Six Wholesalers Commit to SC State Farmers Market
November 20, 2009
COLUMBIA, SC – November 20, 2009 – Three large fruit and vegetable wholesalers have started construction and three others have signed on and are ready to begin construction on their own free-standing buildings at the new South Carolina State Farmers Market located on Highway 321 in Lexington County near Columbia.
Buildings for V.B. Hook & Co., Inc., Severt & Sons Produce Co. and Senn Brothers, Inc. are all currently under construction while L&N Produce Co., Inc., Ayer & Price Fruit Co., Inc. and Raybon Tomato are all scheduled to begin construction in the next 45 days.
In addition, 321 Lexington Associates LLC, the private developer, is building a 31,000-square-foot building for mid-level wholesale vendors and announced today that it has secured tenants for 70 percent of that facility.
Mike Severt, president of Severt & Sons Produce Co., said his company will be able to greatly increase the quantity of items they carry by working out of this new location. “This is one of the best opportunities we’ve ever had,” he said. “Our old facility was over 50 years old. This new facility is so modern,” he said.
Severt says that the quality of his produce will be better because of the controlled atmosphere this new facility offers, from loading to unloading. “And this is going to be a major attraction for folks coming through Columbia. It’s neat, clean, safe and will be a tremendous draw,” he said.
Building construction on the parcels owned by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) is now visible from the highway. SCDA has broken ground on their conference center, and construction is about 65 percent complete on the labs and 50 percent complete on the farm sheds, produce building and administration building being constructed in the rear of the property.
The intersection improvements are permitted, and the construction of the new signal light change-out is complete. Developers expect to begin paving the roads at the end of November.
The Porches and Stables buildings, which will make up the retail/agribusiness section of the market, are 60 percent committed, according to George Lee, partner with 321 Lexington Associates, LLC. The retail/agribusiness section is designed to be pedestrian-friendly with 10-foot sidewalks, convenient onsite parking adjacent to each building, and a Lowcountry design offering 12-foot porches and heavy landscaping. This entire section is designed to be pedestrian/customer-friendly so that families will be comfortable visiting the market.
When it opens on April 17, 2010, the new South Carolina State Farmers Market will set a new standard for a cherished American tradition. The state-of-the-art marketplace will provide South Carolina’s agricultural community a one-of-a-kind showcase, while offering area residents an attractive combination of shopping, dining and entertainment.
Located on Highway 321 (Charleston Highway) in Lexington County near Columbia within 1.5 miles of both I-26 and I-77, the new market features separate areas for major wholesale vendors and the retail sale of South Carolina agricultural products. The new market will feature a children’s play area, a 150-seat exhibition kitchen, a 400-seat outdoor amphitheater, a specialty foods shop, school bus drop-off area, an RV park, a fish market, a meat market, bakery and several restaurants.
The site will also be home to South Carolina Department of Agriculture laboratories, a 200-seat conference center and offices. The agriculture department will occupy 40 acres, which includes a separate farmers sheds section, with the rest of the 173 acres filled with the market’s wholesale facilities, retail space and public amenities. The new market will be three times larger than the old one, spread over an area the size of seven Super Wal-Marts.
To learn more, visit scstatefarmersmarket.com or visit the market using social media applications, including Facebook, http://facebook.com/SCFarmersMarket and Twitter http://twitter.com/SCFarmersMarket.
