OEA trying to fill OC Industrial Parks

Oconee County has three county-owned industrial parks that are certified by the South Carolina Department of Commerce, says Oconee Economic Alliance Executive (OEA) Director Richard Blackwell, who is working hard to bring more industry to the county and fill all the available space at the three parks. “We’ve got three industrial parks that we are focused getting new tenants, more announcements, and more jobs here.” The Oconee Industry and Technology Park contains 303 buildable acres on Highway 11, tells Blackwell. “You’ve got a BMW supplier that started in August shipping products to the BMW facility in Spartanburg. There is roughly 50 individuals working there and I think they’re going to do another hiring event later part of this year to get some more people into Baxter. Another big accomplishment back in August was the completion of 1.1 million cubic yards of dirt and then shortly there after Trehel started building the new Tri-County Technical College campus and that will be open in August of 2018. We’re so fortunate that Tri-County Technical College, the School District of Oconee County, and Oconee County came together in a very unique partnership to put a new Workforce Development Campus inside that industrial park. And with the dirt being moved, now we have 40 acres that is flat, so we are now focused marketing that asset to get some tenants in that industrial park.” Blackwell says that the Golden Corner Commerce Park on Highway 59 contains 260 buildable acres. “With the Golden Corner Commerce Park, the Oconee County Council has given us the green light to seek out a new financing situation to get a new spec building in that industrial park. We have built two speculative buildings in the past, this will be our third, and we look forward to having a third success around that program. Hopefully by the end of the year we will be able to stick a shovel in the ground and if the weather and the timing cooperates by this time next year there will be a building sitting out there. Hopefully it sold by then but if not we will certainly market the heck out of it and get it sold as quickly as possible. So, that industrial park will start to take shape, you will see a road being installed.” The Seneca Rail Park is a rail served manufacturing park that contains 83 buildable acres, explains Blackwell. “At the Seneca Rail Site off Shiloh Road we are building a new entrance road in that industrial park. It should start in the next 45 days, so I’m told.” All three parks possess characteristics making them suitable for industrial development.