-
Three properties are participating in the company’s 2017 Site Readiness Program
-
Program helped attract more than 2,600 jobs and $950 million in capital investment in the state since 2005
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Duke Energy has selected three South Carolina properties for participation in its 2017 Site Readiness Program to prepare them for business and industrial development. The sites were selected based on their potential to bring large businesses and industries to their respective areas.
The locations include:
- The Burlington site in Cherokee County near I-85 is rail-served with heavy transmission power available on site. With 528 buildable acres, it also holds a commanding view of Cherokee County just north of the Broad River.
“The Duke Energy Site Readiness Program has been a wonderful tool to help Cherokee County with our product development,” said Jim Cook, the executive director of the Cherokee County Development Board. “As a rural county, we struggle to identify potential sites, and our partnership with Duke Energy has enabled us to qualify viable sites in an ever-increasing competitive market. It also provides expert opinions about our infrastructure strengths and weaknesses to our county leadership so that they can make informed decisions for our county’s future.”
- The 245-acre Hodges Corporate Park in Greenwood County has frontage on U.S. Highway 25 and is surrounded by several large industrial tenants minutes away from downtown Greenwood. The property has all utilities adjacent and is ready to serve a heavy industrial user.
“The Greenwood Partnership Alliance and Greenwood County are laser-focused on product development, and the Duke Energy Site Readiness Program has proven to be a valuable tool for many years in helping us identify sites and assess where to spend resources,” said Heather Jones, CEO of the Greenwood Partnership Alliance. “We appreciate the partnership with Duke Energy on increasing our product offerings.”
- The Smith family property in Lancaster County is ideally situated minutes from I-77 with frontage at the intersection of S.C. Highway 9 and Riverside Road just northwest of Lancaster. At 358 developable acres, the property has good access to utility infrastructure, including rail and transmission-served power, which makes it well-suited to industrial development.
“Expanding and improving Lancaster County’s inventory of available industrial sites is our top priority,” said Jamie Gilbert, director of the Lancaster County Department of Economic Development. “There is nothing more frustrating or disappointing than not being able to accommodate the site location needs of a client that wants to invest and bring jobs to your community. The Site Readiness Program’s evaluation of this property has been tremendously helpful to our efforts to recruit industrial projects to Lancaster County.”
The Site Readiness Program has helped prepare properties that have won 14 major projects in South Carolina since the program started in 2005, resulting in more than 2,600 new jobs and over $950 million in capital investment.
“Economic development is a team sport – we work with many groups and companies in different capacities throughout the economic development process,” said Steve West, South Carolina economic development director for Duke Energy. “The Site Readiness Program has certainly been a success for us and the counties we serve, and is a cornerstone of our efforts to increase the awareness of high-quality industrial sites across the Carolinas.”
Through the program, Duke Energy identifies high-quality industrial sites and partners with county officials and local economic development professionals to develop a strategy for providing water, sewer, natural gas and electricity to the properties.
Ideal properties for Duke Energy’s Site Readiness Program are typically 75 acres or larger, served by the utility. Occasionally a large vacant industrial building may be evaluated to support renewed industrial growth and sustainable development in a community.
Site consulting firm McCallum Sweeney Consulting will evaluate the sites. Based on consultant recommendations, Duke Energy will collaborate with county leaders and local economic development professionals to develop an improved strategy for marketing these sites.
Additionally, each site is eligible to apply for a $10,000 matching grant from Duke Energy to help prepare it to attract projects.
After each site’s state of readiness has advanced, Duke Energy’s business development team strategically markets each of them nationwide to companies looking to expand or relocate their operations.
Duke Energy’s economic development efforts are perennially recognized by Site Selection Magazine in the publication’s annual list of “Top Utilities in Economic Development.” Through these efforts, Duke Energy helped recruit $512 million in capital investment in South Carolina and more than 1,900 jobs for the state in 2016.
For more information about Duke Energy’s economic development programs, visit considerthecarolinas.com.
About Duke Energy
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is one of the largest energy holding companies in the United States. Its Electric Utilities and Infrastructure business unit serves approximately 7.5 million customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest. The company’s Gas Utilities and Infrastructure business unit distributes natural gas to approximately 1.6 million customers in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Its Commercial Renewables business unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across the United States.
Duke Energy is a Fortune 125 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com.
The Duke Energy News Center serves as a multimedia resource for journalists and features news releases, helpful links, photos and videos. Hosted by Duke Energy, illumination is an online destination for stories about people, innovations, and community and environmental topics. It also offers glimpses into the past and insights into the future of energy.
Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Contact: Ryan Mosier
Office: 864.370.5036 | 24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_RyanMosier