BAMBERG - Representatives of the SouthernCarolina Alliance and several economic partners broke ground for a new speculative industrial building at the CrossRhodes Industrial Park near Bamberg on June 18.

The building is being constructed and marketed by the Alliance, a nonprofit regional economic development organization representing Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell and Hampton counties.

"The new industrial building will serve as a marketing tool to show industrial prospects interested in manufacturing, distribution or commercial opportunities in the region," Alliance Chairman Johnny Williamson said.

Kay Maxwell, marketing and special projects manager for the Alliance, said this is actually a good time to build in spite of the poor economy.

Although the economy is challenging right now and there has been some hesitancy among some organizations about investing in the U.S., Maxwell said, there are other organizations that are well funded and have the capital to invest.

"This is actually a good time to build," she said.

Even though unemployment is high in the area, the counties in the SouthernCarolina Alliance have the advantage of being located in the region of the Savannah River Site, and much of the population is employed either by the SRS or by businesses that are affected by it, Maxwell said. Stimulus funds for clean-up at the plant are helping to keep businesses open and people employed and that should be a drawing card for other industries interested in finding a new location, she said.

"The construction of the speculative building is exciting for Bamberg County because it provides a draw for locating an industry here," Williamson said. "The promotional building will help a prospective company save start-up time and cost, hopefully giving us an edge over some of the other locations the company may be considering."

According to Kell Anderson, SouthernCarolina Alliance project manager for Bamberg County, several industries have already expressed interest in the building.

"We have already talked with several existing industries and prospective industrial clients interested in the building," he said. "We have plans to bring another company in for a site visit in the coming weeks."

The site at CrossRhodes offers an additional incentive for prospective industries because of the multi-county status of the industrial park, Anderson said.

"Not only do the four counties in the Alliance benefit from the multi-county tax revenue sharing agreement, the company locating here will receive additional tax incentives for locating in a multi-county park," he said.

According to Anderson, the plan at this time is to build the facility and finish office spaces in the front of the building. A concrete floor will be poured in the back of the building, but the rest of the plans will be tailored to the special needs of the client, Anderson said.

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T&D Correspondent Dale Altman can be reached by e-mail at jerryanddale@lowcountry.com. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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