COLUMBIA – The Central South Carolina Alliance recently hosted 10 corporate site consultants from around the United States.

The third annual Palmetto Familiarization Tour was held Sept. 23-25 in Columbia. Representatives from the following companies were in attendance: Arledge Partners, Binswanger, Grant Thornton, CRESA Partners, Advantous Consulting, KPMG, Cornerstone International, Fluor, McCallum Sweeney, and Hart Corp.

Central SC Alliance Chairman Jim Apple said, “This is a great opportunity to bring in folks who may not know about the location advantages we have to offer companies searching for a new industrial site. Also, an equally powerful message that we wanted to convey is an attitude of cooperation and partnership that exists among our public and private sectors here in Central South Carolina.”

The S.C. Department of Commerce was instrumental in supporting the Central SC Alliance with the tour. The group of site consultants met with South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Joe Taylor along with several key staffers. Further, Dr. Barry Russell, president of the S.C. State Technical College System, briefed the consultants on Ready SC, South Carolina’s premier work force training program.

Some of the other highlights from the tour included a reception at the home of Dr. Harris Pastides, president of the University of South Carolina; a plant tour of the new Starbucks Coffee Roasting Plant in Calhoun County; a luncheon and cooking demonstration on how to prepare shrimp and grits, followed by a tour of the Palmetto Center on Main Street Columbia, and a USC Gamecock football tailgate and game.

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