By Molly Parker
mparker@scbiznews.com
Published Aug. 13, 2009
The company that Dorchester County officials dubbed “Project Part” has chosen to locate in Savannah instead.
The unnamed company was eyeing a plot of land MeadWestvaco owned in the Ridgeville area, near U.S. Highway 78 and S.C. Highway 27. That area has been targeted for an industrial park as part of a long-term plan to turn the upper reaches of Dorchester County into a jobs center.
“Georgia is very aggressive in getting free land and waiving property taxes and other incentives,” said Ken Seeger, president of MeadWestvaco’s Community Development and Land Management Group. “Dorchester County put together a very aggressive package … but Georgia went further. It’s just a very, very competitive environment right now where various regions with ports are willing to bend over backwards to attract companies.”
Seeger said the company — which he described as an aircraft engine components manufacturer — would have added about 350 local jobs had it chosen the Lowcountry.
County Council recently approved a $1.2 million incentive package for water and sewer upgrades aimed at luring Project Part.
Dorchester County Economic Development Director Jon Baggett said he will continue to pursue development opportunities for the northern end of the county. The county also has industrial development plans for land near St. George.
“The goal is to create industrial parks in the upper end of the county, taking advantage of the highway access, transportation infrastructure and sheer land quantity we have in that end of the county,” Baggett said.
Dorchester County’s long-term plan is to upgrade the sewer and water infrastructure into Ridgeville to support a large manufacturing base, though the incentive package passed recently was directly tied to securing Project Part.
“Eventually we will get there, but having a good project to speed up the process is always helpful,” Baggett said.
Reach Molly Parker at 843-849-3144.
See the Aug. 17 edition of the Charleston Regional Business Journal for more on MeadWestvaco’s residential, commercial and industrial real estate plans.
