Apparently, “BB” stands for bigger business.
Haddon House Food Products, the largest privately-owned distributor, importer and exporter of specialty, natural, organic, ethnic and kosher foods, is expanding its Chester County operations. The company is investing $4.6 million to expand its operations in Richburg, S.C. The investment is expected to create 55 new jobs.
Founded in 1960 and […]

Member counties in a new Interstate 77 Alliance plan appear to subscribe to the old adage that a rising tide lifts all boats. Counties that once competed against each other for development prospects now are joining to take a more regional approach.

The I-77 Alliance, consisting of Chester, York, Fairfield and Richland counties, was formed last […]

The strengths, weaknesses, and potential of downtown Union were the subject of a presentation during a special meeting of Union City Council Monday morning. Robby Moody, Senior Planner for the Catawba Regional Council of Governments, presented “Downtown: The Heart of Union” which provided council with an overview of the downtown area of the city.

The presentation […]

A North Charleston-based firm will invest $1.3 million in a manufacturing facility in Union County that will eventually employ 114 people.

A statement released this morning by the SC Department of Commerce announced that “Vapor Apparel, a leader in performance apparel manufacturing and digital print-on-demand services, is opening a 30,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Union County. This […]

Lancaster County will become home to a Virginia-based mortgage company that plans to invest $22 million to build its national headquarters here, creating more than 650 new jobs, S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley’s office announced Thursday, Jan. 15.

Movement Mortgage, LLC, founded in 2008 and currently headquartered in Virginia Beach, Va., has grown tremendously in its first […]

Next spring, spinning wheels will hum again in Lancaster County, S.C.Keer, a textile company headquartered two hours southwest of Shanghai, China, is building yarn manufacturing lines in Indian Land, about 6 miles south of Ballantyne, bringing more than 500 jobs.

The Carolinas were once the epicenter of the U.S. textile industry, but since the late 1990s, […]

A joint grant that would create the first cross-state connection along the Carolina Thread Trail was discussed by Lancaster County Council last month.

During its Nov. 24 meeting, council approved joining with the town of Waxhaw, N.C., to apply for a $150,000 Carolina Thread Trail construction implementation grant. The vote was 6-0, with Council chairman Larry […]

Standard Textile, a leading global provider of end-to-end solutions for the institutional textile and apparel markets, is expanding its Union County manufacturing facility. The $5 million capital investment is expected to create 35 new jobs in Union County.

Founded in 1940 and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Standard Textile operates 29 manufacturing and distribution facilities in 16 […]

Haile Gold Mine, Inc. is investing $353 million to develop the Haile Gold Mine and anticipates creating 270 new jobs, according to a press release issued Thursday, Nov. 6 by the S.C. Department of Commerce.

“In addition to this $353 million investment to enter into the construction and development phase, Haile Gold Mine, Inc. has already […]

The Chester County Council is negotiating with two companies to expand operations in the county, a combined investment of up to $11 million spread out over several years.

The identities of the companies have not been disclosed, but County Supervisor Carlisle Roddey said this week both are local.

“That they are existing businesses, willing to invest – makes […]

Part of the process of updating the Chester County strategic plan for economic development is to get input from various sectors of the public. A recent meeting at the Gateway Conference Center with business and community leaders did just that.
Those present included representatives from the City of Chester and Towns of Great Falls and Richburg […]

Beginning today, November 4, 2014, the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority (SC Housing) launches its SC Housing Homebuyer Program.

Known for 44 years as the state’s premier lender for low, fixed rate mortgage loans and generous down payment assistance, the agency has made homeownership available for thousands of South Carolinians. To date, SC […]

Funding is on the way for the Ottaray Mill Village Renaissance Project.

During last Tuesday’s Union County Council meeting, Ted Trantham, representing the Ottaray community, asked about the status of a $500,000 grant for the project.  He said people in the community are interested in cleaning it up.

“If you’re asking do we get the grant, I’m […]

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is seeking public comment for the proposed scheduling of Federal-Aid Bridge projects approved by the SCDOT Commission in April 2014 pending available funding.

The projects include the replacement of 23 bridges and two culverts located in 16 counties across the state. Based on anticipated funding beginning in Federal Fiscal […]

U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro today announced $600,000 to improve housing conditions, stimulate community development and create jobs in a Native American South Carolina community.  Provided through HUD’s Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) Program, these funds support a wide variety of community development and affordable housing activities.

“These grants will create better housing, […]

As Lancaster County continues to attract businesses, county officials are planning for the future.

Rob Moody, senior planner for the Catawba Council of Governments, updated residents on Lancaster County’s Comprehensive Action Plan at the Sept. 9 Indian Land Action Council meeting. The Indian Land Panhandle is the engine for much of the county’s growth with new […]

If you take a walk on the Catawba Indian Nation Greenway Trail, it’s a bit like walking back in time, a chance to see the woods, the river and landscape the way a Catawba might have seen them long before the first European settlers came to the area.

“You can see great vistas and views of […]

The City of Union will use a $500,000 state grant to make infrastructure and other improvements on four streets in the Union Mill Village area.

During Tuesday’s Union City Council meeting, Mayor Harold Thompson announced that he’d received the following letter from Gov. Nikki Haley:

“It is my pleasure to announce that the City of Union will […]

As Lancaster County Councilwoman Charlene McGriff walked through Lancaster’s Midway community earlier this year, she was shocked to see its condition.

Gone was the once thriving mill community and in its place were row after row of weed-covered abandoned homes and streams of broken sidewalks.

Determined to turn the area around, McGriff spent months walking from home […]

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is seeking comment from the public  for the following items:

 Additional Funding for Special 2014 Federal Aid Resurfacing and Bridge Deck Preservation Program

2015 Federal Aid Pavement Improvement Program

SCDOT is providing this information to you for public review and comment.  Click here to see copies of the Special 2014 Federal Aid […]

A 200,000-square-foot facility in Rock Hill has been leased by 3D Systems to expand its manufacturing and distribution capacity to meet growing demand for 3-D printers and materials.

The new center is part of the company’s previously announced $10 million expansion, which is expected to generate up to 145 jobs during the next five years, according […]

In the coming months, there are several industries and business that will be setting up shop in Chester County. Young people without a high school diploma or a GED may be wondering how they can get in on the ground floor and get a job with these industries, and the answer might be to, literally, […]

When at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again!

That was the mantra of town of Heath Springs officials when the municipality applied for a rural infrastructure grant last year that was denied.

However now, the town recently learned it has been awarded a $405,500 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the S.C. Department of Commerce […]

In the dictionary, the word Renaissance means re-birth and that’s exactly what a section of East Chester is undergoing this summer. Several area churches from Chester and in the county have banded together with other volunteers to carry out Phase II of the East Chester Village Renaissance Project, a series of structural improvements and façade […]

The City of Union will use a state grant to upgrade sewer services to more than 200 residences and businesses in the May Street area.

Mayor Harold Thompson announced Wednesday that he’d received a letter from Gov. Nikki Haley informing him that the city “will receive a $343,490 Community Infrastructure Grant from the Community Development Block […]

Perusing the large Lancaster County map in front of him, Gregory Powell quickly found his Indian Land neighborhood, peeled off a small smiley face sticker and placed it over his home.

Within a few minutes he’d also placed a few red heart stickers as well, marking off places he likes to visit for fun, ranging from […]

The name of the much-touted “Project Summer” is Singapore-based Giti (pronounced “Geetee”) Tire. The unveiling (literally) of the company that is expected to create some 1,700 jobs and invest $560 million in Chester County was made at the press conference at the Gateway Conference Center in Richburg on Monday.
Giti Tire, the 10th largest tire company […]

Kingsley Village, a retail-restaurant complex similar to Fort Mill’s Baxter Village, will be constructed at the same time as two recently announced office projects, Clear Springs Development officials say.Clear Springs Development developed Baxter Village and owns the 626-acre site at S.C. 160 and Interstate 77 where the Lash Group and LPL Financial Carolinas both plan […]

The main attraction of the Landsford Canal Trail within Landsford Canal State Park is the largest known stand of rocky shoal spider lilies. The Landsford Canal State Park’s Canal Trail is 1.5 miles and the .5 mile “Nature Trail” is the portion designated as Carolina Thread Trail. It is a gravel trail which goes along the Catawba […]

Owning a small business is not a venture for the weak at heart. It takes daily commitment, long hours, a passion to succeed and a huge amount of sweat equity. Small businesses contribute to local economies by bringing growth and innovation to the community and government figures show that small businesses create 75 percent of […]

The UNC Charlotte Urban Institute has their Regional Indicators website at a new home on their website.  You can find all the data that was on the previous site, but with improved functionality and a new look.

The new design is easier to use, offers more interactive features, and is visually more in line with other […]

The City of Union has allocated nearly $200,000 to serve as local matches for two grants sewer improvement projects in the May Street area of the city and in the Buffalo Mill Village.

Union City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve two resolutions allocating a total of $193,098 in local funds as cash matches for Community […]

Fort Mill leaders expect the town could triple its population in the next 20 years.

Joe Cronin, Fort Mill’s planning director, estimated the town’s 2010 U.S. Census population of 10,800 will grow to 30,000 by 2030. That swell would impact engineering, utilities and public works, and fire service and police protection would need to keep up.

Town […]

Housing rehabilitation, upgraded water and sewer services and improved transportation corridors are just some of the top priorities county officials are considering for this year’s annual county needs list.

Lancaster County Council discussed the list Monday night, Feb. 10, during a needs assessment public hearing, part of a joint process between the county and the Catawba […]

If there were any questions whether the Chester office of SC Works was still open, Wednesday’s activities at the Wilson Street Ext. office answered them. The parking lot was full, as was the lobby, filled with eager job seekers who were there for dual job fairs, sponsored by Boral Stone Products and ADECCO, a staffing […]

The first projects of a major facelift are underway at York Technical College.

After studying the school’s needs for a few years, President Greg Rutherford is overseeing the gradual implementation of a 20-year master plan that could call for up to a $100 million investment in infrastructure upgrades and new facilities.

The campus improvements range from the […]

The last five years has seen Union County develop a diversified industrial base that draws nearly 75 percent of its workforce from the local population, an achievement the Union County Development Board has supported and continues to support.

Executive Director Andrena Powell-Baker said that in the past five years Union County has seen the announcement of […]

As a new textile manufacturer gears up its plans for Lancaster County, one of the area’s largest utility companies is lending a helping hand in the form of more than $200,000 in tax credits.

Lancaster County Council voted 6-0 during a special meeting Tuesday, Dec. 17, to approve a resolution allowing Comporium to use tax credit […]

Rock Hill is one of six cities in the Charlotte region to participate this month in a fair housing forum designed to identify and work toward eliminating the barriers people face when renting homes and apartments or obtaining mortgages.

The forum is an opportunity, organizers say, for residents to learn more about their rights, for landlords […]

It’s time to make structural changes on city properties to accommodate all Lancaster residents, said Robert Moody, senior planner of the Catawba Regional Council of Governments (COG).

The COG provided technical assistance to the city’s Building and Zoning Department and presented a report at the Nov. 26 Lancaster City Council meeting.

The city’s Americans with Disabilities Act […]

To help fill the orders of a new customer Haemonetics will hire up to 70 new employees and start another shift by the beginning of December.

Located at 155 Medical Sciences Drive in Union, Haemonetics produces sodium citrate anti-coagulant used for plasma collection. The facility currently employs a workforce of 118 employees.

That’s in the process of […]

The Union County Career and Technology Center had its first advisory council meeting for the 2013-2014 year.

The main focus of the advisory meetings is to make a connection between the CATE Center and industry professionals in the community, as local industry professionals offer a wide variety of assistance in promoting vocational education. They contribute equipment, […]

When Timothy Elliott first used Google Earth to see images of the Rock Hill Finishing & Printing plant, all he saw were large, dark blobs.

When he zoomed in, he saw a site ravaged by fire.

He wondered whether his employer, Sora Development, should undertake the task of developing the site. Demolishing the buildings and carting off […]

Union City Council voted unanimously to award the bid for the Buffalo Mill Village Phase III project to Smith Backhoe & Construction for $585,225.75.

Utility Director Joe Nichols said the project will involve replacing the sewer lines that serve Pine, Kent, Buffalo, and Yank streets and Fire Lane. Nichols said the lines are more than a […]

Upstate officials met in Greenville Thursday to discuss tools and ideas for further economic development and investment in their respective communities.

Officials also received an update on the government shutdown.

An estimated 70 officials attended, representing cities such as Greer, Anderson, Simpsonville, Traveler’s Rest and Greenville, as well as school district representatives and several local business and […]

The next 40 years will see a 14-county region of the Carolinas experience enormous growth in population and jobs and Union County is positioned to benefit from that growth.

A group of approximately 30 Union County officeholders, development officials, business people, and members of the general public took part in Tuesday’s CONNECT Our Future community growth […]

3D Systems plans to expand its Rock Hill facilities, investing $10.9 million and creating 133 jobs, according to a request filed with York County.

Avi Reichental, 3D Systems’ president and CEO, recently said the company’s headquarters, research and production facilities at the Waterford Business Park in Rock Hill were at capacity and an expansion was needed.

According […]

In addition to providing medical and related services the health sector generates more than $60 million in economic activity in Union County, with most of it generated by the Union Hospital District.

A study conducted by the South Carolina Office of Rural Health of the health sector’s impact on Union County’s economy in 2012 found that […]

The long-awaited industrial project in Chester County doesn’t have to go by the name “Project 1233” anymore.

JN Fibers Inc., a manufacturer of recycled polyester staple fiber products, is establishing a new manufacturing facility here in Chester County. The $45 million investment is expected to generate 318 new jobs.

“We are pleased by the opportunity to establish […]

The York County Council on Tuesday voted to allow York County Access, a low-cost transportation program, to replace its aging fleet of buses using a combination of state money and separate funding.

York County Access, which is run by the York County Council on Aging, provides discounted rides for residents within county limits to workplaces, doctors […]