The voice and face of the Laurens County Airport, George “Sammy” Wham, was honored Friday for 26 years service to the facility’s commission with the dedication in his honor of the new terminal building.
Wham (picture center above), who retired from the commission in 2019, is retired from business, a member of the National Guard, and is a licensed pilot. He is “the most honest man I know,” said retired County Administrator Ernie Segars.
“Sometimes maddeningly honest. We would say, ‘can’t we do it this way?’ And Sammy would say, ‘no, it has to be done the right way.’”
The terminal is 3,000 sq ft, costing $2.6 Million. The county’s Capital Projects Sales Tax contributed $483,000. The South Carolina Aeronautics Commission matched that with another $483,000, and the balance will be retired through a Federal Aviation Administration grant. Through the years, state and federal money, which Wham and others worked tirelessly to identify and apply for, has contributed about $8 Million to development and enhancement of the Laurens County Airport.
“This is an amazing resource that many in our community don’t realize is in our community,” said Jeff Carroll, Laurens County Council chairman. Also, the airport proves that “Laurens County is open for business.”
Carroll, Segars, Skeets Cooper representing the SC Aeronautics Commission, and Andy Howard, who is the county staff’s liaison to the airport, spoke during a brief ceremony on the concrete tarmac. For pilots, that’s the entrance to the terminal. On the other side of the building, the public entrance, a ribbon-cutting and plaque unveiling were staged on a bright, sunny and cool afternoon.
The airport opened in 1963, and now has a 4051 ft runway that is 75 ft wide. “I would love to see that extended to just over 5000 ft,” Cooper said. “Over 5000 allows bigger corporate aircraft to come in. We have some people from Greenville here today, but we need to steal some of their business.”
Cooper said the airport has been important for the development of Gray Court’s massive ZF Transmissions plant, and local legend has it that Sam Walton landed here when he was scouting a location for the Walmart Distribution Center, a building of 1.5 Million sq ft opened in 1989 that employs more than 850 workers.
“When I was getting my pilot’s license, I flew over it and said, ‘I can land on that.’ It was the biggest building I had ever seen,” Cooper said.
He also promoted the idea of aviation education and young people as “something we need to work on diligently.”
“I do what I do so that my children, grand-children and great-grand-children can live work and play in South Carolina, like I’ve been able to do. If we don’t build an infrastructure, they are going to have to go somewhere else.”
On behalf of Laurens County, Carroll thanked Michael Baker International, aviation consultant, and WM Jordan Construction for their work on the project.
The terminal that was constructed in 1981 was a building that had outlived its usefulness; in the interim during construction, a stop-over for pilots and travelers was in a manufactured building on-site, which will be transferred for another capital projects sales tax project - the county’s first-ever Agriculture & Business Center, in Laurens (The 8-year CPST was approved by voters in the November 2020 General Election).
Carroll observed that the airport has a tremendous economic and business development impact, serving local pilots and serving as a gateway for investors and business leaders. This economic development asset is estimated to contribute $2.5M annually in economic growth, he said, and allows the county “to capitalize on regional on growth coming south from Greenville.”
AN ECONOMIC DRIVER
South Carolina’s Commercial Airports: A $22.5 Billion Economic Engine
Columbia, SC [January 27, 2025] – South Carolina’s six publicly-owned commercial service airports are essential pillars of the state’s economy, generating a staggering $22.5 billion in annual economic impact, according to a comprehensive study conducted by research economist Dr. Joseph Von Nessen and co-commissioned by SC Aeronautics Commission (SCAC) and SC Council on Competitiveness (SC Competes).
The study highlights the critical role and ripple effects across industries that these airports—located in Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Greenville-Spartanburg, Hilton Head Island, and Myrtle Beach—play in supporting the Palmetto State’s economy through passenger travel and air cargo operations.
Key Findings Include:
A Foundation for Future Growth
Susie Shannon, Pres. & CEO of SC Competes, noted their 2023 Population Growth study which found that South Carolina is projected to grow by 22.5% by 2040, making it the second-fastest growing state in the Southeast and projected to reach the greatest number of people within the U.S. (behind Florida). Given the Southeast’s region leading the nation in population growth, this means that South Carolina’s airports are uniquely positioned to capitalize on its airports’ economies.
“This study underscores the indispensable role our commercial airports play in South Carolina’s economic success,” said Gary Siegfried, Executive Director of the SC Aeronautics Commission. “From facilitating business operations to supporting tourism, advanced manufacturing and emergency response, these airports are vital to our state’s prosperity and competitiveness.”
About the Study
The 2024 South Carolina Commercial Airports Economic Impact Study was commissioned by SC Competes and SC Aeronautics Commission. The study was conducted by Dr. Joey Von Nessen, Research Economist at the University of South Carolina. The findings were generated using industry-standard input-output analysis through the IMPLAN software package, incorporating data on economic linkages across over 500 industries in South Carolina and its 46 counties. The full study can be found here.
About SC Competes
The South Carolina Council on Competitiveness – “SC Competes” – is a statewide, business-led, non-profit organization that drives South Carolina’s long-term economic growth by managing the state’s industry clusters and providing the research, network, and resources necessary to thrive. SC Aerospace, an initiative of SC Competes, is a collaborative network of public, private, academic, and nonprofit sectors working together to connect, support, and grow South Carolina’s aerospace assets and secure a competitive future for the Palmetto State.
About the SC Aeronautics Commission
The SC Aeronautics Commission supports and promotes aviation development and safety across South Carolina, ensuring that aviation continues to serve as a key driver of the state’s economy.
