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Brownfields 2018 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet

Press Release for EPA Assessment Award

It will cost just over $1 million to upgrade sewer lines in the Monarch Mill area and the City of Union will contribute at least $350,000 to help cover the cost of the project.

At its March meeting Tuesday evening, Union City Council voted unanimously to approve a resolution allocating at least $350,000 to serve as […]

Even as farmland continues to be developed into new subdivisions across the tri-county region, agriculture remains alive and well.

Nobody knows that better than Mark and Mindy Robinson, co-owners of Tega Hills Farm in Fort Mill.

When the Robinsons bought the farm in 1999, they continued growing the much-anticipated Tega Hills tomatoes, but also branched off experimenting […]

Downtowns in Rock Hill, Lancaster and Chester would become magnets for new business, if one federal program works the way it’s intended.

Those cities combine for eight of the 135 “opportunity zones” S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster submitted last week in an effort to bring long-term investment to low-income areas. The U.S. Department of Treasury first must […]

Few of Indian Land’s development projects have stirred as much excitement in recent years as the RedStone shopping center, with its plans for a dozen new restaurants and the area’s first movie theater.

And now, after three years in the making, the wait is nearly over – RedStone Theatre 14 will hold its grand opening Friday, […]

Getting to and from Fort Mill’s biggest downtown destinations could get a little easier. And that’s just for walkers.

The town has its latest list of C-funds projects ready for discussion. Fort Mill Town Council approved them last week. Next they head to York County planners for consideration. The list includes seven sidewalk and road resurfacing […]

David Swenson can remember a time when a manufacturer or distribution company in need of large-scale, existing space for a move into York County would be about out of luck. Then the spec boom hit two years ago.

LegacyPark West built two shell structures — totaling almost 560,000 square feet — in […]

Business and industry is alive and well in the county, says Chester County Economic Development Director Karlisa Dean. That new industry or business that comes in under the label “Opportunity” continues to knock at Chester County’s door.

Dean sat down with The N&R recently to reflect on how 2017 treated Chester County and what was ahead […]

Lancaster County is primed for continued job growth this year, county Economic Development Director Jamie Gilbert says, and it’s scrambling to find enough good facilities to meet their needs.

“The top issue is clearly product development,” said department Director Jamie Gilbert, discussing the county’s 2018 goals for job creation.

“There is strong interest by some local industries […]

Stanley Black & Decker will build a new DeWalt hand tools plant in York County, bringing 500 jobs to the Fort Mill area.

The Charlotte Business Journal reported in May that the toolmaker was eyeing northern York County for a huge tool plant as the company worked to reshore production of its DeWalt and other brands of its hand tools.

The Stanley […]

Much of the $350 million in new capital investment and the more than 1,000 new jobs Union County has enjoyed over the past decade has been due to the growth and expansion of existing industry which is also playing a vital role in the recruitment of new industry to the county.

In looking back at economic […]

Fab Fours Inc., one of Lancaster County’s small-industry success stories, is doubling its workforce, saying big sales growth is driving the expansion.
The company, which manufactures aftermarket bumpers for vehicles, announced plans Friday to add 88 employees and spend $5.7 million adding equipment to its plant off Riverside Road. It now has about 80 employees.
With the […]

Residents of Union County interested in weighing in on the feasibility of a transit of a local transit system now have a new online way to make their views known.

The Union County 2017 Transit Feasibility Study is being financed with funds awarded the county by the the South Carolina Department of Transportation. […]

On December 19, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) gave Duke Energy the green light to move forward on the Catawba-Wateree recreation management plan. The plan, submitted for FERC review and approval in November 2016, includes public recreation requirements and agreements included in the new 40-year license FERC issued in 2015 for the Catawba-Wateree’s Hydroelectric […]

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is providing notification that public review and comment is being sought for:

STIP Amendment for Projects in Chester, Lancaster and Union Counties
STIP Amendment for Projects Over I-26 in Newberry County

We are providing this information to you for public review and comment.  Attached are the press releases announcing that public comment […]

South Carolina Route 97, Wylie Avenue will be closed from S-46-651 (Ebenezer Road) to S-46-780 (McKnight Road) for the rehabilitation of SC 97 between Hickory Grove and Smyrna.  This work is being performed by Eagle Construction Company under a contract with the SCDOT.  These roads will be closed beginning Monday, December 18, 2017 and will […]

Annual job growth for York County nearly tripled the national average in the summer of 2017, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

York County had the fourth-highest percentage increase of employment of the country’s 346 largest counties in this year’s second quarter. The national job growth rate was 1.7 percent.

Employment rose 4.8 percent in […]

The area along Lancaster Highway outside of the Town of Richburg, popularly termed the “Gateway district” has seen great growth in the past few years, with the coming of Giti Tire and Carolina Poly, the expansion of SunFiber, the groundbreaking for a new Holiday Inn Express and the announcement of a 800-plus housing development, to […]

A growing company is always a busy one but even more so during its peak season and that’s why the Belk Fulfillment Center hired more than 600 new workers over the past month and is looking to hire 800 more.Belk is a department store chain founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, North […]

Kershaw Second Baptist Church will have a community-wide Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 24, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the sanctuary of the church for question and answer session from the surrounding community.

The purpose of this Town Hall Meeting is to discuss the clean up of “Old Springs Mill” site on North […]

The story of the success of Standard Textile is the story of the company’s commitment to creating jobs for those who want to work, a commitment that dates back to the company’s founder, a refugee from Nazi Germany who wanted to work and started his own business in order to do so.On Thursday, during a […]

“1725” has turned into $28 million for Chester County.

Four months after Chester County Council authorized County Economic Development Director Karlisa Dean to proceed with negotiations on “Project 1725” the company behind the code name was revealed on Tuesday when Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI) and GE Aviation announced they had selected the property adjacent to ATI’s […]

Check out this wind test from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety in Chester County, SC to see how a typical US house would hold up to winds over 100 mph.  Click here to see video.

Reported from CNN News

Eight abandoned houses on Lancaster’s Starnes Street have been torn down through a state program aimed at eliminating community blight.
And no one is happier to see it than Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile. Starnes Street is off the east end of Brooklyn Avenue.
“That specific area has been a haven for all types of serious criminal […]

SCDOT is seeking public comment on the Proposed 2018 Non-National Highway System (NHS) Primary and Federal Aid Secondary Pavement Improvement Programs.

Click here to view the news release.  SCDOT is receiving comments until October 17, 2017.   To review click here.

Additionally, SCDOT is seeking public comment on the Proposed 2018 Statewide Pavement Improvement Program for Roadways Located […]

A manufacturing company based in the United Kingdom will launch its first U.S. operations in Lancaster County.

The new development by Don Construction Products is projected to bring about $6.2 million in capital investment and create 21 new jobs, according to the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.

The company has helped serve the construction industry for more […]

The state has lured another overseas manufacturer and this one is coming to an under-development industrial park in Lancaster County.
Gov. Henry McMaster announced late Thursday that Don Construction Products (DCP) is launching its first U.S. manufacturing plant at KCH Industrial Park on Kershaw Camden Highway.
The initial project, which is expected to create 21 jobs, is […]

Economic growth and industrial expansion often go hand in hand and Union County Council is doing its part to help facilitate that growth by approving two ordinances supporting such expansions.

Property Transfer

Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve first reading of an ordinance “authorizing the sale and conveyance” of property owned by Union County to KG Plus, […]

York County Road Closure News Release: click here to view news release and get detour information.

In its first full year as a county department, Lancaster County’s Economic Development team delivered a banner year of growth. Under the leadership of Jamie Gilbert, the county created 2,843 new jobs, the most ever in a 12-month period.
Since Gilbert was hired in July 2016, the LCED brought nearly 3,000 jobs to the county – […]

Oregon-based Roseburg Forest Products plans to create a $200 million wood products plant off Highway 9 in Chester County.

Plant officials say the proposed 206-acre facility, which would make wood products for home and commercial buildings, will bring more than 145 jobs to the area.

Chester County economic development officials say they worked with Roseburg for months to induce […]

Of all the new amenities and expanded access planned for the Catawba River and its lakes, trails and parks, an additional restroom is among the conveniences people are most excited about.
“It’s not glamorous, but our plans for new restrooms at the Buster Boyd access area have been very well-received,” said John Crutchfield, Duke Energy’s director […]

As of Monday (July 3rd), the Catawba-Wateree will return to a Low Inflow Protocol (LIP) Stage 0.  This means the C-W will return to the normal operations of minimum flows, recreation flows, and lake level  operating ranges.  Duke Energy will also begin operating according to the attached recreation flow schedule.  This schedule will be updated […]

Kershaw’s industrial park likely will get its first tenant, after the town council voted unanimously Wednesday to allow a solar-panel farm to be built on 18 acres in Kershaw Commerce Park.
Cypress Creek Renewables (CCR), a national provider of local solar farms, approached the town June 9 asking for a minimum of 18 acres to be […]

A $159,725 state infrastructure grant will allow the City of Union to install a new water providing additional service to two industrial parks and help facilitate the ongoing expansion of a local manufacturing facility.

In a statement released Tuesday, the SC Department of Commerce announced that, in recognition of the fact that “upgrades to water and […]

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt sent a letter to governors today to inform them of EPA’s efforts related to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone promulgated in October 2015.  EPA is extending the deadline for promulgating initial area designations, by one year, for the 2015 ozone NAAQS.

“States have made […]

November’s likely $277.92 million Pennies 4 roads referendum in York County now has what communities worked more than a year toward — a list of roads to improve.

Here’s what’s on it:

▪ $167.92 million for intersection, widening and new road improvement projects

▪ $60 million for five projects carried over from the 2011 Pennies campaign

▪ $50 million for more than […]

If there’s a safer place to be in South Carolina than northeastern York County, one national trade organization hasn’t found it.

The National Council for Home Safety and Security released its list of the top 50 safest cities on May 8. Tega Cay topped the list. Fort Mill was second.

“We’re always excited to be recognized, but […]

As part of the 26th annual Industry Appreciation series, the S.C. Department of Commerce recognized its 2017 Industry Impact Award recipients during an event on Thursday, May 11 at The Hall at Senate’s End in Columbia, S.C. Honoring businesses that have made significant contributions to their communities and state, the recipients were selected within a […]

Gestamp is expanding and will invest $129 million in that expansion and create 130 new jobs as a result.

In a statement released Tuesday, the SC Department of Commerce announced that Gestamp, which it describes as “an international manufacturer of metal automotive components, is expanding its existing facility in Union County in an effort to meet […]

Lash Group may grow to a total of 2,500 employees as fills a second building […]

A saddle tank on the tractor-trailer truck gushed several steady streams of colored fuel. Against the tire, the injured patient, his eyes splashed with diesel fuel, lay at an awkward angle. A second fuel line poured more fuel into a nearby storm drain, ultimately ending up in a small nearby creek. Similar scenes to this […]

The shuttered and gated old U.S. Textiles building has been on the market less than a month, but it’s already drawing interest.
“We’ve shown the building twice to one company we’ve been working with for several months,” said Jamie Gilbert, director of the Lancaster County Economic Development Department.
The 150,000-square-foot building is on a 10-acre tract near […]

Movement Mortgage will create 700 more jobs at its Indian Land headquarters over the next five years, doubling the size of its operation on S.C. 160, Gov. Nikki Haley’s office announced Tuesday.
The $18 million investment includes the construction of an additional 91,000-square-foot building at Bailes Ridge Corporate Park. Hiring will begin in the first quarter […]

The Rock Hill Economic Development Corporation announced Tuesday that it has received a letter of intent for the second speculative building at Waterford Business Park. The sales price is currently listed at $2.175 million. The company is an electronic manufacturing services firm, and will be looking to hire 66 new employees.

By David Thackham, Staff Reporter […]

Elected officials from the region, including Chester County Supervisor Shane Stuart, got a chance to brief interested listeners about their goals for 2017 during the recent Catawba Regional Council of Governments (COG) Elected Officials Forum, held at the Gateway Conference Center.

After economic and budget presentations by Matthew Martin, a senior vice president of the Charlotte […]

As they were hundreds of times over the last 40-plus years, Chester County’s radio airways were filled with the name and persona of Carlisle Roddey on Wednesday.

Roddey, who passed away on Monday, spent 32 years essentially running Chester as the county supervisor, but he also spent 47 years as the radio voice of the Chester […]

A long and mutually beneficial relationship that began a decade ago is about get even longer and even more mutually beneficial for Union County and the entity known as “Project Wolverine.”

The agenda for Tuesday’s Union County Council meeting includes first reading of an ordinance amending a fee in lieu of taxes agreement and providing an […]

The relocation of CompuCom Systems’ Texas headquarters and 1,500 jobs to Indian Land is yet another sign of the Panhandle’s remarkable economic pull.
But for some residents, that growth comes with growing pains.
“The first thing that comes to mind is thank goodness for the jobs. We all need a job,” said Gary Holland, Indian Land community […]