News and Reports

Jan 30, 2012  |  Sumter, S.C. wins big – beating the odds by getting into the game
The criteria for Project Soccer were specific – a 240 acre rail site on an interstate. By Rick FarmerWhen Jay Schwedler, president and CEO of the Sumter Development Board, found out what the project required, he knew he had the site, the speed and the determination to make Sumter a viable
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Jan 2, 2012  |  Business Facilities Magazine Hails Continental Tires as #2 Project of the Year
(Excerpt from the Business Facilities article located at: http://businessfacilities.com/news/kentucky-sc-arizona-shine-in-business-facilities-awards-contest/)Our Silver Award goes to the South Carolina Department of Commerce for Continental Tire Americas (CTA) new plant in Sumter County, SC, which will bring nearly 6,000 new jobs and an overall economic impact of $1.82 billion to a
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Dec 11, 2011  |  Area Development names South Carolina a ‘top’ state for business
Each year Area Development magazine ranks the 50 states based on a host of economic factors, including the cost of doing business, available incentives that reward investment, and quality of the labor force. In the 2011 study South Carolina came in 4th overall, and made the Top 5 in all three categories studied:
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Nov 17, 2011  |  Sumter Continues to be a Real Estate Hot Spot
Improving Markets Index Expands to 30 Metros in November November 7, 2011 - The number of improving housing markets continued to expand for a third consecutive month in November, rising from 23 to 30 on the latest National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI), released today. The list dropped two metros
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Oct 5, 2011  |  Continental Tire the Americas LLC Announces New Plant in Sumter County
COLUMBIA, S.C. – October 6, 2011 – Continental Tire the Americas (CTA) today announced plans to build a new tire manufacturing plant in Sumter County to meet growing demand from both the retail level and automotive manufacturers. The $500 million investment is expected to generate 1,700 new jobs in South Carolina over the
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Sep 21, 2011  |  Downtown revitalization program begins in Sumter
SUMTER, SC (WIS) - New restaurants and businesses are expected to breathe new life into downtown Sumter.Construction in downtown Sumter is already underway. The phase will be complete in December, but the entire project will take years.Orange cones and construction crews line part of Sumter’s Liberty Street.
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Aug 2, 2011  |  South Carolina Earns a Top Ranking in Business Facilities Business Climate Study
2011 RANKINGS: Utah, Texas Have Best Business ClimateUtah has planted at the summit of our flagship Best Business Climate category in Business Facilities’ 2011 State Rankings Report, edging out perennial leader Texas.“We thought it would be tough for Utah to top last year’s across-the-board success in our rankings, but the
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May 18, 2011  |  Third Army arriving in Sumter
From The (Columbia, SC) State newspaper:SUMTER — Lt. Col. Malcolm Earles was the first Third Army soldier to move here from Atlanta last year. And when he arrived, he noticed an interesting phenomenon.Folks buy him lunch.“Sometimes, you don’t even know who it is,”
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May 8, 2011  |  South Carolina Moves up Two Notches in CEO Magazine’s ‘Best/Worst States for Business
More than 500 CEOs considered a wide range of criteria, from taxation and regulation to workforce quality and living environment, in our annual ranking of the best states for business. The charts and articles in this special report show how each state fares on the factors most essential for a business-friendly
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Apr 24, 2011  |  South Carolina Wins Area Development’s ‘Golden Shovel’ Award
The Palmetto State continues to reel in accolades from economic development and site selection publications. Most recently, South Carolina was one of three recipients of the Area Development Golden Shovel Award,  presented annually to the states that have achieved the most success in terms of new job creation and
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