ISSUE: Orangeburg County development

OUR VIEW: All signs point to major growth in Global Logistics Triangle

Whether an "inland port" at U.S. 301 and Interstate 95 becomes reality, the stage is set for Orangeburg County to become a key player in industrial development focused on transportation and access to seaports.

In today's T&D special section observing Industry Appreciation Week in South Carolina, Orangeburg County Development Commission Executive Director Gregg Robinson reiterates the relevance of the Global Logistics Triangle.

"We are not naming it the Global Logistics Triangle in the hopes that it does not get attention," he said. "Orangeburg County is a wonderful opportunity for any company. We are now reaching international levels as far as our ability to recruit quality folks."

The county already is home to nine international companies with more than $700 million in capital investment and more than 4,000 jobs.

The scope of development could change rapidly if Jafza International, a subsidiary of Dubai World, a holding company wholly owned by the Dubai government, selects Orangeburg County and the GLT, located in the east around the I-95 and Interstate 26 routes, for a $600-700 million logistics, manufacturing and distribution center.

As noted by the online Charleston Business Journal in breaking the Jafza story: "If the plan comes to fruition, Jafza International could literally transform the largely rural community into a substantial trade-based economy through the creation of 8,000 to 10,000 jobs over the next decade."

Estimates of additional investment from companies locating on the site go as high as $1.2 billion.

While such a development -- initially proposed by the firm Carolinks, with prospects remaining uncertain -- has encountered opposition in the retirement community of Santee, growth in the GLT is inevitable. Beyond the Santee site being eyed by Jafza and Carolinks, there is the I-95/I-26 interchange that has the focus of 6th District Congressman James Clyburn. It has been called the county's gem, with proposals including development in conjunction with neighboring Dorchester County.

Just this past week, S.C. Secretary of Transportation H.B. Limehouse Jr. announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has approved an application made by a coalition of five states from Virginia to Florida to designate I-95 in these states as a "Corridor of the Future." The "Corridors of the Future" program is administered by USDOT and the Federal Highway Administration.

The intent of the program is to encourage states to work together across state lines and to work with the private sector in a coordinated effort to attract investment in transportation corridors such as I-95 that are in need of funding to maintain them and reduce congestion.

The designation means money for improvements along Interstate 95 and an open door to development.

"The importance of this designation is that it gives these corridors a higher profile in seeking federal dollars and investment in I-95 projects from the private sector," Limehouse said. "There's no question that I-95 serves the Southeast and the entire East Coast as a major transportation artery. I-95 is an economic link that serves our state and the nation as a whole. South Carolina and the other states in this coalition have received a boost in seeking the funds we need to preserve and maintain this interstate."

Development of the type proposed by Jafza will necessitate major attention to interstate expansion and maintenance. The federal government through its designation sees I-95 as a priority. It's yet another positive signal that Orangeburg County's development strategy focusing on the Global Logistics Triangle is a winner.

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