The Georgetown County Economic Development Department has had its hands full lately, and a drive through the county’s industrial park in Andrews offers a good idea of what department staff has been up to. Companies are not just building structures at the park; they are laying the groundwork for economic prosperity.
Entering the industrial park, officially known as the Georgetown County Business Center, new construction is in progress everywhere you look. To the left, a sign in front of a partially constructed building proclaims the site is the future home of Spry. To the right, a similar sign says Craftmade Foods is building a facility on that site. Straight ahead and down the road, manufacturer Diatom is beginning construction.
On the park’s other side, Zilmet USA is taking their construction vertical. The shell of the company is now complete and they are starting work on the inside of the building.
That leaves the industrial park nearing full capacity. Santee Electric is gearing up to add another building to the landscape, aiming to offer more space for potential users. Construction will begin in late 2024 on a 100,000-square-foot building with expansion ability. Requests for information have been submitted by companies interested in considering that site for future development.
The department hopes it will also soon see ground moving at the Pennyroyal Industrial Park, where negotiations are currently under way with an undisclosed company known as “Project Current.”
Thomas & Hutton have been engaged to provide infrastructure updates to the property, including widening the Sampit channel to facilitate barge access for Project Current or other potential users. The work was made possible by a $1.3 million grant from the S.C. Department of Commerce.
Just down Highway 17, the Georgetown County Airport remains poised for expansion. The airport is in the works of welcoming a completed master plan and is being evaluated for potential improvements to ensure the plan outlines “the highest and best use of the aviation park.
Sherpa Air, a transportation company located on the airport property, is thriving and currently hiring. They are in the process of promoting aviation programs provided by Horry-Georgetown Technical College to attract future employees. With these efforts, an expansion for Sherpa is anticipated in late 2024 to mid-2025.
The county also continues work at the Georgetown Port, having recently cleared away several dilapidated buildings that were on the site.
All of the Voluntary Cleanup Contracts for Phase I of the environmental site assessment have been completed. Georgetown County is now engaging GEL Engineering to move forward with the second phase of the assessment.