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Lights, Cameras- Action

Posted December 12, 2007

Lights, Cameras- Action. Or better yet: Power, Water, Sewer- Action

One thing any and all companies need in order to operate is access to utilities. What some of us take for granted everyday: gas, power, sewer, and water- make-up the key components to running any company headquarters, research and development center, or manufacturing operation.

During the recruitment process of Economic Development, the “stuff” located underground becomes the most important factor to determining if you are even being considered for something to go above the ground.

Many economic development projects have visited and reviewed Anderson County as a possible location for their expansion or relocation over the years. More and more of these projects are trending towards shorter and shorter sales-cycles. What was once 24-36 months is now 6-8 months for companies to be up and running. The process for identifying potential sites has gone from months to now days and hours thanks to the internet.

How do we compete? Is Anderson County ready for the next project looking in the Southeast? These are only a couple questions, but they start the chain of others we need to be asking. Economic Development is like an iceberg. Most of the danger is not what you see above the water, it is what is below. Or in this case, the infrastructure running underground most do not see in economic development deals. Where in this case, if it is not there underground- you are dead in the "water".

What is it we need to supply our next industrial and or commercial community members? Are we putting infrastructure where we need it and preparing for the capacity they may require.

If we had a magic ball that told us exactly where we needed to have a site prepared, we could plan to have everything waiting and ready to go.

Unfortunately, the magic ball does not exist.

However, what we can do is evaluate the information being asked by companies looking to expand and relocate in order to help us “plan” where our best opportunities are to land a company.

Find what the markets are asking for and deliver.

Anderson is very fortunate to have utility providers that are asking these questions and helping support “product” development in this community. Our utility providers are the backbone to economic development across the County, Region, and State. South Carolina definitely has a leg-up in that department.