An unidentified company is planning to invest about $50 million and create about 275 jobs in Orangeburg County over the next five years.
The company is planning to locate in the $25 million, 534,702-square-foot building at the Shamrock Commerce Center industrial park on U.S. Highway 301 near Interstate 26.
The building is touted as the largest speculative building built in the Midlands. The building is privately funded.
Orangeburg County Council unanimously passed a resolution on Monday agreeing to provide the company with tax incentives.
Orangeburg County Council Chairman Johnnie Wright noted the promised investment and job creation is over a five-year period.
“I hope they start early,” Wright said. “We are ready for it.”
The company is currently being identified by the code name Project Gigi.
“It will remain confidential until we pass the incentives from the state of South Carolina,” Orangeburg County Development Commission Executive Director Gregg Robinson said.
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The company will be served by the City of Orangeburg’s Department of Public Utilities with power, water, gas and sewer.
Following the meeting, Robinson said further details will be provided at a later date, but did note wages will be above the county’s average manufacturing wage.
He described the company as light assembly with other facets to be announced later.
In other matters:
• The county received a $750,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Community Facility grant to purchase three ambulances and two paramedic quick response vehicles for the Holly Hill and Eutawville areas.
The county provided a $250,000 match.
The money is part of about $10 million the state received from the USDA as part of the grant program.
• Council gave unanimous second reading to a change in the county’s ordinance to allow virtual meeting attendance by council members.
The ordinance would allow council members to attend a meeting virtually under certain circumstances, including special called meetings, emergency situations, weather-related events or other unforeseen circumstances.
• Council gave 5-1 second reading to the rezoning of property at 2251 Magnolia St. in Orangeburg to commercial general for the purpose of opening a medical diagnostic testing facility. Council Vice Chairwoman Janie Cooper-Smith was opposed to the rezoning.
The property, which covers about .31 acres, is currently zoned residential general.
• Council gave unanimous second reading approval to rezoning about 71.13 acres of property on Academy Lane in Holly Hill to residential general for the purpose of residential housing.
The property is zoned forest agricultural.
The change is being requested by Crescent Property Holdings LLC, which wants to create “affordable workforce housing.”
The property is approximately 1-1/2 miles from the town limits of Holly Hill.
The lot is currently undeveloped and vacant.
County planning officials say the developer has not submitted conceptual design plans for the property and has not provided an estimate of the number of houses to be built.
• Council gave unanimous second reading approval to rezoning about 2 acres of property at 7324 Old Number Six Highway in Santee to commercial general for the purpose of a boat repair shop.
The entire property covers about 11.25 acres and has been zoned forest agricultural. The property is about one mile east of the town of Elloree and three miles west of Santee.
• Council unanimously gave second reading to an amendment to the tax incentive agreement with Inbra Chemical Company. The company has invested a little over $18 million and created 20 new jobs. That exceeds the company’s original projection of a $7.7 million investment and 15 new jobs.
• Orangeburg resident Billy Milhouse expressed concerns that he has not been able to get a building permit from the county to build a storage shed for his farming equipment.
Milhouse claimed the county’s zoning ordinance is prohibiting him from getting the permit and is asking the county for a variance to be able to do so.
Council said it would look into the matter.
• Robinson expressed his appreciation to county council for its support of him and economic development in the county for the past 17 years.
Robinson is leaving Orangeburg County on July 8 to become the chief executive officer of the Florence County Economic Development Partnership. The council meeting was Robinson’s last.
Each council member and County Administrator Harold Young expressed their appreciation to Robinson and wished him the best going forward in his future endeavors.
• Council went into closed session to discuss contractual matters related to Project 601 and contractual matters related to the Regional Medical Center.
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