COUNTY SPOTLIGHT A rural highway in Chester County. The county is still rural and sparsley populated, giving it a laidback feel and country charm. (Photo/Provided)
CHESTER COUNTY A laid-back lifestyle with big-city benefits drawing residents to I-77 corridor
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By Jim Tatum t first glance, Chester County can seem a bit of a paradox. Largely equidistant from Columbia and Charlotte, it is considered part of the greater Charlotte, N.C. metro region. Today, the county is growing a formidable commercial/industrial base with more than 50 manufacturers across industrial sectors, yet Chester County is still relatively small, rural and lightly populated. Chester County is maximizing its assets to the fullest. Sitting conveniently on the I-77 corridor, the county enjoys easy access to major local, regional and national markets, the port of Charleston, and two major airports — Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Columbia Metropolitan Airport. That strategic location, coupled with a business-friendly atmosphere, offers a large, diverse inventory of commercial prop-
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erty — Chester County has more available commercial inventory than any other county in South Carolina. The county even has a long-established short line railroad that connects with both CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads, allowing industrial clients to negotiate and secure very competitive freight rates with savings up to more than 20 percent in many cases. All this makes the area very attractive to businesses seeking a new home in the Carolinas. In fact, Chester County is ranked No. 1 in both manufacturing employment and manufacturing growth rate in the Charlotte Metro Region. In the last five years, the area has seen 24 announcements resulting in $900.1 million in capital investment and 1,505 jobs created. With its proximity to Charlotte and Columbia, manufacturers can recruit employees from a labor shed of more than 2 million people. Chester County Economic Development, which was created
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COUNTY SPOTLIGHT
Giti Tire, with about 750 workers, is one of Chester County’s major employers, and the tire industry is one of the state’s primary employers. Tires made in the Palmetto State topped $29.7 billion in exports in 2021, according to the S.C. Department of Commerce. (Photo/Provided)
Chester Office 517 Ballymena Road P.O. Box 220 Chester, SC 29706 (803) 385-3157 (office) (803) 581-1543 (fax)
Great Falls Office 509 Chester Avenue P.O. Box 472 Great Falls, SC 29055 (803) 482-2442 (office) (803) 482-2292 (fax)
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. After Hour Calls: (803) 385-3158 customerservice@chestergas.com www.chestergas.com We strive to fulfill our mission of improving the welfare of the communities we service by providing quality natural gas service at competitive rates in a safe, environmentally clean, and efficient manner. Serving Chester County for over 65 years.
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in 2004, along with a number of community partners and stakeholders, has worked hard to create a business friendly atmosphere without sacrificing what makes the area unique. Indeed, the idea that a rising tide floats all boats — industrial success also means success in every other aspect — has been at the forefront of the county’s economic development efforts. “The mission of CCED is to create an environment that supports existing industry expansion, encourages new industry investments, fosters entrepreneurialism, and welcomes visitation by others, all of which support the provision of public services and otherwise improves each citizen’s prosperity and overall quality of life,” CCED Director Robert D. Long said. Chester County’s investments in itself — in infrastructure, in commercial property and building inventory and other areas — has paid strong dividends. The county has attracted a diverse industrial base that includes companies such as Giti Tire, Boise Cascade Company, Guardian Industries Corp., Carolina Poly Inc., ATI Industries LLC, Chart Industries, Last Step Recycling, and others One major recent addition to Chester County’s industrial landscape is E.&J. Gallo Winery, which announced a new regional distribution center and manufacturing operation in June 2021. Gallo’s initial $423 million investment is expected to create 496 new jobs in the next eight years and the company has stated its long-term vision is to invest more than $1 billion and create 1,000 jobs over the next three decades. However, the county seems to have an extra “something else” that gives it an edge, observes Stein Edwards, E.&J. Gallo Winnery Senior Director and Plant Manager. “We selected Chester County, as it provided an East Coast location with connectivity to a substantial highway system, access to the Port of Charleston, and access to rail,” Edwards said. “Plus, as a familyowned company, we liked the family atmosphere of Chester County.” Indeed, if you are looking for a fairly quiet place with a strong yet affordable
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COUNTY SPOTLIGHT quality of life, Chester County is a great place to start your search. The 586-square-mile county is home to around 32,000 people, with about 5,400 living in the largest municipality and county seat, the city of Chester. That means there’s quite a bit of room to breathe and a wide variety of housing options from which to choose. The cost of living and average price of a home are both lower than state, regional and national indexes. Educational and training opportunities abound. Thanks to its central location, Chester County has close access to more than 40 colleges and Universities, including the University of South Carolina, Winthrop University, UNC Charlotte, and Wofford College. Locally, York County Technical College, which has a campus in Chester County, is a valued business partner, offering more than 100 programs, including maintenance technology and automotive programs. At the K-12 secondary level, Chester County’s public schools boast award-winning schools that have earned state of S.C. Palmetto Gold and Silver awards. Both public and private schools have modern, state of the art facilities complete with the most up-to-date infrastructure such as high-speed internet. Plus, more than 60 percent of the teachers working in Chester County schools have master’s degrees or higher. Chester County is quite a hotspot of outdoor recreation, from golf to hunting, fishing, and camping opportunities to more extreme sports such as sky diving and whitewater adventure. In fact, Duke Energy is not only funding a project to put water back in original channels of the Catawba River in Great Falls, creating a rafting, canoeing and kayaking feature, but it is developing a state park on the big island of Dearborn Armory, which will join Chester State Park and Landsford Canal State Park. For those seeking other opportunities, beach and mountain getaways are but short drives away. In summary, Chester County clearly has much to offer, as more and more people and industries are discovering every day.
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The Richburg Magnolia Industrial Park is an example of the significant manufacturing presence in Chester County and along the I-77 Corridor leading to the Charlotte Metro Area. (Rending/Provided)
Chester County residents can enjoy the benefits of a rural location and the relaxed pace of its natural landscape while still being close to Charlotte and Columbia. (Photo/Provided)