At least 4 companies are interested enough in investing money in Laurens County that they have placed fee-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements before the Laurens County Council, which moved the projects along last Monday evening at its regular monthly meeting.
First and second (of three) readings or resolutions were provided for Project Thyme, Project Santa, Project Zebra, and Project Tomahawk. Generally, at this stage, the names of the companies making the investments are not disclosed for competition purposes. Company identifications are required at the 3rd and final reading and public hearing stage.
Project Thyme is a second expansion of a company, although the amount of the investment and the number of jobs to be created are not listed in the FILOT document. The company agrees to give the county $500,000 for an infrastructure expansion, according to the document.
Project Santa is an investment of $20,790,00 creating 64 jobs, according to the FILOT document.
Project Zebra is receiving a $15 Million grant from the SC Coordinating Council for Economic Development, earmarked for site preparation and building construction. The grant award document does not discuss investment numbers.
Project Tomahawk’s first reading was an agenda-added item, and council was told this will be a $5.2 Million investment creating 62 jobs.
In a separate activity last Tuesday, MPF Products conducted a ground-breaking for a 6,000 sq ft addition to its building at 3046 Bramlett Church Road in Gray Court (photo above-LCDC). MPF (Manufacturing Precision Feedthrough Products) designs and manufactures products that require ceramic-to-metal.
Laurens County’s economic development activities are supervised by the independent Laurens County Development Corporation. Under an agreement-ordinance given 2nd reading at Monday night’s meeting, the County agrees to pay LCDC $500,000/annual from FILOT revenues in exchange for economic reinvestments. In 2022, LCDC reported 491 new jobs created by $173,050,000 in new economic development investment.
Also approved last Monday was a resolution authorizing the Milliken company to have a 5-year extension of its FILOT agreement. County Attorney Sandy Cruickshanks said Milliken has one of the first of these agreements between a company and Laurens County, which are authorized by state law.
The company has far exceeded its original investment projects, the council was told.
Council also authorized an amendment with Abbeville County for that county’s MCIP (multi-county industrial park) to accommodate Project Ace.
In other business, the Laurens County Council heard concerns stemming from the most recent Planning Commission meeting (ie, transparency, RV Park); took action to convey to and receive from the Laurens County Water and Sewer Commission land behind the hospital for a replacement, larger water tank; designated Oct. 23-31 as Red Ribbon Week, an anti-drug abuse and trafficking effort, as introduced by the Marine Youth of the Marine Corps League; congratulated the Rotary Club of Laurens on its upcoming 100th anniversary (founded Nov. 3, 1923); and authorized a not-to-exceed figure of $100,000 for a moisture study at a county-owned building in the Professional Park for future county use - County Administrator Thomas Higgs was authorized to discuss renovations with the Thomas & Hutton firm.
Higgs also was authorized to develop and bring back to council a Capital Improvements Plan, discussed by the council at a workshop meeting earlier on Monday afternoon.
Following a closed session, a majority of council authorized Higgs to offer an applicant the position of director of E911 and Emergency Management Director for Laurens County. The next Laurens County Council meeting will be Nov. 13 (second Monday), 6 p.m. at the Hillcrest Complex East, 105 Bolt Dr., Laurens. Anyone wanting to address the council on any issue is required to register before the meeting starts.
