Located in the northwest region of the state and part of what is known as the Upstate of South Carolina, Anderson County is tucked away in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and ideally situated along Interstate 85 halfway between Atlanta and Charlotte. For a large enterprise or a startup looking to locate and successfully grow a business, Anderson County provides ample industry knowledge and financial resources through the Development Corporation of Anderson County (DCAC), an experienced organization helping to make the area a great place to live, work, and develop.
The DCAC team strives to help companies locate commercial land or buildings, connect them with Anderson County business and community leaders, and advise businesses on the Anderson County market and its many prospects.
Embracing a mission statement to support economic growth, job creation, improved quality of life, education, and workforce development throughout the county, the DCAC aims to increase capital investment, sustained job development, and diversity in the county by creating a robust, distinct, and enduring economy, drawing in key Tier 1 and 2 operators, expanding the employment and tax base of the county, offering training to every segment of the workforce, improving training to accommodate all job creators’ needs, and maintaining and improving parks, sports facilities, and lifestyle amenities.
Along with offering business incentives for industries looking to expand or relocate to the area, other DCAC projects include organizing events and meetings with county business leaders, persuading potential employees to seek work within Anderson County, engaging in workforce development and training initiatives such as student apprenticeship programs, and handling possible labor issues, such as moving workers from rural to urban locations.
The Anderson County Manufacturing Alliance also offers numerous benefits; it acts as a communication bridge connecting local manufacturing companies with other industries; offers a professional network to connect with other industries and share common interests and concerns; brings a unified voice to resolve any issues that may arise within or between entities and industries; and provides access to shared educational opportunities and technological resources. The Alliance also offers resource sharing and collaborative support options; quarterly meetings featuring engaging topics and valuable information; a chance for industry professionals, educators, and community members to address current and future workforce development needs, including skill-building and career awareness promotion throughout the county; and networking and communication channels between education and industry partners.
The Manufacturing Alliance welcomes all businesses, workforce development organizations, and education institutions throughout Anderson County, with a core mission to help the area flourish by attracting new industries and supporting the growth of existing ones within the community. The organization is committed to supporting business and industry growth through a range of economic incentives, creating customized incentive packages for both new and established businesses while taking into account factors like investment size, the quality and quantity of jobs being created, and competitive hourly wage rates.
And, as they say, location is often the key to success. “Anderson County sits directly between Charlotte and Atlanta on the I-85 corridor, with I-85 cutting through the heart of Anderson County and providing 40 miles of interstate frontage,” says Cameron Ford, Senior Project Manager of Commercial Development and Recruitment. “It’s also accessible by more than 10 interchanges, making interstate access easy from anywhere in the county.”
This frontage also provides plenty of greenfield sites for a manufacturer looking for both I-85 frontage and access, Ford adds.
“We also have a 150-plus-acre county-owned industrial park at Anderson Regional Airport, and a recent grant award has allowed us to open access into the park and begin construction on two pad-ready sites of 100,000 square feet and 77,000 square feet, pads that should see substantial completion by spring 2027,” he shares. Additionally, the Anderson Airport Business Park has heavy and redundant utilities that can meet the utility demands of almost any project.
In order to help the county thrive and grow as a whole, its workforce services and strategic partnerships provide a number of services, resources, and partnerships to support employers in attracting, developing, and retaining a talented workforce.
“Our most valuable role in workforce development is being the connecting piece between employers and our local training organizations,” says Kelly Parnell, Assistant Director of Economic Development. “Whether that is by hosting the HR One Stop, which introduces new manufacturers to these organizations, or through grant programs that provide stipends for high school students exploring career paths, we strive to provide the opportunities to let our partners show the impactful services they can provide to employers.”
The county’s corporate and manufacturing opportunities include access to available sites, services, and opportunities for companies seeking to establish or expand corporate headquarters or manufacturing facilities.
“The northeast corner of the county is probably our strongest location for the next corporate headquarters,” says Parnell. “There are close to 15,000 professionals living in that area who commute to corporate roles in Greenville and Spartanburg. We believe that the area is destined to land a corporate or regional HQ in the near future.”
For businesses looking to locate or grow, Anderson County’s streamlined permitting and business incentives embody the county’s ability to expedite permitting processes and offer strategic incentives to support both new businesses and existing businesses. “Similar to the HR One Stop, we provide a Construction One Stop,” Parnell explains. “Here the project team—the company, architects, general contractor, engineers, et cetera—present the project to utility and permitting reps.” The utility and permitting reps can then introduce themselves and provide a brief assessment of any issues the construction team may run into prior to submitting documents.
“This allows the project team to proceed on design with a clearer understanding of possible hurdles and areas of emphasis during the project,” she says. “They leave the meeting with the contact information of the utility and permitting reps and have a direct line to them throughout the design and build.”
Certainly, the county has experienced its fair share of successes lately in a variety of areas, but growth can bring with it some unique challenges. “We do not want to be victims of our own success, but like any place that has grown dramatically like Anderson, we have experienced growing pains,” Ford says. “These can be felt in places like the demands on our infrastructure as well as by people in the community who are unsure of all the changes occurring. However, we have taken steps to allay these fears by working to ensure the companies we recruit are always a greater value-add than not.”
Parnell adds, “To illustrate this, the companies that the county has incentivized have invested more than a billion dollars over their contractual obligations as well as created more than a thousand jobs over their obligation.” In fact, a new Land Use Development Ordinance is expected to be passed in the coming months that will further incentivize development in line with the character of the community.
“In 2009, the average wage of Anderson County sat below the poverty level,” says Ford. “Now that average sits healthily above that mark, and we have seen that metric grow at a rate higher than inflation over the past five years.”
Aside from its business development opportunities, there are plenty of other activities taking place in and around the area that are sure to keep residents and visitors entertained in every season. “Anderson County’s Civic Center has undergone a $12.5 million improvement at the amphitheater aimed at improving concert programming,” Parnell says. These improvements consist of a more intimate setting with a permanent seating area, a closer stage, and a VIP section, as well as increased amenities for performers. For this project, Anderson County has partnered with top promoter Peachtree Entertainment to promote the venue.
Anderson County is home to eight municipalities, each with their own history and culture and all holding their own events and festivals throughout the year. These communities are packed with amazing natural attractions and entertainment options, from fascinating historic landmarks and museums to lively local venues. These include live performances and events at the Anderson Civic Center, the excitement of the Anderson Motor Speedway, the Anderson University Rainey Fine Arts Center, the Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium (GAMAC), Electric City Playhouse, and the Market Theatre for entertainment, as well as the Anderson County Museum—which houses the archives for genealogical and local history research—and the Quilt Trail, started in 2010 with a single painted quilt square that has now grown to over 180 squares spanning three Upstate counties as well as multiple others throughout the state. There’s also the historic district of Pendleton, recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, with a downtown boasting more than 50 buildings that date back before 1850.
Other draws include shopping, dining, festivals, sports, amazing opportunities for boating, fishing, and tubing, and other outdoor adventures on an abundance of lakes, including Lake Hartwell, a 50,000-acre lake that attracts more than one million people on an annual basis. “Anderson County has over 35 boat ramps and access points, making the lake an easy recreational opportunity for everyone to enjoy,” says Ford.
As the county continues to grow and thrive in the years to come, Ford and Parnell both want the area to continue to not only provide ample entertainment but to embrace its business and development potential as well, drawing in new workers and exciting employment opportunities. “We would hope to continue our trend of growing the average wage in real terms and to fill out the Airport Business Park with quality, high-paying tenants that continue to diversify employment opportunities in the area,” says Ford.
Parnell agrees, adding, “We want to continue to develop innovative programs that connect our industries and our students for work-based learning opportunities.” Thus far, this has proven to be a winning formula for smart and sustainable success countywide.
