COMMUNITY OCCUPATIONAL REDEVELOPMENT, LLC.

Georgetown County Available Sites Georgetown County has three industrial parks with a fourth under development: The Airport Industrial Park More than 100 acres of property adjoins the Georgetown County Airport and offers ideal transportation access to land, air, port facilities, and also adjoins the Georgetown Campus of Horry-Georgetown Technical College. The park is served with water, sewer, electric, and natural gas, and has an on-site fire station, an emergency medical facility, tennis courts, softball fields and a recycling center. Andrews Industrial Park 60 acres near the town of Andrews in the western sector of the county and adjoins Andrews Airport. Water & sewer services are in place, along with a paved entrance road & site-specific amenities. Georgetown County Business Park This new 500 acre park is a class A industrial and business park served with all utilities. This park is located on US Highway 521 between the City of Georgetown and the Town of Andrews. Georgetown County Available Buildings Eagle Electric 167,000 Sq. Ft. Location: 2928 So. Fraser Street (US17), Georgetown, SC Certified Industrial Site Work has been completed on Georgetown County's first Level IV Certified Industrial Site located on a 264-acre tract known as the Bell-Ford Tract. Level IV, the highest level of certification, requires completion of a Preliminary Geo-technical Assessment and color aerial photographs in addition to preliminary wetland and environmental assessments, cultural resource and protected species investigations, utility and infrastructure identification, boundary and ownership verification and zoning and right-of-way information.

 

Georgetown County Profile

You can have it all: successful business in a casual setting. Georgetown County offers easy access to port and rail service, an available, trainable work force, tax advantages and economic incentives. The Georgetown County Commerce Center offers established infrastructure at three industrial parks.
We also provide an exceptional quality of life: the beach, natural beauty, historic appeal, culture, golf, a small town atmosphere with conveniences of larger cities and much more.
In Georgetown County you will find "an ocean of opportunity" for your business or industry.

 

Georgetown: (Founded in 1729) Population: 55,797 Growth Projection: Population is projected to increase by an additional 11% by 2010, and an additional 25% between 2000 and 2025. Civilian Labor Force: 26,130 Area of County: 814 Square Miles Located half way between New York and Miami Average annual Temperature: 64.8 degrees

Mission Statement:
Our mission is to develop and encourage job creation and investment in Georgetown County. By promoting a positive business climate, marketing Georgetown County and developing growth opportunities for new and existing industries, the resulting economic vitality and diversity will help to secure a higher quality of life for all Georgetown County residents.

Accomplishments
The Georgetown County Economic Development Commission has implemented the following programs to fulfill our mission: a "Class A" industrial park has been developed with covenants and restrictions guiding the project to protect property values of future tenants. A speculative building has been built and is ready for occupancy in this new park, an existing industry program is in place to help our local industries expand and/or address any problems that might arise, a program to monitor infrastructure to insure adequate capacities for future growth is ongoing, a "one-stop shop" has been established to simplify business development in Georgetown County. Last but not least, we are working with the educational system and industry to better coordinate workforce development.

Palmetto Partnership Award
In March 2001, Governor Jim Hodges presented Georgetown County with the Palmetto Partnership Award for serving as a model for the state in fostering economic development in rural communities. Since February 1999, the Georgetown County Economic Development Commission, the Georgetown County Economic Alliance, and Georgetown County Economic Development department joined forces to jointly:

• Develop plans for a 500-acre industrial park and a 40,000 square foot industrial building near Andrews.
  
• Develop a new marketing plan for county economic development.
  
• Foster a better county workforce.
  
• Increase private funding to enhance the economic development efforts in the county.
  
•  

 Charles Way, Secretary of Commerce
 Tommy Edwards, Georgetown County Administrator
 Governor:  Mark Sanford
 Allen Burns, Director of Economic Development
 Sel Hemmingway, Chairman of Georgetown County Council
Jeff Kinard, Chairman of Georgetown County Economic Development Commission
George Geer, Chairman of Georgetown County Economic Alliance
Jack Hutchison, Economic Development Coordinator

BUSINESS CLIMATE

Location
Georgetown County is located in northeastern South Carolina on the Atlantic Ocean, between Myrtle Beach and Charleston and surrounded by Berkley, Charleston, Marion, Horry and Williamsburg Counties. It offers a superior location for business. This is due to the county and states' exceptional economic climate that successfully holds down operating costs and increases the return on investment for business.
 Highways

• U.S. 17 runs north to Myrtle Beach and south to Charleston.
  
• U.S. 701 runs north to North Carolina from Georgetown
  
• U.S. 17A south to I 26 and I 95
  

U.S. 521 west to I 95, Sumter and Columbia
 Distances

• Atlanta, GA: 320 miles
  
• Charleston, SC: 60 miles
  
• Charlotte, NC: 190 miles
  
• Columbia, SC: 120 miles
  

Myrtle Beach, SC: 35 miles
 Incentives
Taxes
South Carolina ranks 6th nationally in the lowest per capita tax burden and third lowest in workers compensation insurance rates. The state's corporate income tax rate is the lowest in the Southeast at a modest 5 percent.
South Carolina and Georgetown County have NO taxes on intangibles, inventory, value added or wholesale goods. South Carolina DOES NOT impose a unitary tax on worldwide products. There is no state property tax and no local property or sales tax on pollution-control equipment, and no sales tax on manufacturing production equipment, repairs, parts, industrial fuels or materials that become part of a manufactured product.
Tax Credits
Job tax credit of $4,500 per job per year for 5 years on any new job created. It takes a minimum of 10 new created jobs to qualify. Job Development Credits (JDC) are available to companies that invest in Georgetown County. Qualifying companies may use part of gross employee wages for the purchase and improvement of real property, infrastructure, pollution-control equipment and employee training through the JDC. This does not financially impact employees. Fee in Lieu of Tax is available in Georgetown County to all companies that make an investment in plant and/or equipment in excess of $5,000,000. Other tax incentives are available depending on the circumstances and nature of the project.
Center for Accelerated Training
South Carolina's Center for Accelerated Training provides one of the state's most powerful economic development incentives. It provides companies moving to, or expanding in South Carolina with well trained and highly motivated employees. This is accomplished through recruiting, screening and training employees at no cost to the company.
Population and Growth Projections
 Population

• Total: 55,797
  
• White: 33,307
  
• Black: 21,541
  
• Amer. Indian: 77
  

• Asian: 130
• Hispanic: 919

Georgetown County has three incorporated municipalities

• City of Georgetown, Population: 8,950
  
• Town of Andrews, Population: 3,068
  

Town of Pawleys Island, Population: 138
Population/Growth
The population of Georgetown County reached 55,797 in 2000 according to the U.S. Department of the Census. The population of the County increased by 9.5% between 1980 and 1990, and 20.5% between 1990 and 2000. Current projections by the Waccamaw Regional Planning Council anticipate that the County of Georgetown will increase its population an additional 11% by the year 2010. From 2000 to 2025 it is expected to increase an additional 25%.
LABOR FORCE
Labor Market:
Civilian Labor Force: 26,130
Average Employment: 22,590
Average Unemployment rate: 10.8%
Hourly Earnings:
County Average: $10.20
South Carolina is a right to work state
Employment By Industry:
Agriculture: 786
Mining: 17
Manufacturing: 6,117
Transportation: 595
Wholesale Trade: 513
Retail Trade: 4,296
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate: 1,207
Service: 8,218
Public Administration: 804
Industrial Citizens
Some of the companies located in Georgetown county:
Agru/America, Inc., Coastal Wire Co. Inc., ISG., International Paper Co.- Pulp and Paper, Florian Greenhouses, Screen Tight, Southeastern Wire Fabricators, Inc., Pawleys Island Hammocks, Southeastern Fly Ash Company, A&L Apparel, Andrews Metal Works, Andrews Wire Products, Spiral Fittings, Amatec, Con-Serv, Low Country Forest Products, 3V Chemical, Inc.
Port Information
With open seas only 14 miles away, the Georgetown harbor has been at the center of international commerce for nearly two centuries. In the 1770s, it thrived on shipping indigo to European ports. By 1840, Georgetown was exporting more rice than any other seaport in the world. Today, the International Port of Georgetown handles more than 1.8 million tons of bulk cargo from Latin America, Europe and Asia every year. Charleston, just 60 miles south, is the second largest container port on the east coast and is easily accessible down U.S. 17. Forty steamship companies carry materials to 140 different countries around the world.
Motor-Freight Carriers
Number of carriers: 35
Delivery days to: Atlanta 1 · Chicago 3 · New York 3 · Dallas 3 · St. Louis 3 · Denver 4 · Los Angeles 5
Rail and Airport Information
Rail Service
Georgetown County is served by CSX Railroad, which offers direct rail access to the rest of the United States' extensive rail service.
Airports
Thirty minutes north of downtown Georgetown on U.S. Highway 17, the Myrtle Beach International Airport offers daily non-stop flights to New York, Chicago, Detroit and dozens of other cities.
Sixty miles to the south of Georgetown is the Charleston International Airport offering a full schedule of daily commercial flights, along with U.S. Customs services and protected Foreign Trade Zone areas.
Three miles south of Georgetown is the location of the Georgetown County airport. This airport boasts a 5,000 foot runway. Aviation fuels are available from the fixed base operator. The Andrews Airport in the western sector of the county gives private aircraft a non-congested avenue for takeoffs and landings.
 

RESOURCES

Education
The Georgetown County School District has lowered the pupil/teacher ratio to 15:1 in all first grades, 18:1 in all second grades, 19:1 in the middle schools, 18:1 in high schools greater than 700 students, 16:1 in high schools less than 700. These ratios allow for more individualized attention and provide a better learning environment at the various grade levels.
In addition to the public school system, there are three private schools. Pawleys Island Montessori Day School offers training from pre-kindergarten through 6th grade. Andrews Christian School covers kindergarten through 8th grade and Low Country Day School 1st grade through high school. A recent survey of high school graduates revealed that 65 percent of graduates enter college,12 percent begin technical college training and 23 percent enter the work force.
Colleges:
Coastal Carolina University: 4 year
Horry-Georgetown Technical College: 2 year
Webster University: MA and MBA
(Myrtle Beach)
Public Schools:
High Schools: 5
Middle Schools: 4
Elementary Schools: 9
Total Enrollment: 10,061
Pupil/Teacher ratio: 15:1
Higher Education and Specialized Training
Higher Education
The Georgetown campus of Horry-Georgetown Technical college, conveniently located adjacent to the Georgetown Airport Park, is the fastest growing campus in terms of new enrollment of any campus in the system. The college just completed a $1.5 million expansion program that doubled its facilities.
Horry-Georgetown Technical College offers 19 associate degree and 36 certificate programs. Coastal Carolina University offers Baccalaureate degree programs in 37 fields of study, in addition to their graduate programs. Master of Arts and MBA degree programs are available at Webster University in Myrtle Beach, 30 miles away.
The Center for Accelerated Technology Training
The Center for Accelerated Technology Training (CATT) focuses on the training needs of new and existing business and industry in South Carolina. Four technology specific training teams have been created: semiconductor technology, biotechnology, pharmaceutical technology and information technology. Other areas of focus include manufacturing technology and distribution technology.
The purpose of this effort is not only to be able to provide the highest quality of training but also to be able to reduce training program development, recruitment and implementation time for a manufacturer's facility startup or expansion.
Health Care Facilities
Georgetown Memorial Hospital in Georgetown is a 142 bed acute care medical facility offering a full complement of inpatient and outpatient services, including a level 3 trauma center, labor and delivery, diagnostic imaging, and oncology. The hospital is staffed by more than 80 physicians representing a wide range of specialty areas.
Waccamaw Community Hospital, which opened in November, 2002, has 54 inpatient beds as well as 29 beds in an acute physical rehabilitation center and a 24-hour emergency department. WCH also offers outpatient services, community programs and special events.
The newest member of the system is the Francis B. Ford Cancer Treatment Center located in the Yawkey Medical Park on Highway 701 in Georgetown. The facility, which opened in 2004, brings radiation therapy to Georgetown County for the first time. Medical oncology/chemotherapy is also available at the Center.
Other facilities owned by Georgetown Memorial Hospital include Georgetown Outpatient Therapy Center in Georgetown, which includes a pain therapy center, rehab services, and wound care services; HealthPoint Center for Health and Fitness, located in Pawleys Island, a comprehensive health and fitness facility staffed by fully trained and credentialed fitness professionals; Andrews Medical Center in Andrews, which offers family practice, specialty care, rehab services, and nutritional counseling; Waccamaw Medical Park, located in Murrells Inlet, offering physicians offices, pharmacy, diagnostics, and rehab services; and Waccamaw Same Day Surgery Center, located in Murrells Inlet.
Utilities
Electricity
Four major suppliers provide electrical service in Georgetown County. Santee Cooper, Santee Electric Cooperative, Progress Energy and the City of Georgetown all offer reliable supply-competitive rates well below the national average.
Natural Gas
SCE&G and the South Carolina Pipeline Corporation, both subsidiaries of SCANA Corporation, provide natural gas transmission and distribution services to wholesale and retail customers in Andrews and Georgetown.
Water and Sewer
Clean water supplies are abundant and a consolidated regional wastewater system is being expanded through the cooperative efforts of the county's three primary providers: the Georgetown County Water and Sewer District, the City of Georgetown and the Town of Andrews.
Telecommunications
Instant access throughout the world is available through communication services, including high-speed data transmission, digital voice systems, fiber optics, a local POP station and Internet access. All of this is available through Verizon, one of the largest investor-owned carriers, and the Horry Telephone Cooperative, Inc., the largest telephone co-op in the United States.
Financial Institutions
Banks in Georgetown County Assets (Dollars in Thousands)
Bank of America $642,191,000
The South Financial Group (Carolina First) $5,220,554
Conway National Bank $498,170
First Citizens Bancorporation (First Citizens Bank) $3,240,510
First Financial Holdings, Inc (First Federal of Charleston, Peoples Federal) $2,256,511
Synovus Financial Corp.(National Bank of South Carolina) $14,908,092
Sun Bank $25,000
Plantation Financial Corp. (Plantation Federal) $71,780
Citizens Bancshares Corporation (The Citizens Bank) $156,523
Wachovia $322,000,000
Roads, Air Service and Waterways
The County of Georgetown is connected to U.S. 521, the major northwest highway through the town of Andrews. In April 2001 $4.8 million was spent to acquire a right-of-way for the 521 bypass around the town of Andrews. Construction has begun on four miles of four-lane road that will take 36 months to complete at a cost of $30.4 million. Interstate-26 at Charleston and Interstate-95 at Manning are only an hour away.
Commercial air service to Georgetown County is through Myrtle Beach International Jetport. For those who use private planes, the county's non-commercial airport with a runway length of 5,000 feet is just south of the city, adjacent to the area's business and industrial park. The Town of Andrews also has a non-commercial airport that can accommodate recreational and small commercial aircraft.
Georgetown has always been a seaport town with some of the finest waterways in the world. For those who travel by boat, the Intracoastal Waterway cuts through the eastern side of the county and Winyah Bay offers a direct water link to the Atlantic Ocean and the world.
The Port of Georgetown
Georgetown is the oldest continuously open seaport on the eastern seaboard. It is known as a shallow-draft port, with a water level of 27 feet. This is a break-bulk port that imports salt, cement, wire, aluminum, forest products and limestone. The port also leases a berth to ISG, a major importer of raw materials.
The Port of Georgetown is the South Carolina State Ports Authority's dedicated break-bulk and bulk facility. It annually handles approximately 1.8 million tons of cargo.

LIFESTYLE

 

At the Center of it All

Georgetown County is a setting of stunning natural beauty and historical significance, with superb cultural and recreational amenities. And with Myrtle Beach and Charleston nearby, you're at the center of the Tidelands, with an outstanding business environment.

Airports, universities, world class shopping and golf, and an incomparable downtown historic district are all easily accessible to you and your family. And did we mention the weather is delightful? You can enjoy outdoor recreation four seasons of the year.

Georgetown is a city originally laid out in 1729 with over 50 historic sites. Add the great Winyah Bay, the Sampit, Black and Pee Dee Rivers, the rich Gullah influences, and unparalleled residential coastal living - they all combine to make this an unbeatable place to live and work.

You'll enjoy one-of-a-kind attractions like Hobcaw Barony and Brookgreen Gardens, excellent medical care facilities, gracious coastal and inland residential communities, and lively arts and cultural events held throughout the year. Events such as the music festival in Andrews (a top 20 event of the Southeast) and the Art Festival at Atalaya are just a few of the things that ensure your recreational calendar will always be full.

Quality of Life

 Climate:

• Average annual temperature: 64.8
• Average annual ocean temperature: 67
• Average annual rainfall: 51.6 inches

Location:

• Located half way between New York and Miami.

Myrtle Beach is 35 miles north and historical Charleston is 60 miles

• Average annual rainfall: 51.6 inches

Location:

• Located half way between New York and Miami.
• Myrtle Beach is 35 miles north and historical Charleston is 60 miles south.

Community Resources:

Medical Care:

• Georgetown Memorial Hospital (142 Beds).

Satellite Clinics:

• Waccamaw Neck Medical Center.
• Andrews Medical Center.
• Cancer Center (Francis B. Ford)

Religious Institutions:

Nearly 100 churches and synagogues (all denominations).

Cultural:

• Three public museums.
• Three public libraries.
• More than 50 antebellum houses, buildings and sites, (Including some listed on the National Register of Historical Places).
• Five restored Rice Plantations.
• Brookgreen Gardens, (World's largest collection of outdoor sculpture).
• Georgetown Historical district.
• Murrells Inlet Historical district.

Recreation:

• 35 miles of beaches.
• 5 rivers.
• 13 marinas and boat landings.
• 5 public parks.

17 golf courses, with 100 others nearby.

Golf

Great names in golf, like Pete Dye, Tom Fazio and Jack Nicklaus have left their mark on many of the public and private courses in Georgetown County. Many of these championship courses are built on historic rice plantations, giving each its own distinguished character and natural beauty. Playing golf in the Georgetown area is a rare treat. Deep swamps and centuries-old live oaks line fairways, and attentive water birds monitor the water hazards fashioned from old reserve ponds that were originally used to flood the rice fields. Playing privileges on some of the restricted-access courses are included in local resort packages. Many of the communities have their own course and and of course there are courses close by no matter where you live or work.

Tourism

Each year, thousands of visitors are attracted to the charm and diversity of Georgetown. From white-sand beaches, championship golf and nature-based activities to history and culture to world-class dining and shopping, Georgetown County has it all. We invite you to schedule a visit, to learn more about the lifestyle and the business environment of our County. And take in the sights while you're here!

Low Country Adventure

Georgetown was recently featured in National Geographic Adventure Magazine as one of the "Ten U.S. Adrenaline Outposts" for it's great fishing, boating and outdoor recreational opportunities. The magazine states " Historic Georgetown lies where four rivers - the Waccamaw, Black, Pee Dee, and Sampit - converge on the Intracoastal Waterway. That's a lot of water to play in, particularly when you include the swamps at the mouth of the Santee, a few miles southwest, and the sheltered bays between the coast and a string of barrier islands forested with live oak and red cedar." For more information on National Geographic's review, access their web site here.

History

Georgetown, the state's third oldest city, was declared a royal province by England's Prince George (who later became King George II.) First occupied by the Spanish in the early 1500's, English planters and merchants settled in what is now Georgetown's Historic District, a five-by-seven block area now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Indigo and rice were the primary crops grown in the region, and by the mid-1800's Georgetown supplied more than half of the rice grown in the United States. Timber was also an important industry, and relied on the railroad running between Andrews and Georgetown. Georgetown has been a port city since 1732, and is the oldest continuously open seaport on the Eastern Seaboard.

The resort areas of the Waccamaw Neck surround former plantation lands that retain much of their original character. The barrier island of Pawleys Island is one of the oldest beach resorts in the country, and is known for its charm and preserved historic buildings. With the neighboring towns of Litchfield and Murrells Inlet, residents and visitors alike enjoy a gracious lifestyle.

The quality of life and economic opportunities in Georgetown County continue to draw many new residents and businesses to the area. It's the best of "business casual"- the resources to power business growth, yet with a comfortable relaxed lifestyle.

• The Arts Exchange: 527-2822
• Georgetown Art Gallery: 527-7711
• Kaminski House Museum: 545-4060
• Rice Museum: 546-7423
• Old Town Hall Museum (Andrews): 264-3471
• Brookgreen Gardens: 235-6000
• Huntington Beach State Park: 237-4440
• Hampton Plantation State Park: 527-4995
• Georgetown county Recreation and Leisure Dept: 545-3323

·        Cultural Arts Council: 527-2822

A few highlights from the Cultural Arts Calendar : Annual Harborwalk Art Show, Made in the Shade Concert Series, Indigo Choral Society Annual Concert, Murrells Inlet Boat Parade, "Artists Under the Arcade" at Brookgreen Gardens, "Southern Nites" music and art by the riverside on Front Street, "Plantation Jubilee" at De Bordieu Colony, the Pawleys Island Pops Symphony Orchestra, Georgia and Sea Island Singers, Atalaya Arts & Crafts Festival, the Georgetown Watercolor Society Annual Art Show and the Coastal Chorale Christmas Concert.

Georgetown On Top 50 List

(Excerpted form an article in The Times, Georgetown, SC)

National Geographic (recently) named Georgetown County one of the nation's top 10 places for summer adventure. Now authors Gerald Sweitzer and Kathy Fields have selected Georgetown as one of their "50 Best Small Southern Towns." In their book by the same name, the authors say the selection process was based on criteria such as economic viability, cultural scene, recreational attractions, health care and adult educational opportunities. "These communities are not only charming and secure, but are also compatible with modern lifestyles," states a news release from Peachtree Publishers.