees shifting over to work for Ahold Delhaize.

SC Department of Commerce announced its 2020 industry recruitment results, totaling 126 economic development wins accounting for $4 billion in capital investment and 11,147 new jobs. "Team South Carolina continues to cultivate a diverse economy in all corners of our state," said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt. Read the details here.

South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) announced its impact on South Carolina was over $952 million in 2020 in its 2020 Annual Report: A Year Like No Other, A Response Like No Other. It also noted over 5,250 SC-based jobs are supported by SCRA programs and operations with salaries averaging $74,196 -- 59% higher than state averages. Read more here.
Quick Hitters You Need To Know
Sudler Cos. of Chatham, N.J. has started 2021 at nearly full occupancy across its portfolio. The firm set a company record in 2020 with respect to leasing within its 8 million-square-foot collection of industrial buildings. Sudler Cos. is developing Greenville County's newest Class A business park, Fox Hill Business Park.

POZYX, pioneers in accurate positioning solutions with ultra-wideband, is opening a dedicated office in Greenville to support growth in North America. From its new physical presence here, Pozyx will expand operations to serve growing business demand.

Southern First is constructing a five-story, state-of-the-art headquarters in Greenville, with the glass-and-steel structure occupying 7 acres at the corner of Laurens Road and Verdae Boulevard. CEO Art Seaver expects hundreds of people to someday fill the facility.

BMW Manufacturing has broken ground on a new $20 million training center on the BMW campus. The 67,000 square foot facility will replace the current BMW Training and Development Center and will have multiple classrooms for professional development and technical training.

Two new developments are planned or in the works for Fountain Inn: a 41-acre reimagined village community at the former Woodside Mill village site, along with a 53-acre subdivision dubbed Mulberry Estates in northern Fountain Inn off Bryson Drive.

The Parker Group is planning to build a recreational and residential hub on a 6-acre tract in the heart of Mauldin, including a food court with six local eateries, a beer garden, pickleball and bocce ball courts, and 55 townhomes.