“Going Global, Acting Local, Coming to the Table – Vision 2020.”
The theme of Orangeburg County’s economic development summit will aim to reverse the age-old proverb that hindsight is 20/20 by focusing the county on its future and leaving the past without any regrets.
County economic development leaders and officials have touted the summit as what they hope to be a catalyst to put feet on the proverbial “sleeping giant” that is Orangeburg County.
The summit – the third held by the county since 1995 and its second in the past three years – is hosted by the Orangeburg County Development Commission and Orangeburg County Council.
The summit will be held at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Headlining the event is the much-anticipated unveiling of the Dubai-based Jafza International’s master plan. Steve Eames, executive vice president for operations of Jafza Americas Inc. and Jafza South Carolina LLC, will make the presentation.
Jafza, a subsidiary of Dubai World, first announced in September 2007 its intent to invest between $600 million and $700 million in Orangeburg County near Santee.
Plans call for a 1,300-acre logistics, manufacturing and distribution park that could mean about 6,000 direct jobs.
The master plan will include a 20-year market-demand analysis, an environmental impact study, a traffic impact study, a wetlands study and an endangered species study.
Jafza plans to begin the permitting process by year’s end and break ground in October 2009. The company hopes to have its first clients open for business in 2010.
The summit has received so much interest that OCDC Executive Director Gregg Robinson says tickets sold out two weeks ago. The interest has exceeded the banquet seating capacity of 550. There are at least 100 individuals on the waiting list. They will be invited to attend a 5:30 p.m. legislative reception.
Robinson said although the majority of the interest is from Orangeburg County, interest has also come from Charleston, Columbia and Florence. Some of the presenters are all the way from Washington, D.C.
“It is not a bad problem to have,” Robinson said, explaining, however, that Orangeburg does not have a facility large enough to accommodate everyone for the nature of the gathering.
Due to the large scope of interest, he said plans are to eventually have video of the summit at the OCDC Web site.
“I am very surprised,” Robinson said of the scope of interest, adding that having 6th District Congressman and House Majority Whip James Clyburn does not hurt one bit. “It (the summit) has always received a lot of attention but ... that is two home runs in one day.”
Robinson credits the excitement to the county’s place as an “emerging market.”
“It is being a part of a winning team,” Robinson said. “People like to be a part of the excitement and they want to learn how they can benefit professionally as well as personally. This is a project that has statewide significance.”
In addition to Jafza, the summit will have a number of global, national and local speakers, panel discussions and interactive sessions aimed to develop insights on the county’s challenges, solutions and opportunities.
The summit has 34 sponsors.
T&D Staff Writer Gene Zaleski can be reached by e-mail at gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5551.