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| Economic Development |
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Economic Development is an issue that is vital to our community. Many people do not realize the importance of Economic Development until we have a business close its doors or downsize drastically. We saw this just a month ago when Wellman announced they were going to be ending their fiber operations. Consequently, there are now 360 people that are mainly living in my District Two that will be unemployed. This is why Ken tries to be as involved as possible with Economic Development. He wants to ensure he is doing his part in locating as many new jobs in Florence County as possible.
According to Pollina Corporate Real Estate, South Carolina ranks number one in the Top Ten Pro-Business States in 2006. With recognition like that, it is imperitive that we continue with our quest to lead new industry to the area.
Santee Cooper
Santee Cooper may begin construction on a new power plant as early as March 2007. The power plant will be located in District Two around the Kingsburg area. This 1 billion, 600-megawatt coal fired facility will bring as many as 1,500 jobs during construction. It is estimated to become fully operational in January 2012, and then it will bring 100 full time jobs to the area. The salary ranges for these postition are $50,000 per year.
QVC
Florence County was chosen over a number of sites in as many as five states. This global retailer broke gound on January 18, 2006. The 1,400,000 square foot distribution center will bring 400 full time, 200 part time, and 200 seasonal jobs to our area. It is located on TV road, just north of the city of Florence on a 267 acre site. The estimated completion date is April of 2007.
Fed Ex
Fed Ex Ground is planning to invest 12 million in a distribution center that is located in the Pee Dee Touchstone Energy Commerce City. They will employ appoximately 75 employees. The official ground breaking ceremony took place on July 8, 2006.
Johnson Controls
Johnson Controls is locating their 35 million dollar distribution facility in Florence County at the Pee Dee Touchstone Energy Commerce City. Their 303,000 square foot facility will provide approximately 200 new jobs to the area. Johnson Controls specialize in assembling and distributing batteries to the automotive market. Johnson Controls is an international company with over 1,000 locations and 136,000 employees. Fortune magazine has ranked them at number 71 for the top US corporations. Operations are scheduled to begin in the spring of 2007. |
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