Duke Energy program a win for economic growth in South Carolina

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  • Five S.C. properties selected for Duke Energy’s 2016 Site Readiness Program

  • In 2015, Duke Energy helped recruit more than $1.2 billion in capital investment and more than 3,200 new jobs to South Carolina

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Duke Energy has selected five South Carolina properties for participation in this year’s Site Readiness Program to prepare the properties for industrial development.

The locations include:

  • The Spratt Property in York County is a 613-acre site near I-77 in the Fort Mill area. With ample power nearby, this land is ideally suited to manufacturing, large distribution facilities and possibly data centers.
  • The Crescent Site in Cherokee County is a 105-acre property with desirable frontage along I-85 near Gaffney. This is Cherokee County’s first site in this program, and the property has outstanding industrial development potential.
  • The 450-acre property known as Innovation Park in Laurens County is ideally situated at the intersection of I-385 and U.S. 221 with ideal access to infrastructure.
  • The proposed Hartsville Industrial Park in Darlington County is a 194-acre site on U.S. 15 (South Marquis Highway). The city of Hartsville is planning for industrial development at this site that can take advantage of the adjacent rail line.
  • The Plaxco Site in southern Greenville County is a 95-acre parcel strategically located in an industrialized area close to I-385. This site has significant infrastructure available and is ideally suited for manufacturing or distribution projects.

Duke Energy’s award-winning Site Readiness Program identifies high-quality industrial sites in the company’s service areas. The company then collaborates with county leaders and local economic development professionals to develop a strategy for providing water, sewer, natural gas and electricity to the sites.

Once the property is prepared, Duke Energy’s business development team strategically markets each of them nationwide to companies looking to expand or relocate their operations.

Singapore-based Giti Tire is an example of an economic development win for the state. With construction underway and the plant opening expected later in 2016, optimism runs high in Chester County with new jobs and economic activity coming to the community.

“The Site Readiness Program has certainly been a success for us and the counties we serve,” said Steve West, Duke Energy’s director of economic development. “So far, we’ve won 20 major projects on those properties. Giti alone represents 1,700 jobs and more than $500 million of that investment.

“This program is a cornerstone of our efforts to increase the awareness of high-quality industrial sites across the Carolinas,” West said.

“Every community struggles to identify and maintain an adequate inventory of attractive sites for new and expanding industries,” said J. Mark Farris, president and CEO of the Greenville Area Development Corporation. “Duke Energy’s program provides us with an opportunity to pre-qualify parcels that we feel have potential for future development. Prospective companies look to remove risk from site selection and the Site Readiness Program gives us critical feedback to help them in this process.”

Duke Energy works with McCallum Sweeney Consulting, a nationally known consulting firm based in Greenville, to conduct site studies. McCallum Sweeney has been instrumental in many high-profile automotive and industrial relocations and expansions.

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.” 

In 2015, Duke Energy helped recruit more than $1.2 billion in capital investment and more than 3,200 new jobs to South Carolina. Since 2005, a dedicated team of experts recruited customers with capital investment of approximately $12 billion. Those efforts produced more than 33,000 associated jobs for the state.

So what’s the secret to a winning record when it comes to growing the economy?

“Economic development is a team sport – we work with many groups and companies in different capacities throughout the economic development process,” said Stu Heishman, Duke Energy’s vice president of economic development. “We get the results we do by providing dependable, affordable energy to the industries, businesses and residential customers we serve in the Palmetto State.”

For more information about Duke Energy’s economic development programs, visit considerthecarolinas.com.

About Duke Energy

Duke Energy is one of the largest electric power holding companies in the United States. Its regulated utility operations serve approximately 7.4 million electric customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest, representing a population of approximately 24 million people. Its Commercial Portfolio and International business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing portfolio of renewable energy assets in the United States.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a S&P 100 Stock Index company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com

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