The Move of the LCDC – Unfounded Concerns of a Few

The announcement of Laurens County Development Corporation’s (LCDC) relocation from Professional Park Road to The Midtown Building has been the focus of a few loud voices recently.

Specifically, comments were made in a recent City of Clinton Council meeting that indicate a few local leaders have concerns that Clinton is being left behind.

The LCDC is planning to relocate January 1^st to the Midtown building on the square in Laurens.  The new location provides expanded office space in a thriving downtown, meeting space and a landing pad for new businesses to get started while waiting on their “brick and mortar” space to be finished.  The landing pad space will be located in part of the space currently occupied by the LCDC and put new businesses right next door to the Chamber of Commerce for additional support.

The LCDC has as its mission to focus on economic opportunities that result in a viable future for all County citizens. And that is exactly what they are doing.

So, let’s take a look at the last few years. Because the facts matter.

Data from the LCDC show that the LCDC has processed more than twice the number of RFIs (Requests for Information) for Clinton than for Laurens, Gray Court or Fountain Inn.

Really? Yes, really.

Total RFI’s processed by the LCDC in 2019, 2020, and 2021 year-to-date break down like this:

• 2019                49
• 2020                49
• 2021 ytd         40

And by city or municipality it looks like this:

• Clinton            74
• Laurens           33
• Gray Court      46
• Fountain Inn   21
• Other               14

And there are other benefits to supporting the work of the LCDC.

Laurens Electric Coop has invested their Utility Tax Credit funds and other grant monies over the last several years in the Clinton 26 Commerce Park.  Those funds flowed through the LCDC and total approximately $1.3 million.  That investment has helped establish the park and led to the development of both spec buildings, one of which is occupied by GE.  The LCDC also gave the City of Clinton $21,355 earlier this year to help complete the sewer line extension to the current Spec Building.  Those funds came from property sales in other parts of the County.

Additionally, with the development of the Connexial Center in the Gray Court area, Clinton Newberry Natural Gas authority will be the natural gas provider at that park.  CNNGA reinvests their profits every year toward economic development initiatives in the cities of Newberry and Clinton, so Clinton will benefit from the development of the Connexial Center in the northern part of the County.

The growth wave in Laurens County is coming and it’s coming from Greenville County. It’s only natural that the areas closest to this neighboring county would feel it first. The leaders of Clinton need to focus on the positive aspects of their community and with their own Clinton Economic Development Corporation work together with the LCDC to promote the area.

The LCDC has real business reasons for relocating to Laurens and the move will also help the Laurens Chamber of Commerce which is also growing and could use the space now occupied by the LCDC.

The move is a good one as the entire County should benefit from it. Keep up the good work Laurens County Economic Development Corporation.