ICYMI: Zeus adds 100 jobs in Gaston; Calhoun County plant ‘moving full speed ahead’

“They are moving full speed ahead,” Lower Savannah Council of Governments Executive Director Dr. William Molnar told Calhoun County Council during its Monday meeting.

“We are trying to work with them as well as the Midlands COG to help them with on-the-job training contracts and to make sure it is more affordable to them to get those people in good positions,” Molnar said.

The jobs are being added to meet growing customer demand as the economy opens up following the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Zeus spokesperson.

The Zeus jobs – primarily machine operators – pay $20 or more an hour.

“These are good jobs,” Council Vice Chair James Haigler said.

While the Zeus plant has a Gaston address, it is located in the Sandy Run area of Calhoun County.

The plant is located a short distance from Zeus’ brand-new, 148,000-square-foot plant in the newly built Sandy Run Industrial Park.

In addition to the Gaston plant, Zeus is also hiring for its Orangeburg and Aiken plants. A glance at Zeus’ job website shows about 25 jobs open at its Orangeburg locations on Industrial Boulevard and Magnolia Street.

For more information on Zeus job opportunities, visit zeusinc.exactapplicant.com/jobs/

In related matters, a job fair will be held at the John Ford Community Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17. The community center is located at 304 Agnes Street. A number of industries and businesses will be present.

The fair is being sponsored by the Lower Savannah Council of Governments, S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, S.C. Department of Social Services and Vocational Rehabilitation.

In other matters:

• Council gave unanimous second reading to an ordinance providing Tri-County Electric Cooperative with tax breaks to expand its broadband internet infrastructure to serve all cooperative customers.

The project will bring high-speed, gigabyte service to every Tri-County member if they choose to connect. Non-members will also have access if they are within the cooperative’s service area.

The electric cooperative is investing a total of $50 million in its broadband project throughout its coverage area. About $10 million to $12 million of that will be spent in Calhoun County.

The project will receive a fee-in-lieu of taxes incentive.

The cooperative started the project in December 2020 and expects to be finished by June 2022.

The services will be built into the Santee and Elloree areas as well.

For more information, visit www.tricolinksc.com or call 877-874-1215.

• Deputy Administrator Richard Hall said Calhoun County is seeing an increase in building and development.

“We are seeing a lot more questions, a lot more asks, a lot more development looks and pressure at us with the growth coming out of both Columbia and out of Charleston,” Hall said. “I would anticipate that we continue to see our numbers go up on both ends.”

For the month of October alone, Hall said the county has had 93 inspections, with 31 permits issued and 11 plats reviewed.

From Jan. 1 to the end of October, the county has had three new commercial project permits, one commercial addition, 27 new single-family home permits, 18 residential additions, 39 mobile home permits, 15 agricultural permits and 223 other permits such as electrical reconnections and smaller permits, Hall said.

The county has issued a total of 326 permits since Jan. 1, with a total valuation of $5.5 million. The county has collected about $106,194 in permit fees so far this year.

Calhoun County Administrator John McLauchlin said the total is based on the county’s former fee structure.

“We should be seeing those numbers actually pick up,” he said.

• Hall reported the county recently updated and approved Sandy Run zoning regulations and is currently reviewing zoning and land regulations for the rest of the county.

The county’s mobile home ordinance is also being reviewed with plans to incorporate the provisions into the county’s zoning ordinance in order to reduce confusion and make enforcement easier, Hall said.

Hall said the annual required training of planning commissioners will occur in January and will be done in-house.

He noted the county is no longer contracting with SafeBuilt for building official services as they will be handled in-house. He said the company is still being used for some plan review and inspection services.

“Eventually as the county grows, maybe we can phase that out entirely and bring that all in-house,” Hall said.

• Council members briefly discussed the need to appoint an at-large member to The Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees to fill the vacancy left by Dawn Robinson. Three individuals from Calhoun County sit on the 17-member board.

• McLauchlin thanked all the sponsors and those who participated in the annual Calhoun County industry appreciation golf tournament held Oct. 29.

• Council went into closed session to discuss a personnel matter and economic development matter.