* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
           
          [00:02:19]
GREAT TO BE WITH YOU THIS MORNING. 
          WE'RE GONNA, UH, UH, START A VIDEO IN JUST A SECOND. 
          JUST SO YOU KNOW, AS WE GO THROUGH TODAY'S PROGRAM, WE HAVE THIS QR CODE HERE. 
          UH, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE THE QUESTIONS, UH, THROUGH THE QR CODE. 
          UH, IF YOU JUST GO TO, MEANT TO METER.COM AND TYPE IN, I THINK THE NUMBERS ARE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, ASHLEY, 8 2 2 3 6 5 3 7. 
          IS THAT WHAT IT SAYS? GI YOU'LL HELP ME. 
          ARE YOU SEEING THOSE NUMBERS? OKAY. 
          OH, IT'S ON THE BACK THERE. 
          SOMEBODY CORRECT ME. 
          BUT IT IS 8 2 2 3 6 5 3 7. 
          SO AT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, OUR MISSION IS SIMPLE TO GROW OPPORTUNITIES, ATTRACT INVESTMENT, AND CREATE A THRIVING COMMUNITY FOR ALL WHO CALL BEAUFORT COUNTY HOME. 
          SO, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IN A NUTSHELL, IS THE CREATION OF ANY NEW CAPITAL INVESTMENT WITH THE GOAL OF CREATING JOBS, AND NOT JUST JOBS, BUT GOOD JOBS, GOOD PAYING JOBS, TO REALLY ENHANCE THE, THE LIVABILITY OF OUR CITIZENS. 
          IN THE PAST YEAR, WE'VE HELPED BRING NEW CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO BEAUFORT COUNTY, FUELING INNOVATION, STRENGTHENING OUR ECONOMY, AND ENSURING LONG-TERM GROWTH. 
          JOBS ARE AT THE HEART OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          THIS YEAR, WE WORKED ALONGSIDE BUSINESSES AND PARTNERS TO CREATE QUALITY JOBS THAT PROVIDE STABILITY AND OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCAL FAMILIES. 
          AND THEN OUR, OUR BREWING TEAM IS REALLY THE STAR OF THE SHOW. 
          AND THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT, YOU KNOW, WAS STRICTLY DUE TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. 
          THEY WERE THE CATALYST FOR US TO BRING IN HIGHLY SKILLED MANUFACTURERS OF BEER FROM WEST NORTH CAROLINA AND VIRGINIA TO CREATE A NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR WORKERS HERE IN THE LOW COUNTRY. 
          AND WE'RE SITTING HERE IN 2025. 
          YOU KNOW, WE'RE SITTING HERE IN JULY. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UM, THIS WAS PROBABLY A PROCESS TO START THINKING THROUGH THIS BREWERY FOUR AND FIVE YEARS AGO. 
          SO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WAS ACTUALLY WITH US THROUGHOUT THAT PROCESS BECAUSE WE, WE LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SITES. 
          UM, WE TOOK THEIR DIRECTION, WE TOOK THEIR INSIGHTS TO HELP US IDEALLY LOCATE THE, THE RIGHT LOCATION FOR AN INDUSTRIAL USE THAT COULD HAVE A HOSPITALITY PLAY TO IT ALSO. 
          SO THEY WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US GET THIS THING REALLY PUT TOGETHER IN TERMS OF SITE SELECTION. 
          SUPPORTING EXISTING BUSINESSES IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS ATTRACTING NEW ONES THROUGH OUR BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION MEETINGS WHERE LISTENING, LEARNING, AND FINDING SOLUTIONS TO HELP COMPANIES ALREADY HERE GROW STRONGER BUSINESSES LIKE GAY FISH COMPANY ON ST. 
          HELENA ISLAND, COULD NOT CONTINUE TO OPERATE WITHOUT 
          [00:05:01]
THE LOCAL SUPPORT OF ENTITIES LIKE THE EDC. 
          AND WE ARE FOREVER THANKFUL FOR THEM IN THE SUPPORT THAT THEY HAVE SHOWN US, AND THE GUIDANCE TO ASSIST US IN UPCOMING UPFITS TO OUR DOCK AND TO OUR BUILDING. 
          AGAIN, WHEN YOU NEED HELP, LOOK TO YOUR LOCAL OFFICIALS. 
          COLLABORATION DRIVES PROGRESS BY WORKING WITH LOCAL LEADERS, EDUCATORS, AND STATE PARTNERS. 
          WE'RE BUILDING THE WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW AND ALIGNING OUR EFFORTS WITH SOUTH CAROLINA'S TARGETED INDUSTRIES, UH, STAKEHOLDERS, PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT, UH, OUR COMMUNITY TO COME AND HEAR FROM, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS FROM AROUND THE STATE. 
          UH, POINTED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY SOUTH CAROLINA DOES SO WELL IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT THEY THINK SOME OF THE, UH, KEYS TO THAT SUCCESS ARE. 
          NEVER SAY NEVER, JUST ABOUT THE TIME YOU THINK YOU'VE SEEN IT ALL. 
          YOU HAVE NOT BECAUSE BUSINESSES, AND, YOU KNOW, AMERICA'S ENTREPRENEURIAL. 
          SO WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT NEW INDUSTRIES. 
          UM, NEW, UH, PRIVATE INVESTORS ARE COMING UP WITH NEW WAYS TO GENERATE INCOME AND MAKE INVESTMENTS. 
          ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS ABOUT MORE THAN NUMBERS. 
          IT'S ABOUT CREATING PROSPERITY, OPPORTUNITY AND A STRONGER FUTURE FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY. 
          TOGETHER WE'RE SHAPING A PLACE WHERE BUSINESSES CAN SUCCEED AND PEOPLE CAN THRIVE. 
          UH, WHAT I REALLY HOPE AND WHAT WE REALLY HOPE FOR IN PROSPERITY AND PRACTICE IS TO, UH, HEAR FROM SOME GREAT LEADERS FROM AROUND THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, UH, TO, UM, UH, HEAR WHAT WORKS IN SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          WHY SOUTH CAROLINA IS THE, THE GREAT STATE. 
          IT IS THE STANDOUT IT IS AGAINST ALL THE TIDES. 
          WE WERE AT A, UH, A HOUSING TRUST, UM, MEETING LAST WEEK, UH, WHERE THE, A FORMER FED ECONOMIST SPOKE AND SPOKE ABOUT HOW SOUTH CAROLINA IS A, UH, A, A STANDOUT IN THE NATION, UH, CONSISTENTLY RANKED AS THE NUMBER ONE STATE FOR BUSINESS ATTRACTION, FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT, AND, AND REALLY FOR ALL THE FOLKS HERE IN THE ROOM, AS WELL AS OUR STAFF TO LEARN FROM, UH, FROM THE PANEL THAT WE'LL HAVE, BUT IT'S REALLY MEANT TO BE INTERACTIVE. 
          AND WITH THAT, UH, I WILL CALL OUR COUNTY CHAIR HELIS. 
          HOWARD. 
          GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. 
          IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE THIS LARGE CROWD. 
          UH, IT'S A PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU TO THE INAUGURAL PROSPERITY AND PRACTICE EVENT. 
          ON BEHALF OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL, I WANNA THANK THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FOR HOSTING THIS IMPORTANT GATHERING. 
          ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST NEW BUSINESSES. 
          IT'S ABOUT CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR RESIDENTS, SUPPORTING OUR WORKFORCE, AND BUILDING A COMMUNITY WHERE EVERYONE CAN THRIVE. 
          EVENTS LIKE THIS HELP US TO COME TOGETHER, SHARE IDEAS, AND CONNECT WITH LEADERS ACROSS THE STATE, AND GET THEIR GOOD IDEAS TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          BEAUFORT COUNTY IS GROWING. 
          I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU HAD TO COME DOWN ONE 70 TODAY, BUT, UH, IT IS GROWING, BUT THAT'S GOOD. 
          AND THE GROWTH COMES BOTH EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES AND IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITIES. 
          YOUR PARTICIPATION HERE TODAY HELPS ENSURE THAT WE ARE ALIGNED, PREPARED, AND READY TO CONTINUE CREATING PROSPERITY AT HOME. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, AND I HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD MORNING AND YOU GET SOME INSIGHTS, STRATEGIES, AND LEARN NEW THINGS THAT WE CAN ALL DO TOGETHER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND JOEL'S OUR NEXT WELCOMERS. 
          HEY, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. 
          WELCOME. 
          ON BEHALF OF THE B-C-E-D-C BOARD OF DIRECTORS, I AM THRILLED TO WELCOME YOU TO OUR FIRST PROSPERITY AND PRACTICE EVENT. 
          IT'S AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO BRING TOGETHER BUSINESS LEADERS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THE FUTURE OF BUFORT COUNTY. 
          AT B-C-E-D-C, OUR MISSION IS TO ATTRACT, RETAIN, AND GROW INVESTMENT WHILE CREATING MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR RESIDENTS. 
          TODAY, YOU'LL HEAR FROM EXPERTS WHO'VE SHAPED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA AND LEARN HOW THEIR STRATEGIES AND INSIGHTS CAN IMPACT THIS REGION AND OUR RESIDENTS. 
          AND WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THE INCREDIBLE INTEREST IN THIS EVENT. 
          WE HAD 220 SEATS AVAILABLE. 
          THEY WERE ALL TAKEN. 
          A FEW PEOPLE MAYBE DIDN'T SHOW UP YET, BUT THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY, HOPEFULLY. 
          UM, BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU WATCHING ONLINE, WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO JOIN US THROUGH 
          [00:10:01]
THE, UH, BCTV LIVE STREAM. 
          AND I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK OUR SPONSORS, OUR GOLD LEVEL SPONSORS BY FOREMAN AND DOMINION ENERGY. 
          OUR SILVER LEVEL SPONSORS, THE DON RYAN CENTER FOR INNOVATION, AND DAVIS AND FLOYD. 
          AND OUR, UH, LET ME SEE HERE. 
          UH, BRONZE LEVEL, I'M SORRY. 
          UH, BRONZE LEVEL, THE BEAUFORT REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, GEL, ENGINEERING CA CON, CONSTRUCTION MIND, FLINTS AND WHITESIDE, AND THOMAS AND HUTTON. 
          THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING TIME TO INVEST IN BEAUFORT COUNTY'S FUTURE WITH YOUR ENGAGEMENT, IDEAS, AND COLLABORATION. 
          I'M CONFIDENT THAT TODAY'S CONVERSATION WILL INSPIRE EVEN MORE INNOVATION AND GROWTH IN THE FUTURE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I ONLY DID THAT 'CAUSE BOTH HANDS WERE FULL. 
          THANK YOU, JOAN. 
          I,  JOEL IS OUR CHAIRMAN, AND I HAVE TO FOLLOW HIM, AND I PROBABLY SEEM LIKE I NEED AN ENERGY DRINK COMPARED TO HIM. 
          HE GETS UP AT FOUR 30 IN THE MORNING AND WORKS OUT. 
          SO MAYBE I SHOULD TAKE A PAGE FROM HIS BOOK. 
          BUT, UH, AGAIN, UH, I'LL, WHAT, WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT, UH, ABOUT THE WAY WE'RE DOING, UH, PROSPERITY AND PRACTICE. 
          I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR THE PANEL THAT WILL FOLLOW ME. 
          BUT WHEN WE DO THIS SURVEY, AND WE WILL DO THE CONVERGED SUMMITS AS WELL, WHEN WE DO THE SURVEY, USUALLY PEOPLE SAY, WE'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT LOCAL DEVELOPMENT. 
          SO WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME CARVED OUT THIS MORNING TO GO THROUGH THAT WITH YOU. 
          UH, AND AGAIN, UH, THAT CODE GO TO MINTER.COM, AND THEN THE NUMBER IS 8 2 2 3 6 5 3 7. 
          AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL START TO SEE YOUR QUESTIONS POPULATED, UH, THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION. 
          BUT WE'LL GIVE AN OP, UH, WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO GO OVER THAT. 
          LET ME JUST, UH, BEFORE I GET TO THAT STORY, LET ME JUST THANK HAMPTON HALL, THE VENUE FOR BEING SO ACCOMMODATING. 
          I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE BEAUFORT COUNTY CHANNEL THAT'S, UH, HELPED US WITH NOT ONLY BROADCASTING THIS AND PUTTING IT ON THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL SO THAT RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON AND GIVE US THEIR FEEDBACK. 
          UH, BUT THEY HELP US, UH, THIS MORNING WITH A LOT OF TECHNICAL ISSUES. 
          UH, W-W-H-I-W-W-H-H-I, UH, BEAR WITH ME. 
          MOST OF YOU KNOW ME, SO YOU'RE NOT EXPECTING PERFECTION. 
          BUT, UH, WHHI, UH, UH, PUT TOGETHER A, UH, BEAUTIFUL VIDEO. 
          WE HAD A LITTLE TECHNIC TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES CAME OUT WONDERFUL. 
          WE WILL HAVE THAT EMAIL TO YOU THIS AFTERNOON. 
          SK SIGNS, UH, UH, THEY'LL BE TAKING PHOTOS AND, AND HELP, UH, HELPING US, UH, HERE. 
          THANK YOU, SEAN. 
          AND THEN WE HAVE MIND FOR ALL OF THE WORK THEY DO TO HELP US WITH OUR MARKETING. 
          SO, WITH THAT, I'D LIKE, I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU ABOUT A, A STORY OF WHAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LOOKS LIKE. 
          IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD. 
          WE HAD THIS GENTLEMAN FROM, UH, CS INSTRUMENTS, UH, WORKING ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF TO FIND A LOCATION IN THIS REGION FOR A GERMAN HEADQUARTERS, SMALL COMPANY. 
          AND, UH, UH, THEY WERE REALLY STRUGGLING. 
          WE GOT A CALL, UH, OUR SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER, KELLY BRUNSON, GOT A CALL ON A THURSDAY AND SAID THAT, UH, THE CEO WOLFGANG BLESSING WAS GONNA BE IN TOWN TOMORROW. 
          AND THE YOUNG EXEC FROM BLUFFTON, UH, WANTED, UH, WANTED TO SEE IF WE COULD ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS FOR, FOR THEM. 
          SO WE MEET WITH THEM NINE O'CLOCK THE NEXT MORNING. 
          WE CLEAR THE DECKS, MEET WITH THEM, AND, UM, UH, IT BECOMES CLEAR THAT THEY HAVE QUESTIONS THAT INVOLVE THE TOWN. 
          AND SO WE, UH, UH, UH, KELLY, UH, WITH OUR, UH, GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIS FOSTER CALLS, SAYS, WE'VE GOT A REALLY GOOD LEAD FOR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON. 
          WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO HAVE AN EARLY LUNCH WITH US? 'CAUSE WOLFGANG'S FLYING OUT, AND, UH, UH, WE'D LIKE TO MEET WITH THE CEO BEFORE HE LEAVES. 
          AND SO, UH, CHRIS, UH, CLEARS HIS DECK, UH, UH, HIS AFTERNOON AND, AND MEETS WITH WOLFGANG AND MARTIN ZELLER, UH, TO ANSWER ALL THEIR QUESTIONS. 
          AND THE PROJECT MOVES FORWARD. 
          AND IT'S, IT, IT'S NOT COMPLEX E ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT'S AS SIMPLE AS PUTTING PEOPLE TOGETHER, UH, THE RESOURCES TOGETHER WITH THE PEOPLE WITH NEEDS. 
          AND THAT'S A, A GREAT STORY. 
          UH, THE DON RYAN CENTER WORKED WITH US, UH, 
          [00:15:01]
ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN AS WELL, BUT IT'S EVERYONE COMING TOGETHER. 
          SO AS I STAND BEFORE YOU, IT'S NOT MYSELF AND BRIAN AND KELLY MAKING IT ALL HAPPEN. 
          USUALLY, IT'S ALL OF YOU MAKING IT HAPPEN. 
          AND WHEN IT'S DONE WELL, IT'S SIMPLE, SWIFT, AND CERTAIN. 
          AND EVEN IF THE ANSWER'S NO, IF THE ANSWER WAS, WE ARE NOT GONNA BE A GOOD FIT FOR THAT COMPANY, OUR BRAND GROWS BECAUSE WE GIVE THEM GOOD ANSWERS ON TIME. 
          SO THEY, UH, BUSINESSES CAN MAKE GOOD DECISIONS, AND OUR REPUTATION GROWS. 
          UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT BEEN TO OUR BOARD MEETING, UH, WE HAVE A, A GREAT AND VERY, UH, A VERY ACTIVE BOARD. 
          UH, I'VE MENTIONED IT TO YOU BEFORE, THAT WE, UH, UH, REALLY, UH, WRESTLE WITH IDEAS AT OUR BOARD MEETING. 
          THEY'RE NOT, UH, THEY'RE NOT RUBBER STAMPS. 
          WE'RE REFINING OUR IDEAS, UH, SINCE THE LAST TIME THAT WE MET, HOW MANY FOLKS HAVE BEEN TO THE CONVERGE SUMMIT? OKAY, SO A FAIR AMOUNT OF YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          SO SINCE THE LAST TIME WE MET, TAB TABERNAC IS NOW THE COUNTY'S REPRESENTATIVE ON OUR BOARD. 
          AND VAN WILLIS IS NOW THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR PORT ROYAL, ONE OF OUR FOUNDING, UH, BOARD MEMBERS. 
          BUT WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. 
          AS I HAVE TROUBLE PRONOUNCING WHHI, UH, YOU REALIZE I NEED A GOOD TEAM AROUND ME, AND I HAVE A GREAT TEAM AROUND ME. 
          UH, KELLY BRUNSON AND BRIAN WARNER ARE EXCELLENT. 
          SO, AS, UH, RESIDENTS OR PEOPLE WHO HAVE AN INTEREST IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT TEAM WORKING ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DAY IN, DAY OUT. 
          AND, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF LONG HOURS PUT IN TO MAKE WHAT HAPPENS, HAPPENS, UH, IN TERMS OF OUR, UH, UH, OUR THREE PILLARS OF MARKETING, REALLY, IT COMES DOWN AND WE USUALLY TALK ABOUT EXHILARATING ENVIRONMENT, THE SKILLED AND READY WORKFORCE, CHALLENGING EVERYWHERE. 
          NO LESS CHALLENGING HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. 
          UH, BUT WE HAVE SOME, UH, UH, UH, WAYS OF GETTING AT THAT WITH OUR, OUR COLLEGES, OUR, UH, UH, WORKFORCE PARTNERS, UH, AND, UH, UH, BRIAN SPENDS, UH, BRIAN OR KELLY ARE AT THE BASE TWICE A MONTH, UH, TRYING TO PUT OURSELVES IN YOUR COMPANIES, THE OPPORTUNITIES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY IN FRONT OF, UH, TRANSITIONING MARINES AND NAVY PEOPLE, AND THEN ON PARALLELED SUPPORT. 
          AND THAT DAY WE WERE WITH CS INSTRUMENTS, WHETHER IT WAS KELLY, UH, SETTING UP ALL THE MEETINGS, OR CHRIS FOSTER, MAKING HIMSELF AVAILABLE. 
          IT'S AS SIMPLE AS PEOPLE LIKE TO DO BUSINESS WITH, PEOPLE THEY LIKE TO DO BUSINESS WITH, AND BEING RESPONSIVE. 
          AND, UH, WE'LL GET INTO IT. 
          BUT WE, WE SPEND A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME REALLY BUYING INTO THESE STATES, TAGLINE FROM LAUNCH TO LEGACY. 
          AND, WE'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE DETAIL ON THAT AGAIN. 
          UH, JOEL, UH, IN A VERY, UH, HE MEMORIZED ALL THE SPONSORS, AND HE WAS EXCITED. 
          UH, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT, UH, SOME OF YOU AND THE FOLKS HERE, UH, STEP FORWARD AND HELP US OFFER THESE PROGRAMS BECAUSE, UH, I'M SURE, UH, COUNCIL CHAIR ALICE HOWARD AGREES THAT WE WANT TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AS TO WHAT WE'RE DOING DAY IN, DAY OUT, SO THAT WE CAN REFINE OUR TARGETS, UH, WITH YOUR INPUT. 
          AGAIN, UH, YOU'LL HEAR NUMBERS, UH, UH, OF PROJECTS WE WORKED ON SHORTLY. 
          UH, IT'S ALL OF THE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT'LL COME, COME TO THE FORE WHEN WE NEED THEM. 
          UH, AND WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR ALL, ALL THE PARTNERS, MANY OF YOU IN THIS ROOM, IN TERMS OF, UH, OUR VISION, UH, REALLY TO BE THE COLLABORATOR AND REALLY TO BE A HUMBLE COLLABORATOR. 
          UH, BECAUSE, UH, I, I, I DO THINK THAT EGO IS THE DEATH NAIL OF COLLABORATION. 
          SO WE TRY TO STAY REALLY HUMBLE IN OUR APPROACH. 
          UH, BUT AS JOEL SAID, WE'RE TRYING TO DIVERSIFY THE ECONOMY, BUILD TAX BASE SO THAT, UH, UH, WHETHER YOU'RE A MAYOR OR A COUNTY, UH, PERSON, THAT YOU HAVE THE, UH, RESOURCES TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT OUR, OUR RESIDENTS EXPECT. 
          AND, AND AT THE BOTTOM LINE THERE, UH, AND, AND I'LL SHOW YOU SHORTLY, UH, KIND OF OUR GUIDING STAR IS TO DO NO HARM TO THE ENVIRONMENT, UH, AND PERHAPS EVEN IMPROVE IT WITH THE WORK WE DO. 
          AND USUALLY THAT CAUSES THE GROUPS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY WE SPEAK TO, TO EXHALE AND SAY, OKAY, THEY GET IT. 
          THEY'RE, THEY'RE ON THE SAME PAGE AS US. 
          UH, THIS IS OUR, OUR COMPASS, IF YOU WILL. 
          UH, AND, UH, UH, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS BEFORE. 
          I SAW SO MANY HANDS GO UP, BUT IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO JUST REALLY EXPLAIN TO EVERYBODY WHAT OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLE IS. 
          AND IN A BIKE WHEEL, NO SPOKE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANOTHER. 
          BUT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, WE WOULD SAY THAT SPOKE, THAT IS THE ENVIRONMENT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. 
          EDUCATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WORKFORCE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, UH, UH, TRANSPORTATION AND, UH, HOUSING ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. 
          AND HOUSING'S ONE THAT I WOULD ASK EVERYONE TO PAY ATTENTION TO. 
          UH, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, IF YOU CARE ABOUT PEOPLE, IF YOU CARE ABOUT 
          [00:20:01]
OUR ECONOMY, WE HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO, FOR THE WORKFORCE, UH, TO BE ABLE TO GET TO WORK. 
          MANY OF YOU MAY HAVE STRUGGLED IN HERE TODAY, MAYBE CAME ACROSS ON 4 62 IF YOU CAME IN THROUGH HARDY V AND IN THROUGH GEORGIA. 
          WE HAVE A LOT OF CHALLENGES TOO. 
          SO, I, I MIGHT ALSO ASK THIS GROUP TO, UH, PAY CLOSE ATTENTION, AND I'M GOING ZANY WITH THE CLICKER HERE. 
          UH, BUT, UH, PAY CLOSE ATTEN. 
          PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE, UH, TRANSFER TRANS, UH, TRANSPORTATION REFERENDUMS THAT WILL BE COMING UP. 
          BECAUSE, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR NEIGHBORS TRYING TO GET TO WHERE THEY HAVE TO GO, WE HAVE TO CARE A LOT MORE ABOUT TRANSPORTATION. 
          UH, AGAIN, DIVERSIFYING THE ECONOMY TAX BASE, AND I WOULD SAY OUR PASSION AT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. 
          AND, UH, SOMETIMES WE TAKE HEAT FOR IT, BUT WE'RE GONNA STAY FOCUSED ON TRYING TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF OUR NEIGHBORS THROUGH QUALITY JOBS. 
          AND WE MEASURE THAT. 
          I'M GONNA TRY TO GET A SIP OF WATER, OKAY? AS WE LOOK AT OUR SCORECARD. 
          AND I DO THINK THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SHOULDN'T BE, UH, UH, JUST A LOT OF ACTIVITIES, BUT YOU'VE GOTTA MEASURE IT. 
          UH, ONE OF MY MENTORS SAID THAT, WHICH GETS MEASURED GETS DONE. 
          SO AT THIS POINT, UH, EIGHT YEARS IN, ACTUALLY MIDDLE OF OCTOBER, WE'LL BE DOING THIS FOR EIGHT YEARS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, WE'RE AT $849 MILLION IN INVESTMENT, UH, THREE OVER 3000 JOBS. 
          UH, AVERAGE COMP, THIS IS A, A GOOD ONE TO LOOK AT, BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO SAY, OH, THIS IS TOUGH. 
          BUT, UH, AT THE HOUSING CONFERENCE WE WERE AT LAST WEEK, MEDIAN INCOME IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, MEDIUM HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS 81,000. 
          SO IF WE CAN HAVE TWO PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE MAKING THIS, WE'RE WELL ABOVE THE MEDIA. 
          IF YOU LOOK AT THAT NUMBER, JUST SINCE WE MET IN JANUARY, THAT'S UP $6,000 PER JOB. 
          SO WE'RE SEEING IT GO IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. 
          AN INTERESTING THING THE ECONOMIST SHARED IS, IS THAT WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE ECONOMY RIGHT NOW IS A SHRINKAGE OF THE HIGH PAYING JOBS AND A GROWING OF THE LOW PAYING JOBS. 
          SO, UH, THE FACT THAT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, WE'RE SEEING THAT GROW BY $6,000 IN NINE MONTHS, IS A, A GOOD INDICATION THAT OUR, OUR, OUR TARGETS ARE GOOD AND GETTING BETTER. 
          UH, THE LAST PIECE, UH, WELL, TWO MORE PIECES I WANT TO CIRCLE BACK TO OR COVER IS OUR, UH, INCENTIVES THAT YOU SEE HERE. 
          SO YOU SEE $31 MILLION IN INCENTIVES AND, UM, UH, UH, I'LL CALL 'EM GAD FLIES. 
          I HOPE I'M NOT INSULTING ANYONE IN THE ROOM, BUT WHO WANT TO CRE CRITIQUE WHAT WE'RE DOING. 
          THINK THAT WE'RE GIVING $31 MILLION OUT IN ORDER TO GET, UH, $849 MILLION IN INVESTMENT. 
          THAT'S NOT THE CASE. 
          WHAT, WHEN WE GET A PROJECT, WE GO THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND WE GET AN INCENTIVE SUR UH, SUMMARY. 
          AND THAT COULD BE JOB DEVELOPMENT CREDITS, WHICH IS, UH, UH, AN INCENTIVE OF, UH, PAYROLL WITHHOLDINGS BACK TO COMPANIES THAT COME INTO SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          IT COULD BE, UH, TAX CREDITS. 
          IT COULD BE EVEN THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE OR DEPARTMENT OF AG CONTRIBUTING TO A PROJECT. 
          THE PUNCHLINE THERE IS, IS THAT FOR THAT $849 MILLION IN INVESTMENT, THE SMALL NUMBER THERE AT THE BOTTOM, THE $1.5 MILLION IS WHAT BEAUFORT COUNTY THREW THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CO, UH, CORPORATION PAID TO INCENTIVIZE THOSE JOBS TO LOCATE HERE. 
          LAST PIECE ON OUR SCORECARD IS 102 PROJECTS. 
          AND YOU WOULD THINK YOU DO 102 PROJECTS. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD'VE TORN DOWN PARADISE AND PUT UP A PARKING LOT. 
          YOU WOULD'VE WRECKED MY NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          YOU WOULD'VE, UH, CREATED HAVOC. 
          THAT'S NOT THE CASE. 
          WE'VE DONE 102 PROJECTS JUST LIKE CS, IN CS INSTRUMENTS. 
          THEY'RE TUCKED INTO OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND MOST PEOPLE WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO FIND THESE. 
          UH, BUT I THINK THE REAL LITMUS FOR OUR SUCCESS IS IN EIGHT YEARS, WE HAVEN'T, YOU KNOW, HAD, UH, A NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP THAT DOESN'T WANT SOMETHING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, UH, PROTEST ANY OF OUR PROJECTS. 
          AND WE HAVEN'T HAD AN ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP OPPOSE ANY OF OUR PROJECTS. 
          SO I THINK THAT'S, UH, A CREDIT TO, UH, OUR STAFF KIND OF KEEPING, UH, IN TOUCH WITH THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, UH, MAKING SURE, UH, THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING IS BUILDING COMMUNITY, NOT TEARING IT APART. 
          UH, IN TERMS, UH, THERE'S A LITTLE, A LOT OF DISCUSSION, UH, ABOUT WHAT IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          WHEN YOU LOOK AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS DEFINED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, IT INCLUDES BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION. 
          THAT'S PAYING ATTENTION TO THE COMPANIES YOU HAVE IN YOUR COMMUNITY ALREADY. 
          AND AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, IN BUSINESS, UH, IT CAN COST 10 TIMES MORE TO GET A NEW CUSTOMER THAN IT 
          [00:25:01]
DOES TO KEEP ONE. 
          YOU HAVE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. 
          UH, SOMETIMES PEOPLE SAY, WELL, THAT'S NOT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          NO, IT IS. 
          AND, AND I ASK YOU TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE, UH, UH, ARTHUR BROWN TRAINING CENTER AS, UH, A PROJECT THAT AS A REGION, AS A COMMUNITY, WE SHOULD, UH, UH, UH, BE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF, UH, BY THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THE LOW COUNTRY REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT, INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, REUSE OF, UH, OF, UH, EXISTING FACILITIES. 
          AND WE DO A LOT OF THAT. 
          WE'RE DOING A LOT WITH THE COMMUNITIES, UH, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND, UH, SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. 
          NOW, WE HAVE GREAT PARTNERS IN THAT AREA. 
          WE HAVE, UH, THE DON RYAN CENTER FOR INNOVATION, THE BEAUFORT DIGITAL CORRIDOR. 
          WE HAVE BLACKWOOD, WE HAVE E FOR ALL. 
          SO THERE'S A, WE DON'T HAVE TO FOCUS ON THAT 'CAUSE WE HAVE GREAT PARTNERS WHO ARE FOCUSED IN THAT AREA. 
          SO, AGAIN, THAT'S HOW COLLABORATION IS DONE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, STRATEGIC PLANNING, UH, MARKETING AND ATTRACTION. 
          AND WE CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THAT. 
          UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. 
          UH, WE DO HAVE A PROJECT THAT IS WINDING ITS WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS. 
          AND, UH, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT. 
          AND THEN, UH, POLICY ADVOCACY. 
          SO AS WE GO OUT AND MEET WITH COMPANIES, UH, BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION, UH, WE ARE SURFACING, UH, UH, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS, BRIAN, WHO MEETS WITH 90 COMPANIES A YEAR, UH, ASKS RIGHT OFF THE BAT IS, WHAT IS YOUR PAIN POINT? AND, UH, UH, WE ARE ABLE TO, WE ACTUALLY KEEP DATA ON THIS. 
          WE HAVE A-A-C-R-M TO KEEP TRACK OF ALL THE FEEDBACK. 
          UH, BUT THESE ARE, ARE THE, UH, ISSUES THAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW. 
          BUSINESS COSTS, AND I'LL TOUCH ON IT. 
          TARIFF. 
          IT'S CALLED TARIFF AMBIGUITY. 
          UH, THAT IS, UH, SLOWING DOWN SOME BUSINESS DECISIONS. 
          WORKFORCE IS ALWAYS CHALLENGING. 
          UH, TAXES, INSURANCE RATES, AND I WON'T READ THROUGH THE WHOLE LIST. 
          UM, BUT, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, EVEN, UH, THE TOURISM BEING DOWN IS AFFECTING BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY AS WELL AS BRIAN'S OUT THERE. 
          I DO SEE QUESTIONS SHOWING UP. 
          SO I HOPE NONE OF THEM ARE, ARE DIFFICULT, BUT, WE'LL, WE WILL GET TO THEM. 
          UH, CS, CS INSTRUMENTS, UH, IS A, A GREAT COMPANY AS, UH, AN AREA, UH, THAT WAS, UH, UH, SAYING, WELL, WHY DON'T WE HAVE HEADQUARTERS? I MEAN, THEY'RE SMALL HEADQUARTERS, UH, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE COMING INTO TOWN. 
          THIS COMPANY IS BUILDING 11,000 SQUARE FEET. 
          THIS IS JUST THE FIRST PHASE OF IT. 
          UH, AND THAT THEIR BALANCE OF THEIR BUILDING, I BELIEVE THEY'RE REALTORS IN THE BACK, UH, BUT THEY HAVE ANOTHER 6,000 SQUARE FEET AVAILABLE. 
          BUT, UH, UH, 3 MILLION IN INVESTMENT AND 13 JOBS. 
          THE JOBS ARE WELL ABOVE THE AVERAGE, UH, WAGE THAT WE SHOWED ON OUR SCORECARD. 
          SO THAT'S WHY THE NUMBER IS CREEPING UP. 
          UH, SPARTINA 4, 4 9, THE HANDBAG COMPANY. 
          UH, THIS IS A, A PROJECT THAT, UH, BRIAN SURFACED ON HIS BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION, UH, MEETINGS, BUT A $6.1 MILLION INVESTMENT, UH, RETAINING 50 JOBS, AND, UH, UH, 15 NEW JOBS. 
          AND AGAIN, WORKING WITH THE DON RYAN CENTER IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, WE, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO BE VERY RESPONSIVE. 
          SOME, THERE'S CRITIQUE, LIKE, WHY WOULD YOU, WHY WOULD YOU HELP THIS COMPANY? BECAUSE IT'S AN ICONIC BRAND, AND IT'S A GREAT REFLECTION ON OUR COMMUNITY, UH, UH, HEALTHCARE, UH, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF HEALTHCARE. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE IT AS YOU DROVE IN HERE TODAY. 
          UH, THIS IS THE BEAUFORD MEMORIAL INVESTMENT, 103,000,075 JOBS, 90,000 SQUARE FEET, MUSC, NOT FAR FROM THERE. 
          ACTUALLY, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET IS ADDING 52,000, UH, UH, SQUARE FEET, $50 MILLION. 
          UH, NOVANT, UH, IS DOING A LOT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, CURRENTLY, UH, $320 MILLION RIGHT THERE ON BUCKWALTER, A THOUSAND JOBS, 194,000 SQUARE FEET. 
          AND THERE ARE MORE NOVANT INVESTMENTS COMING, UH, A AS WELL AS BEAUFORT MEMORIAL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. 
          THIS PROJECT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SPOKE ABOUT CS INSTRUMENTS BEING A QUICK TURNAROUND PROJECT. 
          THIS PROJECT, UH, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, OH, UH, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR EIGHT YEARS. 
          THERE HAVE BEEN ERRORS, ISSUES IN TERMS OF ACUTE ASSEMBLING THE PROPERTY. 
          THERE HAVE BEEN ISSUES, UH, AND THERE'LL BE CONTINUED ISSUES OF GETTING, UH, THE PROJECT, UH, THROUGH THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS. 
          UH, BUT WE HAVE OUR LAWYERS, UH, UH, WORKING ON A LETTER OF INTENT, UH, WITH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION, UH, UH, TO GET THAT MOVING FORWARD. 
          AND WE SHOULD HAVE A DRAFT OF THE LETTER OF INTENT, I WOULD THINK, IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. 
          AND WE'LL SEND THAT TO COUNTY FOR REVIEW. 
          BUT, UM, I SEE HANK AND MIKE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER. 
          THEY'VE BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN THIS PROCESS. 
          YEAH. 
          [00:30:01]
OKAY. 
          UH, MOVING ALONG, UH, BUCKWALTER, THIS IS A GREAT PROJECT, UH, UH, FOR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND FOR, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY. 
          UH, TIM DOLNIK, WHO'S DONE PROJECTS HERE, UH, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY BEFORE, IS DOING ANOTHER, UH, GREAT PROJECT. 
          UH, THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR, JUST OVER 50,000 SQUARE FEET. 
          UH, UH, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND ITS WISDOM, UH, IS CREATING AN INCUBATOR SPACE. 
          ONE OF THE COMPANIES, AN OUTGROWTH OF EQUITY, IS GONNA, UH, SET UP A CHILDCARE FACILITY, WHICH IS A GREAT, UH, UH, FIT WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          AND THEN ON THE UPPER DECK, UH, THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE AND, UH, UH, THE, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP. 
          A ALONG WITH, UH, WORKING WITH PAUL TIDY, UH, WITH THE, UH, DON RYAN CENTER. 
          THEY'LL BE, UH, UH, SPACE FOR MORE BUSINESS INCUBATION AND A LANDING PAD FOR COMPANIES COMING TO OUR COUNTY. 
          UH, MOVING ALONG WITH PORT ROYAL, WE CONTINUE TO, UH, UH, WORK WITH THEM. 
          WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE VAN WILLIS REJOIN OUR BOARDS, UH, BUT WE'LL WORK WITH THEM ON A COMMERCIAL MIX IN THEIR DOWNTOWN, UH, PORT DEVELOPMENT. 
          UH, WE'RE, UH, WORKING WITH, UH, A FEW SHRIMPERS, UH, AND FISHERMEN, UH, THE VETERANS CLINIC. 
          THERE SHOULD BE AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ON THAT. 
          AND THEN IN DOWN THE ROAD, LOOKING AT, UH, POTENTIAL REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AT THE NAVAL HOSPITAL. 
          UH, THIS IS A COMPANY OUT OF NEW YORK. 
          WE JUST GOT AN EMAIL FROM THEM YESTERDAY. 
          THEY'RE IN THE MIDST OF, UH, UH, PRICING OUT THE CONSTRUCTION OF A FACILITY IN THE BEAUFORT COMMERCE PARK. 
          IT'S A, UH, UH, INDUSTRIAL CERAMICS COMPANY. 
          UH, THEY HAVE BEEN, UH, FOR THE LAST NINE MONTHS, THEY CALL IT, UH, TARIFF AMBIGUITY. 
          SO WE'VE KIND OF ADOPTED THAT LINE. 
          UH, BUT THEY NEED TO MOVE FORWARD AND ARE NOW, UH, BIDDING THE WORK ON A $7 MILLION PROJECT. 
          AND WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ON AN A SITE ENHANCEMENT GRANT, UH, THAT SHOULD PREP THAT FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT. 
          SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. 
          UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, UH, LAND ACQUISITION IN THE LAST QUARTER, WE BOUGHT A A 14, UH, 0.77 ACRES SITE ON PARKER DRIVE. 
          AND WE, UH, UH, UH, WITH THE COUNTY'S BLESSING BOUGHT 117 ACRES, UH, UP IN, UP IN LIKO. 
          UH, AND WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. 
          I'LL SHOW YOU SOMETHING ON THAT SHORTLY. 
          BUT WE HAVE A COMPANY THAT NEEDS TO CONSOLIDATE ITS OPERATIONS FROM, UH, AN INCUMBENT, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY COMPANY THAT NEEDS TO CONSOLIDATE ITS OPERATIONS FROM BRAZIL, CANADA, AND ITALY IN ORDER TO, UH, UH, MEET SOME OF THE MADE IN US, UH, RE REQUIREMENTS. 
          SO THAT'S, UH, THAT'S A GREAT PROJECT. 
          AND, UH, IT, IT LIKELY COULD LAND ON THE 14.7 ACRES, UH, THAT WE, UH, HAVE ACQUIRED. 
          PROJECT LAUNDRY, UH, IS COMING OUT OF THE GROUND AND SHOULD BE COMPLETE SHORTLY, BUT THIS IS A $35 MILLION INVESTMENT IN BUFORD'S COMMERCE PARK. 
          UH, WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, I DO SEE OUR, OUR ALUMNI, CHARLIE, UH, STONE HERE WITH US. 
          BUT WHEN CHARLIE WAS AN INTERN, HE HAD APPLIED FOR A, UH, A GRANT, A SITE ENHANCEMENT GRANT TO GET THAT PAD BUILT. 
          WELL, TODAY, UH, WE'RE IN THE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE FINAL PHASE OF A $35 MILLION INVESTMENT ON THAT SITE, 162 JOBS. 
          AND DOMINION WAS VERY HELPFUL WITH, UH, UTILITY TAX CREDITS ON THAT. 
          I SHOULD, I SHOULD WIND BACK TO WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE COVE PALMETTO ELECTRIC, AND THE SC POWER TEAM, UH, DID HEROIC LIFTING ON GETTING THAT PROJECT. 
          SO WHEN YOU GO TO THE COVE, UH, UH, YOU'LL, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT, I'M SURE PAUL WILL REMIND YOU WHEN YOU VISIT THE COVE. 
          DID I JUMP BY? UH, LAST, UH, UH, WELL, ONE, ONE OF THE FINAL SITES I WANTED TO, I THINK ONE OF THE FINAL SITES I'LL TOUCH ON, I THINK I HAVE A FEW MORE, BUT ACTUALLY, UH, UH, HAVING TRAVELED WITH THIS, UH, SE POWER TEAM AND DEPARTMENT OF AG, WE'VE KIND OF IDENTIFIED SOME GREAT OPPORTUNITIES THAT FIT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IN LIKO. 
          THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR OR LOOKING AT, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER, THAT'S A FARM IN BLUFFTON, GEORGIA, UH, IT'S ABOUT A FIVE HOUR RIDE FROM HERE. 
          UH, BUT WE HAVE INVESTORS THAT ARE LOOKING AT DOING A MEAT PROCESSING PLANT UP AT THAT LEKO SITE. 
          AND THROUGH OUR TRAVELS WITH THE SC POWER TEAM AND THE DEPARTMENT OF AG HAVE IDENTIFIED, LET ME SEE IF I CAN SAY THIS. 
          I'M GONNA CHEAT, UH, RECIRCULATE RECIRCULATING AQUACULTURE SYSTEMS, WHICH IS INDOOR FISHERIES, WHICH SHOULD MAKE THE MARINE CORPS HAPPY SO THAT THE BIRDS AREN'T FLYING OVER AN OPEN PIT WITH FISH IN 
          [00:35:01]
IT. 
          UH, BUT THE WORLD NEEDS 58 MILLION TONS OF FISH PROTEIN BY 2030. 
          SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT THIS CAMPUS AS BEING LIKE AN ENVIRO TRACK WHERE WE HAVE MEAT PROCESSING AND, AND POTENTIALLY A RAS OR RECIRCULATING AQUATIC SYSTEM, UH, DOWN IN THE LOWER RIGHT. 
          THAT'S A, UH, UH, A FISHERY WE VISITED IN THE NETHERLANDS WHERE THEY, THEY PUMP OUT, UH, 8,500 METRIC TONS OF SUSHI GRADE, YELLOW FIN TUNA A YEAR. 
          UH, SO, UH, UH, THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT, UH, THE, THE PARKER DRIVE SITE 3 0 2 PARKER DRIVE, 80, 83,000 SQUARE FEET. 
          WE HAVE, UH, A, A BATTERY AND FIRE, UH, SUPPRESSION COMPANY LOOKING AT THAT SITE. 
          AND THEY ARE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF, UH, HOPEFULLY PURCHASING THAT. 
          AND AS I WRAP UP, I DO, I BELIEVE I WILL. 
          UH, WE DO HAVE INVESTORS AND WE, WE HAVE A SALE OF SOME PROPERTY CREATING SOME, UH, UH, REVENUE OF, UH, FOR THE CITY OF BEAUFORT. 
          BUT ALSO, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE, UH, TWO INVESTORS LOOKING AT BUILDING THIS 72,000 SQUARE FOOT, FULLY, FULLY PERMITTED, FULLY DESIGNED, UH, SPEC BUILDING. 
          SO THAT'S A, A NICE THING. 
          AND THEN WE HAVE QUESTIONS HERE. 
          SO I'M GONNA TAKE A SIP OF WATER AND SEE IF I CAN READ A FEW QUESTIONS. 
          I'LL READ THE QUESTION. 
          I, THIS IS GOING TO, HOPEFULLY THERE'S NO REAL STUMPS ON HERE, 'CAUSE I'M JUST GONNA READ IT ALOUD. 
          HOW DOES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION INCORPORATED INTO THE BC EDCS APPROACH TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? VERY EASILY. 
          ANYTIME WE HAVE A PROJECT THAT IS GONNA INVOLVE THE ENVIRONMENT, UH, FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE GREAT CONSULTANTS THAT HELP US. 
          SO EVEN WITH THE PURCHASE OF THE 117 ACRES, UH, UP IN LECO, SO WE HAVE A FIRM THAT'S HELPED US WITH A VOLUNTARY CLEANUP CONTRACT SO THAT THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES STAY IN PLACE. 
          SECOND OF ALL, ANY LOOK AT A PROJECT, WE, UH, LET OUR, OUR FRIENDS AT COASTAL CONSERVATION AND THE OPEN LAND TRUSTS, SEE WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON TO MAKE SURE, I THINK I'M READY FOR A NEW MIC. 
          YOU TALK TOO MUCH. 
          SO, UH, ANYTIME WE GET A PROJECT IN, WE HAVE OUR OPEN LAND TRUST AND, UH, UH, UH, COASTAL CONSERVATION. 
          LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. 
          AND, AND ONE OTHER, UH, LEVEL OF DUE DILIGENCE ON THIS FRONT IS WE HAVE THE MARINE CORPS LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND LET US KNOW IF THEY HAVE CONCERNS. 
          SO, FOR INSTANCE, WE'RE LOOKING AT A BORROW PIT IN THE BUFORT COUNTY COMMERCE PARK. 
          THE MARINE CORPS WILL TELL US, YOU CAN USE THE BORROW PIT, BUT YOU'VE GOTTA FILL IT BACK IN. 
          WE DON'T WANT AN AREA THAT ATTRACTS BIRDS NEAR THE F 35. 
          SO, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF NATURAL PARTNERS THAT WE CAN LEAN ON, UH, AT THE DEPARTMENT OF, UH, UH, DHC, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES. 
          THEY'RE GREAT OMBUDSMAN IN PLACE TO HELP ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. 
          SO, UH, WE RELY ON THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES FROM THE SMALLEST TO THE LARGEST NEW ENTRANCE INTO BEAUFORT COUNTY. 
          SO I WOULD SAY ON THE HIGH END, UH, WE ARE AT, UH, LIKE 1 65 AND AT THE LOW END, UH, THROUGH SOME OF OUR PARTNERS, IT MAY BE ONE EMPLOYEE. 
          UH, OUR, OUR APPROACH IS WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, AND GILLIAN, YOU CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THEY FOCUS ON PROJECTS 10 AND 10 OR MORE. 
          BUT THROUGH OUR PARTNERS AT THE DON RYAN CENTER OR, UH, UH, THE BEAUFORT DIGITAL CORRIDOR, OR BLACKWOOD, OR E FOR ALL, OR WHATEVER GROUP WE'RE WORKING WITH, WE TAKE THE, TAKE THE, UH, UH, POSITION THAT IT ONLY TAKES A DROP TO START FILLING A BUCKET. 
          AND A LOT OF GREAT COMPANIES STARTED WITH ONE EMPLOYEE. 
          UH, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO WORK WITH INNOVATORS AND, AND THAT WE DON'T SHY AWAY FROM SMALL COMPANY. 
          WE ACTUALLY TELL COMMERCE THAT IF THEY HAVE A COMPANY THAT SEEMS TOO SMALL FOR THEM TO WORK WITH, SEND THEM OUR WAY. 
          SO THAT'S HOW WE FILLED IN 300, THAT, UH, 3,223 JOBS, YOU KNOW, ONE LITTLE JOB AT A TIME. 
          IF YOU, IF YOU TAKE THAT NUMBER AND DIVIDE IT BY 102 PROJECTS, YOU CAN, UH, GUESS HOW SMALL SOME OF THEM ARE. 
          ARE YOU WORKING WITH THE, UH, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND STATE CHARTER SCHOOLS TO ALIGN THEIR COURSES TO MATCH LOCAL JOB OPPORTUNITIES? UH, WE HAVE FRANK RODRIGUEZ ON OUR BOARD, AND, UH, WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH KAREN GILBERT, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, UH, THE OTHER LEVELS OF EDUCATION 
          [00:40:01]
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON TRACK. 
          SO THE ANSWER TO THAT IS YES, WHEN WE HAVE A PROSPECT, UH, PROSPECT VISIT, AND WE'VE BEEN TOLD THIS BY SITE SELECTION CONSULTANTS, THAT THEY DON'T ONLY WANNA MEET THE FOUR YEAR COLLEGE, THE TWO YEAR COLLEGE, BUT THEY WANNA MEET THE K THROUGH 12 SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY NEED TO KNOW THEY HAVE A PIPELINE OF TALENT. 
          AND SO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, AND KAREN GILBERT IN PARTICULAR, ALONG WITH RALPH, UH, AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, ARE AT THOSE DINNERS, AT THOSE LUNCHES WITH THE PROSPECT, UH, TALKING ABOUT IT, WHAT BARRIERS, UH, WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS YOU GAVE IN ATTRACTING MORE DIVERSE AND HIGHER PAYING EMPLOYERS? THE, THE, THE, THE LARGEST BARRIER IS TALENT. 
          I MEAN, YOU CAN'T ASK SOMEBODY TO COME TO AN AREA, IT'S LIKE, UH, I DON'T KNOW. 
          YOU HAVE A, A JOHN DEERE TRACTOR AND YOU SAY, HEY, MOVE IT HERE, BUT YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE GASOLINE PUT IN THE TANK. 
          SO YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE, AND WE WORK WITH OUR, OUR, UH, UH, ALLIES AT THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCES, BUT IF SOMEBODY IS LOOKING TO FILL A CERTAIN LEVEL OF JOBS, WE USE THE TOOL THEY HAVE AVAILABLE CALLED JOB ZQ TO DO A RUN TO SHOW THEM WHAT THE TALENT BASE IS TO RUN THEIR BUSINESS. 
          AND THAT'S WHERE, UH, WARREN PARKER'S HERE AND SOME OF THE LEADERS ON THE CYBERSECURITY, UH, WHEN THEY FIRST STARTED THAT INITIATIVE, PEOPLE SAID, LET'S GET A BIG COMPANY HERE, BUT WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE IT THE OTHER WAY. 
          SO THE, UH, K THROUGH 12 PROGRAM IS, IS FEATURING CYBERSECURITY, THE, UH, TCL AND, UH, USCB. 
          AND NOW WE HAVE GRADUATES COMING OUT OF THE PROGRAM. 
          SO NOW WE HAVE THE GAS TO PUT IN THAT JOHN DEERE TRACTOR OR THAT, UH, THIS CYBER BUSINESS. 
          SO THE KEY IS, UH, THE BARRIER IS PROVING YOU HAVE THE TALENT, UH, TO FILL THE JOBS. 
          KELLY, YOU'LL LET ME KNOW WHEN I SHOULD WRAP UP. 
          OKAY. 
          SHE WILL DO THAT VERY CLEARLY. 
          UM, IN, IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN, HOW I'M GETTING NERVOUS 'CAUSE I COULD GET DEEP INTO ONE OF THESE QUESTIONS AND HAVE A REAL MOMENT. 
          BUT IN, IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN, HOW ARE WE ENSURING THAT BOTH NEW AND EXISTING BUSINESSES NOT ONLY SUCCEED ECONOMICALLY, BUT ALSO REMAIN COMMITTED TO STRENGTHENING AND SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITIES? AND SO, I, I, I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, MY DAUGHTER WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU PUT THAT OUT INTO THE UNIVERSE. 
          AND SO I DO BELIEVE OUR APPROACH TO BUSINESS ATTRACTION WE PUT OUT, UH, AND, AND WE CAN TELL SOMEBODY VERY CLEARLY IF THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE A FIT, IF THEY'RE GONNA RUN INTO A WALL IN TERMS OF PERMITTING, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST USE THE COMMUNITY. 
          SO THAT'S THE FIRST PART OF THAT QUESTION. 
          THE OTHER PART IS, IS THAT, UH, UH, BRIAN, UH, HAS A BLOG OUT THERE. 
          HOPEFULLY YOU'VE SEEN IT ON LINKEDIN, ON THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION. 
          AND THERE ARE STATS IN THERE, BUT 90% OF YOUR GROWTH, UH, UH, 80% OF YOUR, UH, INVESTMENT GROWTH AND, UH, UH, 80% OF YOUR JOBS WILL COME FROM A COMPANY THAT'S ALREADY IN YOUR COMMUNITY. 
          SO IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE CARE OF THOSE BUSINESSES THAT ARE HERE TODAY. 
          AND THAT'S WHY BRIAN AND, UH, UH, YEAH, WHEN KELLY AND I CAN JOIN 'EM, GO OUT ON THOSE VISITS AND WANNA KNOW WHAT THEIR PAIN POINTS ARE SO THAT WE CAN BRING SOME OF OUR PARTNERS IN TO ADDRESS THOSE. 
          SO, UH, IT, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT, UH, YOU TAKE CARE OF THE BUSINESSES YOU HAVE BECAUSE THAT IS YOUR BRAND. 
          AND WHEN WE BRING A COMPANY IN, WE USUALLY HAVE THEM MEET WITH AN INCUMBENT BUSINESS. 
          SO THAT, UH, IT'S NOT ME TELLING THEM BEAUFORT IS GREAT. 
          IT, IT COULD BE THE, THE GENTLEMAN AT GREENLINE OR, UH, UH, UH, THE, THE PERSON AT NORMAN BLINDS, OR L THREE HARRIS OR UH, UH, LOCKHEED MARTIN, TELLING THEM WHAT THEIR EXPERIENCE IS IN BUFORT, NOT, NOT ME. 
          'CAUSE IT'S, UH, I, I'M A BIG BELIEVER THAT A THIRD PARTY AFFIRMATION IS SO MUCH STRONGER THAN YOU SAY SOMETHING NICE ABOUT YOURSELF. 
          UM, UH, WORKFORCE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING, WHAT TYPES OF PROGRESS HAVE BEEN INITIATED AS OUR COUNTY CONTINUES TO GROW AT AN, AT A INCREMENTAL LEVEL? UH, A LOT OF EFFORT, UH, IS, IS BEING EXERTED ON WORKFORCE HOUSING. 
          UH, UH, THIS PAST WEEK WE TEAMED UP WITH THE, UH, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE TOWN OF  TO PROVIDE INVESTORS WITH DATA TO SUPPORT THE, THE UNDER UNDERPINNINGS, THE FINANCING FOR, UH, A HOUSING PROJECT. 
          UH, UH, IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, HOUSING, AND I HOPE YOU ARE, UH, MORE 
          [00:45:01]
NEEDS TO BE DONE THERE. 
          UH, WELL, WE JUST, WERE ON THE PHONE WITH A REALTOR THE OTHER DAY HERE IN ABOUT 160 UNITS HERE AND 160 UNITS THERE. 
          SO, UH, UH, THE DIFFERENT TOWNS ARE MAKING PROGRESS, MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE. 
          AND I WOULD, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, UH, TO GO TO THE BEAUFORT JASPER HOUSING TRUST WEBSITE. 
          UH, ANY, ANY TIME YOU GET A CHANCE TO HEAR, UH, CLAUDE THERE OR JENNIFER SPEAK, UH, DO SO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          I HOPE I DON'T, OH, THIS IS TOWARDS THE END. 
          UM, OH, THIS COULD BE INTERESTING. 
          YOU SAID ONE MORE. 
          KELLY, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US ABOUT YOUR STAFF, KELLY BRUNSON AND BRIAN WARNER? WHAT AREAS DO THEY FOCUS ON AT B-C-E-D-C AND HOW HAS THEIR COLLABORATION FOSTERED SUCCESS AT B-C-E-D-C? THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION, AND I'M GLAD WHOEVER ASKED IT, ASKED IT. 
          NOW, AS A LEADER, YOU KIND OF LOOK AT YOURSELF AND SAY, I'M GOOD AT THIS, I'M GOOD AT THAT. 
          BUT THE LONGER YOU LIVE, YOU REALIZE I'M NOT GOOD AT THAT. 
          I'M NOT THAT GOOD AT THAT. 
          AND YOU REALLY WANT TO HAVE A TEAM THAT COMPLIMENTS THOSE THINGS. 
          AND SO, UH, I I, I TELL PEOPLE IN SMALLER CROWDS, I'LL TELL YOU THAT WHILE I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UH, KELLY BRUNSON'S, EXECUTIVE SKILLS ARE SUPERIOR TO MINE IN TERMS OF TAKE, DOTTING I'S AND CROSSING T'S. 
          SO, UH, WE REALLY HAVE BEEN BLESSED SINCE INCEPTION OF HAVING GREAT TALENT JOIN US. 
          SO YOU ASKED, YOU SAID I COULD ASK ONE MORE QUESTION, ANSWER ONE MORE QUESTION, AND NOW, UH, UH, AND KELLY HAD DONE SEVEN YEARS WITH THE HILTON HEAD BLUFF IN CHAMBER OF HUMBER. 
          AND WE HAVE, UH, BRIAN WARNER WHO, UH, UH, COMES FROM A BACKGROUND OF BEING A ROCKER, BEING A MANUFACTURER REP, BEING A, HE'S GOT A, A ASSORTED, BUT, UH, A, A GOOD PASS. 
          UH, BUT, UH, UH, BRIAN, BRIAN, UH, UH, DID, UH, TWO YEARS OR WORKED TWO YEARS WITH THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE AND, UH, IN TERMS OF LOVING YOUR JOB, AND I SUGGEST YOU READ HIS PLOT, HE LOVES WHAT HE DOES. 
          HE CARES PASSIONATELY ABOUT THE COMPANIES HE GETS TO MEET WITH. 
          AND HE COMES BACK. 
          AND, UH, I NOT TO PICK ON TIM, BUT, UH, HE, HE WORKS HARD ON FOLLOWING THROUGH ON ALL THESE THINGS THAT COME OUT OF THOSE MEETINGS. 
          SO I, I, I HOPE I ANSWERED THAT QUESTION. 
          IT GAVE ME A, A GREAT CHANCE TO BRAG AMONG MY STAFF. 
          I'LL DO ONE MORE THING 'CAUSE I HAVE THE MIC. 
          UH, I WOKE UP AT FIVE THIS MORNING TO GET HERE. 
          WHEN I LOOKED UP MY PHONE, I HAD A, UH, UH, THROUGH BILL.COM. 
          I HAD A, A A, AN INVOICE THAT WAS SUBMITTED AT, AT TWO HOURS PRIOR, AT THREE IN THE MORNINGS BY KELLY BRUNSON. 
          UH, SO, AND AFTER THIS EVENT, UH, SHE WILL BE HEADED, UH, WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, UH, THE SC POWER TEAM AND THE DEPARTMENT OF AG TO A FOOD SHOW IN GERMANY. 
          SO SHE'LL BE FI FLYING OUT THIS AFTERNOON AND, UH, HOPEFULLY GETTING LEADS NOT ONLY FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY, BUT THE SEVEN COUNTIES. 
          UH, SHE'LL BE GOING ON BEHALF OF, UH, SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE, BUT THEY WORK REALLY HARD FOR YOU. 
          AND I'M GLAD I GOT TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. 
          MY NAME IS KELLY BRUNSON AND I AM THE SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. 
          I'M SO HAPPY THAT ALL OF YOU ARE HERE TODAY. 
          UM, I GET TO HAVE THE PLEASURE OF INTRODUCING OUR MC FOR OUR MONITOR FOR OUR PANEL TODAY. 
          UM, AND SHE NEEDS LITTLE INTRODUCTION BECAUSE SHE'S VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS CROWD. 
          UM, YOU KNOW HER AS HANNAH HORN, BUT SHE'S RECENTLY NEWLYWED AND IS NOW HANNAH HALL, A LONGTIME NEWS ANCHOR IN COLUMBIA. 
          HANNAH DECIDED TO HANG UP HER MICROPHONE AND ENTERED THE WORLD OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AFTER EARNING HER MBA FROM THE MOORE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT USC, WHILE SHE WAS AT WSC NEWS 10, SHE TRAVELED ACROSS THE STATE AND SPOKE TO SEVERAL COMMUNITY GROUPS, ONE OF WHICH WAS A MOTHER DAUGHTER BANQUET FROM MY HOMETOWN'S CHURCH. 
          AND, UM, FROM THAT MOMENT, I JUST KNEW THAT HANNAH WAS A WONDERFUL PERSON, AND I WAS SO EXCITED THAT I ACTUALLY GOT TO WORK WITH HER AT THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, WHERE SHE LED THE LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS AND SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS AT THE CHAMBER. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY, SHE LEFT THE LOW COUNTRY IN 2022 TO LAUNCH THE CITY OF ROCK HILLS GRAVITY CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP. 
          [00:50:01]
WHEN HER HUSBAND RETIRED, HANNAH STARTED HER OWN SMALL BUSINESS FROM MEDIA MARKETING AND GRANT WRITING. 
          SHE DEV DEVOTE HER TIME AND TALENTS TO ENTIRELY TO IMPACT PROJECTS, ONE OF WHICH IS THE LOCAL NONPROFIT REAL CHAMPIONS, WHICH IS BASED IN JASPER COUNTY AND IS DEDICATED TO MENTORING SOUTH CAROLINA'S MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS. 
          IN HER SPARE TIME, HANNAH TRIES DESPERATELY TO LOWER HER GOLF HANDICAP, AND SHE PLAYED 27 HOLES ON, UM, SUNDAY, AND TOOK SOME TIME OUT OF HER DAY TO HAVE A QUICK CALL WITH US TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WE WERE HAVING THIS EVENT BECAUSE THERE WAS A HURRICANE. 
          GUYS, UM, . 
          SHE ALSO TRIES NOT TO BURN DINNER AS WELL. 
          UH, SHE AND HER HUSBAND PETER, UH, LIVE IN CHARLOTTE, AND THEY HAVE A SECOND HOME IN SEA PINE. 
          SO PLEASE HELP ME WELCOME MS. HANNAH HALL, AND IF WE COULD HAVE OUR PANELISTS COME AS WELL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IT'S HUMBLING WHEN KELLY SAYS, I WATCHED YOU ON TV GROWING UP, GULP. 
          OH MY, OH MY. 
          UH, I HAVE OFTEN Y YEAH, COME, UM, OUR EXPERTS ARE JOINING THE STAGE. 
          I'VE OFTEN HEARD IT SAID THAT, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS A GAME OF CHESS, NOT CHECKERS. 
          AND THE FOLKS THAT ARE ON THE STAGE, UH, JOINING US, UM, THAT HAVE TAKEN TIME OUT OF THEIR BUSY DAYS, UM, YOU WILL SEE AND HEAR FROM THEM, UH, ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS THAT, UM, ARE OF INTEREST, NO DOUBT TO BE FOR COUNTY, BUT REALLY THE ENTIRE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, WHICH THEY HAVE ALL TRAVELED FROM, UM, THEY ARE, UH, UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO TALK ABOUT NOT ONLY BEAUFORT COUNTY, BUT THE NEEDS OF SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          AND, UH, I'VE LOVED GETTING TO KNOW THEM ALL AND, UH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A GOOD TIME HERE TODAY. 
          SO, UH, HERE'S SOME HOUSEKEEPING NOTES. 
          UM, OVER, UM, THE NEXT, UH, GOSH, UH, 45 MINUTES, WE'RE GONNA TALK TO THEM, GIVE THEM ABOUT EIGHT TO 10 MINUTES EACH TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT THEY REALLY HAVE FOCUSED THEIR CAREER ON, WHAT THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR WHEELHOUSE IS. 
          AND THEN FROM THERE, WE'RE GONNA TAKE SOME QUESTIONS. 
          UM, ARE THOSE QUESTIONS GONNA COME FROM THE SAME 8 2 2 3 6 5 3 7? OKAY. 
          YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS, SO IF ONE COMES TO MIND ON A PARTICULAR SUBJECT AS THEY'RE SPEAKING OF IT, GO AHEAD AND SUBMIT THOSE FOR US. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AGAIN, IT'S 8 2 2 3 6 5 3 7. 
          ANYBODY HAVE BINGO YET? YEAH, COME ON. 
          WAKE UP FOLKS. 
          , FEEL FREE AS WELL TO HOP UP AND GET SOME MORE COFFEE THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF, UH, THE MORNING IF YOU WANT TO AS WELL. 
          LET'S KEEP IT GOOD AND, AH, GOOD. 
          AND, AND LIGHT. 
          HAVE A GOOD TIME. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          FIRST OF ALL, UM, GIL, DO YOU WANNA START, UM, TELL US, WELL, I GUESS JAMES, WE'LL START WITH YOU. 
          UM, 'CAUSE YOU HAVE THE MICROPHONE IN YOUR HAND. 
          UH, TELL US A LITTLE BIT. 
          INTRODUCE YOURSELF, UM, AND YOUR BACKGROUND. 
          UH, LET'S SEE. 
          I'M AN ACCIDENTAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPER. 
          UM, I GOT MY DEGREE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD. 
          UM, DURING COLLEGE I WORKED IN CHILD LIFE BASICALLY HELPING MOM AND DAD LEARN HOW TO INTERACT WITH THEIR BABIES. 
          AND THEN, UH, A BUDDY OF MINE SAID, WELL, HEY, WHY DON'T YOU TAKE A YEAR OFF BEFORE GETTING YOUR MASTER'S AND A SKI? SO THE ONLY JOB IN TOWN WAS RUNNING THE LOCAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND THAT STARTED A 20 YEAR CAREER. 
          UH, STILL IN THE RECOVERY PROGRAM. 
          I'M NOT SO SURE IF THE CHAMBER PROGRAM CHAMBER FOLKS ARE HERE, BUT, UM, SOME OF THE STUFF THEY GET TO DEAL WITH, SOME OF THE STUFF JOHN GETS TO DEAL WITH, I JUST DON'T MISS AT ALL. 
          UH, WORKING FOR THE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES OF SOUTH CAROLINA HAS BEEN THE GREATEST BLESSING IN MY CAREER. 
          UM, WE'RE GONNA TALK SOME ABOUT WHAT THEY DO, BUT THEIR COMMITMENT TO GROWTH IN OUR STATE, UH, IS JUST UNPRECEDENTED, I THINK, FOR UTILITY. 
          UM, SO I'M THE CEO OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA POWER TEAM. 
          WE ARE THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT DOES ALL FACETS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          ON BEHALF OF THE CO-OPS, JAMES, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          AND JAMES IS, JAMES IS GONNA TALK TO US ABOUT COM COMPUTE, UH, COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS AND INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          SO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, JAMES IS GONNA FEEL THAT. 
          UH, LET'S, LET'S MOVE ON TO GREG. 
          GREG, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. 
          INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, GREG IS FROM HILTON HEAD, GREW UP, UH, BUT IS LIVING IN FLORENCE NOW. 
          SO TELL US ABOUT YOUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY. 
          THANK YOU, HANNAH. 
          THANK YOU JOHN, FOR ALLOWING, UH, A LOCAL FELLOW TO COME BACK HOME. 
          UH, GROWING UP IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, UM, MY FAMILY MOVED HERE IN THE LATE SIXTIES, AND SO I WASN'T BORN IN HILTON HEAD 'CAUSE HILTON HEAD DIDN'T HAVE A HOSPITAL. 
          SO, UM, I GOTTA GO BACK A GOOD WAY. 
          SO FOR ME TO COME TO SEE YOU GUYS TODAY, IT'S AMAZING THE CHANGES THAT HAVE, HAVE TRANSPIRED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND IN SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, INDIVIDUALS THAT I GREW UP WITH, COACH MAYNARD BARKER FROM THE OLD GATOR FOOTBALL PROGRAM, IF YOU REMEMBER THAT. 
          AND, UH, UH, DR. 
          UPSHAW WHO TAUGHT ME ALGEBRA, UH, AND EVEN THE CALCULUS, UH, THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, JOHN, AND HOW WE, UH, LOOK AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          ALL THESE MENTORS THAT WE HAD GROWING UP DOWN HERE THAT HAVE PREPARED, UH, GUYS LIKE MYSELF TO, TO KIND OF HELP 
          [00:55:01]
BRING INDUSTRY BACK TO SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          SO WE'LL GO A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO SOME OF THE ASPECTS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OVER MY 30 YEARS THAT I'VE DONE IT. 
          AND I LOOK FORWARD TO LISTENING TO YOUR QUESTIONS. 
          AND GREG MIGHT TELL US SOME GOOD STORIES ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO RECRUIT A BUCKYS TO YOUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT HAPPENING IN OURS, RIGHT? , THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE FUN. 
          ALRIGHT, SANDY. 
          SANDY, UH, YOU'VE HAD SUCH A BEAUTIFUL CAREER AND HAVE NOW LAUNCHED YOUR OWN BUSINESS, BUT STAY VERY ACTIVE. 
          GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. 
          OKAY? OH NO, YOU'RE GONNA NEED SOME MORE COFFEE BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME FUN THIS MORNING. 
          . 
          UM, I AM SANDY STEELE. 
          I HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO HAVE, UM, A WONDERFUL CAREER. 
          I'VE WORKED IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, HELPING FOUND THE LOW COUNTRY WORKFORCE INVESTMENT AREA WITH MELISSA ZALLIAN, WHO IS MY CHAIRMAN. 
          AND THEN, UH, KIND OF TRANSITIONED INTO FULL-TIME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SERVING AT THE COUNTY LEVEL FOR BOTH HAMPTON AND JASPER AND ALSO AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL FOR SOUTHERN CAROLINA, WHERE I RAN THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM. 
          UM, I WAS BLESSED TO RETIRE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO SO THAT I COULD SPEND MORE TIME WITH MY GRANDCHILDREN. 
          ANYBODY FEEL ME WITH THAT? YEAH. 
          WHERE ARE MY PEOPLE? THAT'S RIGHT. 
          WHOLE NEW LEVEL OF LOVE. 
          BUT I AM CURRENTLY, UM, A CONSULTANT DOING ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WORK FOR DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE. 
          I HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO BE A MEMBER OF AND SERVE ON THE BOARD OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS ASSOCIATION FOR EIGHT YEARS, I'M THEIR PAST PRESIDENT, AND ALSO LEAD THE LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY, UM, EFFORTS FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO BE ABLE TO HELP BRING RESOURCES TO THE STATE. 
          AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT. 
          I AM HONORED TO BE ON THE STAGE WITH THESE GENTLEMEN WHO ARE MY FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES, AND JUST REALLY HAPPY TO BE WITH YOU IN BEAUFORT COUNTY THIS MORNING. 
          THANK YOU, SANDY. 
          AND WE ALSO HAVE GILLIAN GILLY. 
          TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN LAKE CITY. 
          SURE. 
          GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. 
          MY NAME'S GILLIAN FREON. 
          I AM THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE. 
          UH, LIKE MANY OF THEM, I I STUMBLED INTO THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOO AS WELL, ACCIDENTALLY. 
          UM, I'VE DONE, UH, A LOT OF THINGS, UM, STARTED OFF IN, IN RETAIL MANAGEMENT, UH, HAVE A, UH, MILITARY BACKGROUND VETERAN. 
          UM, THEN, UH, AFTER THAT, UH, WENT INTO ACADEMIA, WAS A COLLEGE PROFESSOR FOR A WHILE, GOT TIRED OF DOING THAT. 
          I BECAME THE, UH, CHIEF MUNICIPAL JUDGE FOR MY HOMETOWN OF LAKE CITY. 
          UM, AND THEN STUMBLED INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND, UM, FINALLY FIGURED OUT WHAT I WANTED TO BE WHEN I GREW UP. 
          AND SO I LOVE THIS JOB. 
          I LOVE THIS, THIS INDUSTRY. 
          UM, IT'S VERY REWARDING WHAT WE DO. 
          UM, UH, LAKE CITY, BEING A SMALL TOWN KINDA GAVE ME THAT PASSION FOR SMALL TOWNS. 
          SO WORKING WITH OUR, OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES, UM, IT IS, IS VERY REWARDING AND, AND SEEING, UH, A LOT OF THESE PLACES ARE VERY, JUST, THERE'S A LOT OF DESPAIR. 
          UM, A A A LOT OF POVERTY. 
          UM, THERE'S A LACK OF HOPE IN A LOT OF THESE PLACES. 
          AND WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO IS PROVIDE SOME OF THAT HOPE AND, UM, AND TRY TO REACH THAT PROSPERITY THAT YOU ALL ARE PRACTICING. 
          WELL, GILLIAN, CAN WE JUST START WITH YOU AND YOUR SEGMENT? UM, SO GILEAD'S GONNA TALK TO US ABOUT COMMUNITY AND RURAL, RURAL DEVELOPMENT. 
          AND AGAIN, YOU CAN ASK YOUR QUESTIONS OF HIM. 
          THIS IS, UH, ENCOMPASSING WORKFORCE, HOUSING, CHILDCARE, UM, AND JUST REALLY, UH, COMMUNITY BUILDING IN OUR MOST RURAL PARTS. 
          AND, UH, GILLIAN, YOU'RE FROM A RURAL AREA. 
          WHAT, UH, AS YOU WORK AROUND SOUTH CAROLINA, WHAT PERHAPS DOES BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE IN COMMON WITH THOSE AREAS AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING RIGHT THAT WE COULD LEARN FROM? SURE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, TO BE, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY IS, IS INCOMPARABLE TO THE RURAL, UH, COMMUNITIES THAT I'M WORKING WITH, UM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MAYBE HORRY COUNTY AND I, I'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE SIMILARITIES IN A SECOND. 
          BUT, UM, BUT THERE ARE 24 COMMUNITIES OR RURAL COUNTIES, UM, WHICH, WHICH GET CLASSIFIED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. 
          SO IN EVERY DECEMBER, THE, UH, THE DEPARTMENT WILL PUBLISH THIS, UH, REPORT BASED ON YOUR PER CAPITA INCOMES AND UNEMPLOYMENT. 
          AND THEN THEY LIST THOSE 46 COUNTIES IN FOUR TIERS. 
          UM, THAT, THAT HIGHER YOUR TIER, THE LOWER YOUR PER CAPITA. 
          SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE PER CAPITA INCOME FOR BE COUNTY IS 80,300. 
          UM, THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF MY COUNTIES THAT THEIR PER CAPITA IS, IS, YOU KNOW, YOUR PER CAPITA TIMES, THEIR PER CAPITA. 
          UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THESE COUNTIES ARE, ARE, ARE STRUGGLING SIGNIFICANTLY. 
          THEY'RE, UH, THE, THE DEPARTMENT OF, UH, EMPLOYMENT AND WORKFORCE RELEASED THEIR EMPLOYMENT SITUATION FOR AUGUST A FEW WEEKS AGO. 
          AND THE TOP 25 COUNTIES WITH THE HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT, UM, 23 OF MY 24 COUNTIES ARE IN THAT TOP 25. 
          UM, HAMPTON COUNTY BEING ONE THAT HAS ONE OF THE LOWEST THOUGH, UM, UH, AND SO URI COUNTY, UM, IS ONE OF THOSE TIER THREE OR FOUR RURAL, UH, COUNTIES THAT I, I GET A CHANCE TO WORK WITH. 
          [01:00:01]
AND, UM, THEY ARE THE FASTEST GROWING COUNTY IN SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          AND SO, LIKE YOU ALL, UM, THEY ARE SEEING THE PRESSURES OF THIS EXPONENTIAL GROWTH. 
          UM, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, 30% GROWTH IN THE LAST, YOU KNOW, 10, 13 YEARS. 
          UM, SO YOU, YOU ALL ARE GOING TO, TO EXPERIENCE SOME OF THAT, OF HOW YOU KEEP UP WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THIS PARTICULAR GROWTH. 
          AND, AND THAT'S, WHEN I TALK ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE, I'M TALKING ABOUT EVERYTHING FROM ROADS, BRIDGES, TO HEALTHCARE TO EDUCATION, UM, IT, IT'S, UH, IT'S A CHALLENGE THAT YOUR, UH, TALENT LEADERSHIP, OF COURSE WILL, WILL, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO BE VERY STRATEGIC ABOUT HOW THEY PLANNED FOR THAT. 
          UM, UH, I'M, I'M A FOOTBALL FANATIC AND, AND SAYING, AND, UM, I'M A STEELERS FAN. 
          I DON'T LIKE THE COWBOYS, BUT, BUT, UH, DION SANDERS, WHO WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS DALLAS COWBOYS, UH, HE SAID SOMETHING IN AN INTERVIEW AND Y'ALL KNEW HOW, HOW ARROGANT COACH PRIDE CAN BE, RIGHT? AND, UH, THIS REPORTER SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'RE ONE OF THE GREATEST DEFENSIVE BACKS IN, IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. 
          HOW, WHAT, WHAT'S THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? AND, AND DEION SAYS, HE SAYS THAT I GO TO WHERE HE SAID, MOST DEFENSIVE BATS GO TO WHERE THE BALL IS, I GO TO WHERE THE BALL IS GOING. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL HAVE TO DO IN THIS SITUATION WITH THE GROWTH. 
          YOU, THE GROWTH IS ALREADY HAPPENING. 
          AND SO YOU CAN'T FOCUS ON WHERE THE BALL IS. 
          YOU HAVE TO FOCUS NOW ON WHERE THE BALL IS GOING. 
          AND SO I THINK THAT'LL BE A GOOD TIP AND A GREAT TIP FOR, UM, THE GROWTH THAT YOU'RE SEEING NOW. 
          SO WE'VE ALL DRIVEN THROUGH SOME OF THESE COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA WHERE THE, THE DOWNTOWN AREAS ARE BLIGHTED. 
          UH, YOU CAN, YOU CAN JUST SENSE GENERATIONAL POVERTY, UM, ALONG THOSE LINES, WATCHING WHERE THE BALL IS GOING. 
          HOW, HOW DO YOU ATTRACT A COMPANY OR A BUSINESS OR GROW EXISTING BUSINESSES WHEN, UH, YOU HAVE THOSE CHALLENGES OF EDUCATION AND CHILDCARE AND THERE ISN'T A SENSE OF COMMUNITY OR COHESIVENESS. 
          ALL THEY SEE AS PERHAPS WHAT ISN'T THERE? SO WHERE, WHERE DO YOU START TO BUILD THAT SUCCESS? GREAT QUESTION. 
          IT IT, IT'S A TOUGH NUT TO CRACK AND I OFTEN SAY THAT IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN, YOUR PLAN IS TO FAIL. 
          AND SO REALLY THAT STARTS WITH PLANNING. 
          AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE STARTED, UM, WITH THE, AN INITIATIVE WE STARTED LAST YEAR, UM, IS A STRATEGIC PLANNING INITIATIVE WHERE THE COORDINATING COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I WAS BRAND NEW TO THE, THE AGENCY. 
          AND THEY, THEY GAVE ME $4 MILLION WITHOUT CHECKING MY CREDIT TO DO THIS, UH, TO THIS PROJECT. 
          AND, UM, IT, IT HAS REALLY BEEN GREAT. 
          WE STARTED, UM, WE PROCURED THREE, UM, CONSULTANTS AND, UM, THEY'RE FROM ALL OVER. 
          AND, UH, WE PAY 100% OF THOSE CONSULTANT FEES TO DO A STRATEGIC PLAN IN THE COUNTY SEATS FOR THESE TIER THREE AND FOUR, UH, COUNTIES. 
          NOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE GET STRATEGIC PLANS DONE. 
          UM, MOST PEOPLE, THEY GET A STRATEGIC PLAN AND THEN THEY PUT IT ON THE SHELF AND IT COLLECTS DUST UNTIL IT'S TIME TO DO ANOTHER ONE. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND SO TO AVOID, UM, THAT FROM HAPPENING WITH THIS INITIATIVE, I WAS ALLOWED, UH, TO ALSO GIVE IMPLEMENTATION FUNDING TO START A CATALYST PROJECT. 
          AND SO THAT HAS BEEN THE CARROT ON THE  STICK TO GET THEM TO ACTUALLY MOVE THOSE PROJECTS UP, TO MOVE THOSE, UH, PLANS INTO, TO PROJECTS. 
          AND SO IT STARTS WITH WHEN, CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THOSE CATALYST PROJECTS? SURE. 
          UM, LET'S SEE. 
          UH, SO WE, WE ARE HERE TALKING ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          UM, I THINK ONE OF THE BEST EXAMPLES, UH, BAMBERG, SO, UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH, HEY HOLLY. 
          SO WE'RE WORKING WITH BAMBERG AND, UM, THERE ARE, UM, I THINK THEY HAVE FIVE OLD, UH, USED TO BE MILITARY BARRACKS. 
          AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA TRANSFORM THOSE MILITARY BARRACKS INTO, UM, A LANDING PAD FOR FOREIGN DOMESTIC INVESTMENT. 
          SO, UM, EACH ONE OF THOSE FACILITIES IN BAMBERG, IN, IN THE CITY OF BAMBERG, YOU HEARD IT HERE. 
          DOWNTOWN BAMBERG. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, YEAH. 
          SO HOW CAN BEAUFORT COUNTY, UM, LEARN FROM, WELL, THE, WE, WE HAVE OUR RURAL AREAS, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, BUT HOW CAN, UM, OUR CITIES, OUR MUNICIPALITIES, OUR UNINCORPORATED AREAS LEARN FROM THESE CATALYST PROJECTS? 'CAUSE IT KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S THE COMMON DENOMINATOR AND THEN WEAVE INTO, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CHILDCARE EDUCATION, THESE OTHER COMMUNITY BUILDING BLOCKS, THIS ECOSYSTEM THAT'S BUILT AROUND COMMUNITY SUCCESS. 
          SURE. 
          AND, AND JOHN TALKED ABOUT IT, IT'S REALLY ABOUT BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, WHAT, WHAT THAT AREA NEEDS. 
          AND SO DURING THAT STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS, WE GO THROUGH A SWOT ANALYSIS WHERE WE TALK ABOUT THE STRENGTHS, THE WEAKNESSES, THE OPPORTUNITIES, AND THE THREATS OF THAT COMMUNITY. 
          AND SO THE, WE TAKE THOSE, THE, THE STRENGTHS 
          [01:05:01]
AND, AND AS I STATED, IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO ONE RULE COMMUNITY IN SOUTH CAROLINA, YOU'VE ONLY BEEN TO ONE RURAL COMMUNITY IN SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          THEY'RE ALL UNIQUE. 
          THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT. 
          AND, UM, BUT THEY EACH HAVE SOME, SOME UNIQUE ASSET THAT COULD SPRING ON THAT GROWTH. 
          UM, AND, AND WITHOUT IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S TOUGH FOR JOHN, IT'S TOUGH FOR, UH, GREG AND, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS TO DO THEIR JOB BECAUSE ALL OF THESE PROSPECTS DO THIS DRIVE THROUGH THE COMMUNITY. 
          UM, WE CALL IT THE WINDSHIELD TEST. 
          AND THEY WANT TO SEE IF THAT COMMUNITY LOOKS LIKE IT'S GROWING AND THRIVING. 
          UM, THEY'RE BRINGING JOBS, THEY'RE BRINGING FAMILIES. 
          AND YES, HEALTHCARE IS GONNA BE A CONCERN. 
          UM, CHILDCARE IS GONNA BE A CONCERN. 
          AND YOU JUST HAVE TO GET ALL OF THOSE COMMUNITY LEADERS TOGETHER TO DISCUSS, UM, WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS OF THE COMMUNITY, WHAT ARE THE WEAKNESSES, AND HOW ARE WE GONNA LEVERAGE THE, THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO MAKE THIS THIS A WIN FOR THE COMMUNITY. 
          SO IN THE LAST MINUTE WE HAVE WITH YOU, I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO TELL THE STORY, UM, THAT, THAT YOU TOLD ME, UM, ABOUT BEING FROM LAKE CITY AND YOU HAVING ALL OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE, AND WHAT SPURRED YOU TO STAY THERE? SURE. 
          A ABSOLUTELY, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE LEAVING, UM, AND THEY WERE LIVING EVERYWHERE FROM CHARLOTTE TO GREENVILLE TO DALLAS, TEXAS, NEW YORK, DC I MEAN EVERYWHERE. 
          AND I, AND, AND I FELT LIKE I WAS THE ONLY ONE THERE. 
          AND I ACTUALLY FELT LIKE I WAS STUCK IN LAKE CITY. 
          AND, UM, AND, AND I'M AN AVID RUNNER. 
          AND, UH, SO I, I WAS, WHEN I'M STRESSED, I LOVE TO RUN. 
          AND SO ONE DAY I WAS RUNNING THROUGH LAKE CITY AND ALL THROUGH THIS COMMUNITY, AND I RAN THROUGH THIS ONE VACANT, UH, BY THIS ONE VACANT PROPERTY. 
          AND THERE WAS THIS TREE IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS VACANT PROPERTY. 
          AND I WAS LIKE, HOW IN THE WORLD DID THAT TREE, THIS TYPE OF TREE, GETTING THIS VACANT PROPERTY? AND, AND I REALIZED THAT SOMEONE HAD PLANTED IT THERE. 
          AND SO IT WAS AT THAT MOMENT THAT I REALIZED THAT I WASN'T STUCK IN LAKE CITY, THAT I HAD BEEN PLANTED AND ALL OF MY FRIENDS LEFT TO LIVE IN A BETTER PLACE, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE LAKE CITY A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE. 
          SO THAT'S NEVER LEFT STILL THERE. 
          IT'S A LOT OF HEART IN THE WORK THAT YOU DO. 
          NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO SANDY STEELE. 
          SANDY IS GONNA, UH, HAVE ABOUT 10 MINUTES TO TALK ABOUT, UM, HER BACKGROUND, SPECIFICALLY COLLABORATIONS, PARTNERSHIPS, MARKETING, YOUR AREA, BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION. 
          'CAUSE UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, UM, THAT, THAT MAKE UP OUR WORKFORCE. 
          UM, SO YOU'VE WORKED ACROSS THE STATE. 
          WHY IS COLLABORATION AND TEAMWORK SO IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL JOIN THIS FORCE TOGETHER? THAT WE ARE UNITED FRONT? SO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, LIKE SO MANY OTHER GAMES, IS ABSOLUTELY A TEAM SPORT. 
          YOU CAN BE THE BEST QUARTERBACK TO SAY WITH GILLIAN'S FOOTBALL. 
          'CAUSE I LOVE FOOTBALL TOO. 
          YOU CAN HAVE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL STADIUM THAT YOU CAN BE A GOOD QUARTERBACK IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN O LINE TO HOLD FOR YOU. 
          IF YOU DON'T HAVE A RUNNING BACK TO PASS TO, OR A WIDE RECEIVER TO THROW TO, YOU'RE JUST A GOOD QUARTERBACK. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT A TEAM LOOKS LIKE. 
          THE BEAUTY OF TEAMWORK IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND WHAT WE'VE BUILT OUR STRENGTH ON IT ACTUALLY BEGAN WITH BMW. 
          BACK IN THE LATE EIGHTIES, EARLY NINETIES STATE WAS DECIMATED ECONOMICALLY. 
          OUR TEXTILE INDUSTRIES HAD GONE WEST WHERE WE HAD BUILT OUR, OUR WEALTH ON, AND IT HAD GONE OFFSHORE. 
          AND SO WE HAD TO PUNT REAL QUICK. 
          AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS BMW WAS LOOKING, THIS WAS NEW TO US. 
          GOVERNOR CAMPBELL WAS IN OFFICE AND WE, THERE WAS ANOTHER STATE THAT WAS ACTUALLY VERY CLOSE TO BEING SIGNED BY BMW. 
          SO THEY GATHERED A TEAM, KNOCKED ON THE DOOR, SECURED 160 PRIVATELY OWNED PARCELS. 
          ACTUALLY IT WAS OVER 160, COBBLED IT TOGETHER. 
          AND WE'VE LEARNED TO DO BETTER. 
          NOW. 
          JAMES GONNA TALK ABOUT PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND MADE THE WIN. 
          AND LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE STATE. 
          I MEAN, THAT HAS TRANSFORMED SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          AND I'LL ADD KIND OF GOING TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS JOHN MADE. 
          WHEN I SPEAK WITH THE LEGISLATURE ON BEHALF OF SKEA, I LIKE TO ALWAYS MENTION, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW HOW TO GROW OURSELF WELL IN THIS STATE. 
          I'M A NATIVE, I'M VERY PROUD OF WHAT WE'VE DONE. 
          WE DO NOT DO EVERYTHING CORRECTLY 'CAUSE WE'RE HUMAN BEINGS. 
          BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE WAY WE TRANSFORMED OURSELF, LEGISLATIVELY, ENVIRONMENTALLY TO ACCOMMODATE BMW, AND WE LOOK AT THE BEAUTY WE'VE CREATED AND THE HISTORY WE'VE PRESERVED, I WE JUST NEED TO GIVE OURSELVES A SHOUT OUT BECAUSE WE DO IT VERY WELL IN THE STATE. 
          BUT I DIGRESS. 
          SORRY, HANNAH. 
          SO, TEAMWORK, JOHN SHOWED THE, UM, SLIDES EARLIER. 
          SO YOU'VE GOT THE STAFF MEMBERS, YOU'VE GOT THREE BODIES FULL-TIME WHO DO A GREAT JOB. 
          AND THEN REMEMBER THAT SLIDE THAT JOHN SHOWED, YOU COULDN'T EVEN SEE THE NUMBER OF PARTNERS ACROSS THE STATE BECAUSE WITH THE, UH, COLLABORATION AND TEAMWORK, WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU'VE JUST BUILT A TEAM OF PEOPLE 
          [01:10:01]
WHO PLAY FOR YOU FOR FREE. 
          AND ON TOP OF THAT, MOST OF THOSE PLAYERS BRING MONEY TO THE GAME. 
          'CAUSE WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHEN PROJECTS COME IN, AND GREG WILL TALK ON THIS, YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO PREPARE, BUT COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP IS SO IMPORTANT. 
          BEING OUT IN THE STATE, YOU CAN'T SELL BEAUFORT COUNTY FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY BECAUSE YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO KNOW THOSE TEAM MEMBERS KNOW THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES, HOW YOU COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER. 
          YOU CAN'T DO THAT WITH AN EMAIL OR A TEXT, SORRY, YOUNG PEOPLE. 
          IT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN. 
          SO THAT'S WHY THE COLLABORATION, THAT'S WHAT S SCTA WAS BUILT ON. 
          I MENTIONED IT BEFORE, THE SOUTH PLANET ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS ASSOCIATION, IT'S OVER 65 YEARS OLD. 
          THE THREE, UH, MAIN MISSIONS OF SKEA ARE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY, AND NETWORKING. 
          BECAUSE BY SPENDING TIME WITH PEOPLE, YOU LEARN YOUR TEAMMATES, THE STRENGTHS, THE WEAKNESSES. 
          AND WHEN A PROJECT CALLS AND SAYS, I'LL BE THERE IN 24 HOURS, IT'S NOT SOME STRANGE PERSON WHOSE NAME I'VE HEARD THAT'S CALLING, ASKING ME TO DROP EVERYTHING ON MY SCHEDULE AND COME HELP ME WIN THIS. 
          IT'S MY FRIEND. 
          SO IT'S AN INTANGIBLE BENEFIT, BUT IT'S ONE THAT WITHOUT IT, YOU CAN'T WIN. 
          YOU'RE JUST A REALLY GOOD QUARTERBACK WITH NOBODY TO THROW OR PASS TO BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION. 
          WILL YOU TALK TO US ABOUT HOW COMPETITIVE IT IS IN TODAY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LANDSCAPE TO NOT ONLY RECRUIT A PROJECT, BUT TO KEEP ONE BECAUSE THEY ARE CONSTANTLY, THEIR PHONES ARE RINGING TO OFFER THEM TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. 
          IS THAT HOW IT WORKS? UM, WELL, TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, YES. 
          IT'S REALLY INTERESTING IN OUR BUSINESS THAT, UM, A NEW INDUSTRY COMING IN, NEW COMPANIES BEING LOCATED, THOSE ARE THE HEADLINES. 
          THOSE ARE SEXY, RIGHT? IT'S NEW, IT'S EXCITING, BUT SO OFTEN RETENTION AND EXPANSION IS NOT SEEN AS QUITE AS GLAMOROUS. 
          OH YEAH, ANOTHER 10 JOBS. 
          BUT HERE'S WHAT, IN MY OPINION, IT REALLY SHOWS ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY. 
          A COMPANY IS COMING IN AND THEY ARE GOING TO INVEST THEIR MONEY. 
          IF THEY ARE THRIVING IN YOUR COMMUNITY, THAT MEANS THAT YOU HAVE PRESENTED A BUSINESS CLIMATE THAT THEY CAN WORK IN. 
          YOU'VE GOT A BUSINESS AND RETENTION PROGRAM THAT IS SERVING AS A CONCIERGE, BASICALLY TO HELP THEM SOLVE THEIR PROBLEM. 
          THEY'RE HAPPY WITH THE WORKFORCE. 
          THERE IS A BUSINESS CLIMATE WHERE THEY CAN OPERATE. 
          THEY ARE FINE TO BE PERMITTED, BUT THEY DON'T WANT IT TO TAKE ON A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR, IN MY OPINION, IT IS THE BAROMETER OF YOUR ECONOMIC HEALTH IN YOUR COMP, IN YOUR COMMUNITY WHEN YOUR COMPANIES EXPAND BECAUSE THEY CAN PICK UP AND LEAVE. 
          BECAUSE INCENTIVES ARE GEARED FOR BOTH, BUT MORE SO WITH INCENTIVES. 
          SO I THINK IT, WE DON'T PAT OURSELF ON THE BACK ENOUGH WHEN OUR COMPANIES EXPAND BECAUSE WHEN THEY'RE HEALTHY, THEY'RE HEALTHY BECAUSE WE'VE, YOU'VE CREATED A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU DID WITH YOUR CHILDREN. 
          IF YOU DIDN'T FEED YOUR CHILDREN OR MAKE 'EM GO TO BED AND LET 'EM EAT CANDY, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE VERY HEALTHY, RIGHT? BUT IF YOU HAVE CREATED THIS ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY ARE WELL LOVED AND NURTURED AND FED, AND YOU LISTEN TO THEIR NEEDS AND ADAPT, THAT'S WHEN YOU HAVE HEALTHY THRIVE IN CHILDREN. 
          AND SO IT'S A KEY HALLMARK OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT I WISH WE APPRECIATED MORE. 
          I GUESS WE SHOULD HAVE, INSTEAD OF RIBBON CUTTINGS WHEN THEY START, WE SHOULD HAVE THAT FIVE YEAR CELEBRATION, THAT 10 YEAR CELEBRATION RIGHT INSIDE OUR COMMUNITIES TO THANK THEM AND, AND TO RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, MARKETING, EVERY TOWN MUNICIPALITY IN SOUTH CAROLINA, EVERY COUNTY, UM, HAS BEAUTIFUL VIDEOS AND HANDOUTS, COLLATERAL MARKETING MATERIALS TO SAY, HEY, COME TO MY COMMUNITY. 
          WHAT DO WE HAVE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT IN OUR MARKETING? AND WHAT DO YOU THINK WE CAN IMPROVE ON? UM, WELL, BEAUFORT COUNTY IS BLESSED WITH NATURAL MARKETING, RIGHT? FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE A NAME HILTON HAT ISLAND THAT IS KNOWN GLOBALLY. 
          YOU HAVE GLOBAL EVENTS THAT COME HERE. 
          SO YOU HAVE NAME RECOGNITION AND QUALITY OF LIFE THAT IS SECOND TO NONE. 
          SO YOU'VE GOT THIS AMAZING FOUNDATION TO STAND AND THEN CREATING THE, UM, MESSAGE. 
          AND I THINK THAT JOHN AND HIS TEAM DO A GOOD JOB OF GETTING OUT THERE, THAT YOU HAVE FOUND THE BALANCE OR WORKING AND ARE COGNIZANT OF THE BALANCE BETWEEN GROWTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS THAT YOU WANT TO GROW. 
          WELL, I THINK THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL MESSAGE AND THAT COMPANIES ARE LOOKING FOR IT. 
          THEY'RE INVESTING THEIR MONEY HERE. 
          THEY'RE NOT COMING HERE TO MESS ANYTHING UP. 
          THEY WANT TO GROW WELL WITH YOU. 
          SO I THINK THAT, UH, IS A WONDERFUL MESSAGE TO PUT ON. 
          ALSO, AGAIN, WITH THE EXPANSION OF EXISTING INDUSTRY, THAT'S A GREAT MESSAGE. 
          THAT'S A BAROMETER TO OTHER COMPANIES THAT SAY, HUH, UM, YOU KNOW, IF CS CAN LAND HERE AND DO WELL AND EXPAND, THEN MAYBE I CAN TOO. 
          THEY MUST BE NURTURING THEM. 
          THIS MUST BE A COMMUNITY THAT WANTS TO PARTNER WITH ME IN MY INVESTMENT AND HELP ME GROW AS I HELP THE COMMUNITY GROW. 
          BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT EVERYBODY'S LOOKING FOR. 
          BUT I THINK BUFORT DOES A GOOD JOB WITH THEIR MARKETING, ESPECIALLY WITH SOCIAL MEDIA AND TELLING THE STORY OF 
          [01:15:01]
EXISTING INDUSTRIES. 
          I THINK SOCIAL MEDIA, KELLY, I HOPE YOU'LL AGREE, HAS HELPED US GET THAT MESSAGE OUT MORE. 
          'CAUSE IT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING THE COMPANIES THAT ARE IN YOUR COMMUNITY THAT YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT, AND THE INTERESTING PRODUCTS THEY MAKE. 
          I MEAN, THERE'S A COMPANY IN BAMBERG THAT MAKES NOVELS THAT GO ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE. 
          YOU KNOW, THERE ARE JUST SO MANY, UH, STORIES THAT ARE GOOD, THAT ARE GOOD TO TELL. 
          SO I THINK JUST REALLY HAMMERING THAT ON THERE TOO. 
          AND ALSO JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT BUFORT IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS BECAUSE SO MANY, UM, SO MANY TIMES THERE ARE COMMUNITIES AROUND THE STATE THAT HAVE NOT FOUND A GOOD BALANCE BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, CONCERNS AND GROWTH. 
          AND YOU ARE WORKING TOWARD THAT. 
          COGNIZANT OF IT, YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB. 
          SO I'D BE SINGING THAT VERY LOUDLY. 
          THERE ARE SO MANY BLESSINGS HERE WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN PUT ON THE BROCHURE FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY. 
          I MEAN, NOT ONLY THE BEAUTIFUL QUALITY OF LIFE, THE PLACE YOU CAN LIVE, BUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE EDUCATION, THE WORKFORCE, UM, ALL OF THESE, UH, AGAIN, THAT ECOSYSTEM BEING BUILT OUT FOR YOU. 
          SO, UM, NOT HARD TO MARKET, BUT IT IS A COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT. 
          SANDY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          GREG ROBINSON. 
          GREG'S GONNA TALK TO US ABOUT LEAD GENERATION RECRUITMENT, AND HE DOESN'T HAVE TO SHUT ME UP ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS BECAUSE THAT IS MY PASSION. 
          UH, GREG, YOU'VE HELPED RECRUIT BILLIONS IN INVESTMENT AND THOUSANDS OF JOBS DURING YOUR CAREER. 
          YOU WERE IN ORANGEBURG, UH, YOU AND NOW IN FLORENCE. 
          UM, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS RECRUITMENT THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM? SURE. 
          AND FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANNA THANK YOU GUYS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE. 
          THIS IS THE FIRST STEP. 
          I MEAN, IT'S ABOUT THE GRASSROOTS EFFORTS WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP. 
          LEADERSHIP IS EVERYTHING FROM YOUR CHAIR OF COUNTY COUNCIL BEING HERE, YOUR CHAIR OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BEING HERE, YOUR BOARD MEMBERS, ALL OF THAT. 
          SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON THE BUS. 
          AND THAT'S WHERE SMALL BUSINESS HAS TO SUPPORT THAT PRO-BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT. 
          SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, BEFORE WE EVEN GET INTO LEAD GENERATION, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP IN PLACE. 
          AND THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENT FOR ALL 46 COUNTIES. 
          AND WE'RE COMPETING AGAINST ONE ANOTHER, BUT IT'S FRIENDLY COMPETITION. 
          BUT WE'RE COMPETING AGAINST GEORGIA AND TENNESSEE AND FLORIDA ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND WE'VE GOTTA DO A REALLY GOOD JOB OF SETTING OURSELVES APART FROM THOSE INDIVIDUALS. 
          EVERY COMPANY THAT I'VE LANDED, AND IT'S BEEN OVER A HUNDRED DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES, EVERY SINGLE ONE EVALUATED BETWEEN 30 SOMETIMES A HUNDRED COMMUNITIES BEFORE THEY CAME DOWN TO THE FINAL PINPOINT TO GET TO THE LEAD GENERATION PIECE. 
          I WORKED AT THE INTERNATIONAL DIVISION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE FOR ALMOST SEVEN YEARS, TRAVELED TO 36 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. 
          I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TOMORROW, BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO. 
          YOU HAVE TO KNOCK ON THE DOOR. 
          BUT HOW THAT HAPPENS IS YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE SMALL BUSINESS AND THE SUPPORT OF THE GRASSROOTS EFFORT IN ORDER TO CREATE FUNDING, IN ORDER TO GENERATE THAT MARKETING LEAD. 
          BUT BEFORE YOU JUST GO AND JUST SAY, I'VE GOT A GREAT COMMUNITY, YOU HAVE TO PROVE IT. 
          AND HOW YOU PROVE IT IS RIGHT HERE LOCALLY. 
          WORKING WITH JOHN AND HIS TEAM IN FLORENCE AND IN ORANGEBURG AND OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT WANTED TO GROW, THEY DEVELOPED AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOND PROGRAM. 
          YOU HAVE TO INVEST IN YOURSELVES. 
          LAND ACQUISITION IS NUMBER ONE. 
          CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PROJECTS I LOST IN CHARLESTON BECAUSE CHARLESTON DIDN'T HAVE THE PROPERTY UNDER CONTROL. 
          AND GUESS WHERE THEY LOST IT? SAVANNAH OR JACKSON, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE CONTROL OF THE PROPERTY WORKING WITH THAT PRIVATE DEVELOPER. 
          THAT OWNER OR THE COUNTY OWNS IT THEMSELVES. 
          WORK WITH THE TOWNS. 
          VERY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO CONTROL YOUR DESTINY AS FAR AS WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO WITH THAT PROPERTY. 
          WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY MORE PROPERTY, SO YOU NEED TO SECURE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AS A COMMUNITY, FIRST AND FOREMOST. 
          SECONDLY, THEN YOU HAVE TO KIND OF FUND THE EFFORTS. 
          WHAT DO, WHAT DOES THE COMMUNITY WANT? LET ME REPEAT THAT. 
          WHAT DO YOU WANT AS A COMMUNITY HEADQUARTERS? YES, YOU WANT INDUSTRY, YES, BUT, UH, WE WANT A CERTAIN TYPE OF INDUSTRY. 
          WE DON'T WANT IT TO SMELL, WE DON'T WANT IT TO HAVE OUTDOOR STORAGE. 
          WE DON'T WANT IT TO CREATE A LOT OF TRANSPORTATION. 
          FAIR MARKET YOURSELF ACCORDINGLY. 
          YOU HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL. 
          YOU CAN EVEN BE MORE SUCCESSFUL IF YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS. 
          AND THAT GOES BACK TO, INITIALLY TO THAT STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND CREATING A PATH SO THAT YOU HAVE THE FULL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE PEOPLE OF BEAUFORT COUNTY WANT TO SEE IN THEIR GROWTH PROJECTIONS. 
          YOU ALSO HAVE TO FUND EDUCATION. 
          HOW DO YOU FUND EDUCATION THROUGH TAXES? WHO PAYS THE MOST TAX BUSINESSES? ALL OF THE RESIDENCES THINK THEY DO, BUT FUNDAMENTALLY, IT IS INDUSTRY THAT PAYS THE MAJORITY OF THE LION'S SHARE OF TAXES IN OUR STATE. 
          WE NEED MORE INDUSTRY. 
          WE NEED MORE THINGS BEING MADE HERE, GETTING TO SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          HANNAH SAID THAT'S HER PASSION. 
          WHERE SMALL BUSINESS THRIVES IS BECAUSE 
          [01:20:01]
OF INDUSTRY. 
          THERE IS ABOUT A SIX TO SEVEN SPINOFF OF EVERY DOLLAR THAT IS GENERATED BY MANUFACTURING, GOES DIRECTLY TO SMALL BUSINESS, THINK UNIFORMS, THINK ALL THE SERVICES. 
          ENGINEERING. 
          WHY DO YOU THINK THE ENGINEERS ARE HERE TODAY? BECAUSE THEY KNOW YOU'RE GROWING. 
          THEY'RE SPONSORING BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN MAKE MONEY. 
          AND THAT IS NOT A BAD THING. 
          RETURNAL INVESTMENT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO LOOK AT AS A POSITIVE NET RESULT OF WHY YOU'RE HERE TODAY. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S, UH, KIND OF A GREAT SPINOFF FOR SMALL BUSINESS. 
          SO LEAD GENERATION. 
          LET'S UNPACK THAT FOR JUST A MINUTE. 
          OKAY. 
          START WITH THAT. 
          SO FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THE PHONE RINGS MUCH LIKE IT DID, UH, WITH THE, THE INSTRUMENTS COMPANY THAT, UH, HE, UH, THAT THAT JOHN MENTIONED A MINUTE AGO, DOES THAT USUALLY HOW IT WORKS, YOUR PHONE RINGS OR DOES IT COME THROUGH THE CHANNELS OF COMMERCE OR THROUGH, JUST, JUST KIND OF SET THE TABLE FOR US ON HOW THESE, HOW THIS HAPPENS. 
          WELL, UNFORTUNATELY THERE'S NOT A CRYSTAL BALL. 
          THERE WERE, WE WOULD BE DOING IT, BUT IT'S YOUR NETWORK OF ALLIES. 
          IT IS WORKING WITH OUR STATE. 
          OUR STATE IS SMALL. 
          WE'RE ONLY THREE AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE. 
          WE'RE FORTUNATE BECAUSE WE HAVE LEADERSHIP THAT IS CENTERED IN THE MIDDLE. 
          AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, OUR DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE HAS THE ABILITY TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH BUFORT COUNTY. 
          AND IF THEY DON'T, THEY SHOULD, BUT THEY DO, BECAUSE JOHN IS ACTUALLY REALLY REACHING OUT REGIONALLY. 
          YOU GOTTA DO THE SAME THING. 
          SOMETIMES WHEN THESE COMPANIES ARE LOOKING, THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW HILTON HIT, SURPRISINGLY. 
          THEY BARELY UNDERSTAND OUR STATE. 
          AND SO THEY'RE GONNA KIND OF LOOK AT CHARLESTON OR COLUMBIA. 
          THEY DID NOT BE A FIT FOR THEM. 
          WE'RE GONNA SEE WHERE THEY WANT TO GO ONCE THEY HAVE MADE THE CALL. 
          WHEN WE'RE OVER IN EUROPE TALKING TO INDUSTRIES, THEY JUST WANNA SEE THE SOUTHEAST. 
          WHY WE'RE GROWING. 
          LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE GEORGIA LOWER PORTIONS OF GEORGIA WITH HYUNDAI. 
          YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH BOEING AND CHARLESTON, YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH BMW IN GREENVILLE, THOSE MAJOR OEMS ARE GONNA HAVE SIGNIFICANT SUPPLIER BASE. 
          THAT SUPPLIER BASE HAS TO BE CLOSE, NOT TOO CLOSE. 
          SO CAN BUFORT COUNTY SERVE BOEING? ABSOLUTELY. 
          THEY CAN'T. 
          CAN BUFORT COUNTY SERVE HYUNDAI SUPPLIERS ALL DAY LONG? YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO CATCH THAT SUPPLIER NETWORK THAT IS COMING IN THE NEXT DECADE. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO AS FAR AS HELPING WITH SMALL BUSINESS TO PROVE THAT. 
          NUMBER ONE, YOU HAVE THE SERVICES AND YOU ALSO HAVE THE SUPPORT FOR THE LEADERSHIP TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOOTPRINT AND THE BLUEPRINT THAT THE COMPANIES KNOW THEY'RE GONNA MAKE MORE MONEY HERE THAN ANY OTHER LOCATION THAT THEY'RE EVALUATING. 
          SO THEN IT COMES BACK TO WHAT YOU WERE SAYING BEFORE ABOUT YOU HAVE TO SET THE TABLE, YOU HAVE THE DIRT HAS TO WORK, RIGHT? SO THEY COME AND THEY VISIT, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY, RIGHT? AND SO THEN THAT PARTNERSHIP, THAT SANDY, UH, UH, WITH YOUR, UH, YOUR TEAMWORK, ALL YOUR TEAM PLAYERS KIND OF COME TOGETHER AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT ADVANCING TOWARDS THE BALL. 
          SO HOW, SO PUTTING TOGETHER WITH ALL, WITH YOU AND THE OTHER SPEAKERS THAT HAVE JUST SPOKEN, HOW DO YOU SEE BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, RANKING IN TERMS OF OUR LEAD GENERATION AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR DIRT WORKS OR THAT WE HAVE THE STAGE SET FOR RECRUITING BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY, OUR AREA? GREAT QUESTION. 
          AND THE, THE BOTTOM LINE IS YOU HAVE TO MEASURE YOURSELF. 
          THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT JOHN DID IN HIS PRESENTATION EARLIER. 
          WE DO THE EXACT SAME THINGS. 
          WHAT ARE YOUR METRICS? HOW DO YOU MEASURE YOURSELF? IS IT ANNUALLY EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS? IS IT THE COMPANIES THAT YOU'RE BRINGING IN? YOU HAVE TO MEASURE YOURSELF. 
          SO YOU NEED TO ALSO LOOK AT IT FROM A PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SIDE. 
          JAMES WILL GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO THAT, BUT HOW MANY INDUSTRIAL PARKS DO YOU OWN OR CONTROL? HOW MANY ACRES DO YOU OWN OR CONTROL? ALRIGHT, THAT'S ANOTHER BUCKET SEC. 
          THIRD BUCKET WORKFORCE. 
          WHAT KIND OF QUALITY SKILL SETS IN THE WORKFORCE DO WE HAVE? WHAT IS OUR HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT RATE? AND HOW DO WE ADVANCE THAT THROUGH OUR TECHNICAL COLLEGE TO PROVE THAT THE WORKFORCE IS HERE? WORKING WITH YOUR MILITARY, WORKING WITH YOUR HEALTHCARE, WORKING WITH THE CLUSTERS OF SUCCESS, YOUTH COUNTY HAS MAJOR SUCCESSFUL THAT ARE HERE. 
          YOU WANT TO ADVANCE THOSE CLUSTERS. 
          IF HEALTHCARE IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WANNA FOCUS IN ON, THEN GO AFTER NUTRACEUTICAL PHARMACEUTICAL AND MEDICAL DEVICES. 
          THAT IS A LOW HANGING FRUIT FOR THAT SEGMENT OF THE ECONOMY. 
          IF DEPARTMENT OF FITS IS GROWING, YOU KNOW, IT IS, HOW DO WE TARGET THOSE SPINOFFS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, PARIS ISLAND AND OTHERS IN THE BEAUFORT AREA OR IN THE NORTHERN PORTION OF BEAUFORT COUNTY HEADQUARTERS THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A WORLD CLASS ISLAND. 
          HOW DO WE INCENTIVIZE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND TO TAKE IT TO THAT HIGHEST LEVEL? WE DON'T HAVE ONE. 
          WE DON'T HAVE A FORTUNE 500 HEADQUARTERS. 
          WELL, WE HAVE ONE IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, SUNOCO. 
          THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE. 
          WE HAVE GOTTA DO A BETTER JOB OF CORPORATELY INCENTIVIZING COMPANIES. 
          WE CAN ALWAYS SUNSET 
          [01:25:01]
IT. 
          LET'S AT LEAST PUT IT IN PLAY WHERE WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO RETAIN IT. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. 
          AND THEN THE LAST THING IS, YOU GOTTA KNOCK ON THE DOOR. 
          YOU CAN SIT BACK AND PLAY DEFENSE, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF MAJOR COMPANIES. 
          AND I'LL ALSO GIVE YOU SOME OTHER GOOD TIDBITS. 
          EVERY HEADQUARTERS IN THIS REGION, YOU OUGHT TO GO SEE 'EM MANUALLY. 
          IF THERE'S ANY MANUFACTURING COMPANY THAT HAS A HEADQUARTERS IN OUR UNITED STATES, OR EVEN IF YOU'RE GOING ON THE TARGET A MISSION, YOU BETTER GO OUTTA YOUR WAY TO KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND JUST SAY, THANK YOU FOR BEING IN OUR AREA. 
          YOU'D NEVER KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GETTING READY TO DO. 
          AND I'VE PULLED SEVERAL INVESTMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHERE THEY COULD HAVE GONE TO TENNESSEE, THAT COULD HAVE GONE TO GEORGIA, THEN KNOCK ON THE DOOR. 
          AND SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO STATE AS A REGION AND AS A COUNTY. 
          SMALL BUSINESS MAKES UP THE VAST MAJORITY OF JOBS IN SOUTH CAROLINA, OVERWHELMINGLY MORE THAN THE BOEINGS, THE BMWS. 
          WE LOVE THOSE TWO, NO DOUBT. 
          HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THAT WE VALUE THE SMALLEST OF BUSINESS IN OUR COMMUNITY? AND WHEN A PROJECT COMES IN THAT HAS 11 JOBS OR $2 MILLION INVESTMENT TO START, HOW IMPORTANT IT'S THAT WE NURTURE AND LEVEL ON THOSE JUST AS MUCH AS IF IT WERE A GINORMOUS PROJECT AND AND YOU DO. 
          YEAH, IT IT'S THE SMALL BALL, UH, USE A BASEBALL ANALOGY IS GETTING ON BASE. 
          IT'S THE SINGLES. 
          WE ALL PAY ATTENTION TO THE GRAND PLAN. 
          EVERYBODY WANTS THE BIG HIT, BUT IT'S THE FIRST BASE GETTING ON SECOND BASE, IT'S STEALING THIRD. 
          THAT'S THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ELEMENTS. 
          HOW DO WE HELP WITH THE 5 0 1 5 0 4 PROGRAMS OR THE SEVEN A PROGRAMS THROUGH USDA TO GET THAT INTEREST RATE LOWER SO THAT THEY CAN GROW? HOW DO WE FIGURE OUT FROM THE CHAMBERS, THAT ELEMENT OF WORKING WITH SMALL BUSINESS TO SEE HOW WE CAN TAKE EVEN A DRY, GLORIFIED DRY CLEANER FOR HEALTHCARE. 
          BUT THOSE ARE REALLY CREATING SOMETHING. 
          HOW DO WE WORK WITH EVEN THE SMALL INSURANCE AGENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING THE INSURANCE SERVICES TO OUR MANUFACTURERS? THAT COMES FROM YOU BEING IN THIS ROOM, LEARNING ABOUT THE NEW COMPANY COMING IN AND CREATING THE RELATIONSHIP. 
          THAT'S HOW SMALL BUSINESS GROWS, IS BY NETWORKING WITH BIGGER BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRY TO PROVE THOSE SERVICES SO THEY DON'T GO TO ATLANTA FOR THE SERVICE. 
          THAT CAN GET IT RIGHT HERE. 
          GREG, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          WE ROUND OUT THE PANEL WITH JAMES. 
          JAMES, UH, YOU'RE GONNA TALK TO US ABOUT COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS AND YES. 
          INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT, AND HOW AND OH, BUT, BUT I KNOW IT'S HARD FOR ALL OF US TO SIT HERE WHILE FOLKS ARE COMMENTING ON CERTAIN TOPICS. 
          AND WE'VE ALL LIVED ALL OF IT. 
          SO I KNOW I COULD SEE WHEN YOU WERE TALKING GREATS WHEELS ARE TURNING. 
          UM, CAN I JUST OFFER A COUPLE COMMENTS ON GO AHEAD. 
          OKAY. 
          SO RURAL COMMUNITIES, ONE OF THE GREATEST CHALLENGES IS THAT I JUST, WE'RE A STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION. 
          ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE SEE IS THAT GETTING EVERYBODY TO PULL IN THE SAME DIRECTION IS A TREMENDOUS CHALLENGE. 
          ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITIES ON BOARD COUNTIES, ON BOARD TECHNICAL, CO TECHNICAL, COLLEGE, NOT ON BOARD, IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT OR YOUR SCHOOL SYSTEM'S DOWN ON BOARD. 
          IF THE COUNTIES AREN'T COMMITTING RESOURCES TO ACTUALLY ADVANCE A STRATEGY, UH, IT MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL. 
          SO THOSE ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT WE ALL DEAL WITH. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WHILE HE HAS FLORENCE CITY CENTER, HE'S GOT THE REMAINDER OF FLORENCE COUNTY, WHICH HAS RURAL AREAS TO IT. 
          UM, SANDY SPENT A GOOD PART OF HER CAREER IN SOUTHERN CAROLINA. 
          LANDS TERRITORY, WELL KNOWS HOW RURAL THAT IS. 
          UM, I OFTEN SHARE WITH PEOPLE THERE'S A STORY THAT HILTON HILTON HAD, IS IT THE PACKET THEY DID ON THESE FAMILIES THAT COMMUTE FROM ALLENDALE COUNTY EVERY DAY TO HILTON HEAD FOR SERVICE INDUSTRY JOBS. 
          THEY'RE ON A BUS AT FIVE IN THE MORNING, THEY GET HOME AT EIGHT O'CLOCK AT NIGHT. 
          WHAT AN INCREDIBLE DEDICATED WORKFORCE. 
          IF WE COULD FIND OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM IN ALLENDALE COUNTY, NOT TO TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM HILLHEAD, THEY'LL FIND MORE PEOPLE. 
          BUT THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE IN RURAL SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          UM, THE OTHER ONE WAS RELATED KELLY SUB, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WEAR GLASSES TO YOU SUE THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, OUR RETENTION EXPANSION, UM, FOR US, IT'S OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. 
          WE HAVE A FULL-TIME STAFF PERSON. 
          UM, ANDREW WORKS WITH THE LOCALS AND, UH, PALMETTO ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES. 
          WE VISIT WITH 80 SEMI COMPANIES A YEAR. 
          WE CALL IN ABOUT 15 HEADQUARTERS A YEAR. 
          WHAT THAT HAS DONE TO UNLEASH, UH, EXPANSION OPPORTUNITIES FOR US HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE SINCE OUR BREAD AND BUTTER. 
          I APOLOGIZE. 
          NO, NO, NO. 
          AND YOU GUYS WILL GET THE CHANCE AS WELL. 
          LIKE I KNOW THE WHEELS HAVE BEEN TURNING FOR EVERYBODY AS WELL, UM, ON WHAT THE OTHER FOLKS HAVE SAID. 
          UM, BUT ON THE COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS AND INFRASTRUCTURE PART OF, OF THINGS, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS. 
          AND, AND IT WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF IT COULD BE ENERGY, IT COULD BE TRANSPORTATION. 
          UM, YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT IT UNTIL YOU NEED IT, BUT THAT'S NOT THE TIME TO BE THINKING ABOUT IT. 
          WHEN IS, AND, AND HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE PLAN FOR SOMETHING WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE? 
          [01:30:02]
SO, UH, WE HAVE A SITE READINESS FUND. 
          IT'S $6 MILLION PER YEAR THAT WE INVEST IN SITES ACTUALLY DURING THE GROUND. 
          SO WHEN I GOT HERE, WE HAD THESE CERTIFIED SITES ALL OVER THE STATE. 
          NOT ONE OF THEM HAD MOVED OUT, ONE OF THEM HAD SOLD AND THEY TRULY, THEY WEREN'T READY FOR YOU TO WIN TODAY. 
          YOUR SITE HAS TO BE MARKET READY. 
          THAT MEANS IT'S OWNED OR AT LEAST IT'S CONTROLLED THROUGH AN OPTION AGREEMENT. 
          AND YOU KNOW WHEN YOU CAN TAKE IT DOWN, YOU KNOW, THE PRICE PER ACRE INFRASTRUCTURE IS ON SITE, OR AT THE VERY LEAST IT'S ENGINEERED. 
          SO WE KNOW EXACTLY THE TIMELINE AND THE COST TO GET IT THERE. 
          BUT PROJECTS THAT WE STARTED WHEN WE, WHEN WE STARTED TRI-COUNTY GLOBAL, THAT WAS 2017, UM, 15, 2015, THIS IS A SITE, ORANGEBURG COUNTY, RIGHT ON THE INTERSTATE, 400 SOME ODD ACRES, 45 ACRE PAD, MAINLINE RAIL GOING THROUGH IT. 
          UH, WE STARTED THAT IN 2015 WITH MASTER PLANNING, GETTING THE OPTIONS IN PLACE THREE YEARS AGO WAS FINALLY READY. 
          UM, AND TODAY WE'RE NEGOTIATING WITH SCOUT SUPPLIER, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE A 45 ACRE PAD. 
          THEY HAVE A DATE CERTAIN FOR SCOUT THAT THEY HAVE TO MOVE CHASSIS OUT THE DOOR AND WE'RE THE ONLY SITE THEY EVALUATED THAT CAN ACTUALLY HELP THEM GET THAT DONE. 
          AND CAN I JUST MENTION SCOUT AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER, BRINGING SCOUT BACK WHITEWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA, 11,000 ACRES ALONG I 77, IF YOU HAVEN'T DRIVEN TO CHARLOTTE, SOUTH CAROLINA RECENTLY. 
          NO, WE CALL IT CHARLOTTE, SOUTH CAROLINA . 
          SO MANY OF US ARE, ARE, UM, IF YOU HAVEN'T DRIVEN PAST THAT, IT'S EXTRAORDINARY WHAT THEY'RE DOING THERE. 
          AND SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT SUPPLIERS ARE COMING AS LOCATING AS FAR DOWN AS ORANGEBURG FOR THAT? YES, YES. 
          AND WE COULD ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT BLACKWOOD. 
          SO RICHLAND COUNTY IS, SHOULD I THINK, UM, CLOSE TO $30 MILLION IN BONDED DEBT TO BUY THE SITE. 
          WE'VE GOT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, ALMOST $4 MILLION INTO THAT SITE TO BUILD A PAD, HELP BRING THE ROAD IN. 
          SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS SCOUTS SETTLED ON THAT SITE. 
          UH, SOUTH CAROLINA WAS VERY LATE TO THE SEARCH, BUT THE COUNTY HAD SITE UNDER CONTROL, WAS ALREADY DOING WORK ON THE SITE. 
          UM, AND THEY JUST ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK, I THINK 300 MILLION IN SUPPLIERS THAT ARE GONNA BE COME TO THE SITE, WHICH IS ALL CO-OP SERVED, WHICH IS GREAT. 
          UM, BUT PREPAREDNESS IS WINNING. 
          AND WE'VE TODAY WE'VE UH, WE'RE AT 72 MILLION THAT WE'VE INVESTED SINCE 2014. 
          THAT'S ATTRACTED ANOTHER 300 MILLION, UH, IN ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FROM COUNTIES, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, UH, ANYWHERE, ANYTHING ON THAT SIDE OF THE TOWN. 
          OUR CO-OPS ARE GETTING INTO DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS, UH, WHERE COUNTIES ARE NOT. 
          UM, AND IT'S YIELDING CRAZY SUCCESS. 
          SO MUCH SO THAT OUR BOARD COMMITTED TO INCREASE THE FUND $12 MILLION OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S PROVIDING A HUGE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR US. 
          AND IT'S CREATING JOBS AND HELP YOU JUST GOTTA BE READY. 
          THERE'S NO IF, IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT UNDER CONTROL TODAY, YOU'RE SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS FROM BEING READY TO MARKET SPECIFICALLY TO THE LOW COUNTRY. 
          WHAT DO YOU SEE OUR GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES OR NEEDS WOULD BE HERE? I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE RESIDES. 
          UM, AND IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF TWO THINGS. 
          FIGURING OUT WHERE INFRASTRUCTURE IS ALREADY IN PLACE TO SUPPORT GROWTH AND POTENTIALLY IDENTIFYING SITES OR DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS TO WORK WITH YOU OR IDENTIFYING THE SITE WHERE X MARKS THE SPOT. 
          THERE'S ENOUGH, UH, FROM A TRANSPORTATION STANDPOINT, WE CAN GET THERE FROM, UM, ELECTRIC POWER TYPICALLY RIGHT NOW IS THE NUMBER ONE CONVERSATION EVERYBODY'S HAVING TO HAVE BECAUSE OF CAPACITY ISSUES. 
          UM, AND THEN IF YOU DECIDE THAT SITE'S NOT IN YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU'RE MAKING A COMMITMENT TO GET THE SITE THERE BETWEEN YOU AND OTHER PARTNERS AROUND THE STATE. 
          SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE TWO THINGS. 
          HYUNDAI, HE MENTIONED HYUNDAI, UM, THERE'S OPPORTUNITY COMING DOWN. 
          SAVANNAH, UH, I CAN TELL YOU FROM LIVING WITH VOLVO, UM, SUPPLIERS DON'T NECESSARILY WANNA BE ON SITE. 
          THEY WANNA BE ABLE TO GET THERE IN TIME, BUT THEY DON'T WANNA COMPETE FOR LABOR. 
          AND YOUR ABILITY, YOU KNOW, JASPER COUNTY'S GOT SPEC INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT WENT ON RIGHT NOW, AND THAT'S ALL FORT GROWTH OUTTA SAVANNAH. 
          THAT'S HYUNDAI EFFECT YARD. 
          INCREDIBLE POSITION TO CAPITALIZE ON THAT. 
          ON THAT NOTE, KEEP THE MICROPHONE, JAMES, BECAUSE THERE'S A QUESTION THAT CAME IN AND WE'LL KIND OF MOVE INTO THE, IF YOU HAVEN'T PUT YOUR QUESTION IN, MAKE SURE YOU, UM, YOU, YOU TYPE IT IN. 
          'CAUSE THIS IS FOR ANY OF THE PANEL MEMBERS, OKAY? AT THIS POINT, UM, THERE WAS A QUESTION THAT CAME IN, WHAT ARE THE ELECTRICAL CO-OPS? AND, AND BY THE WAY, IF YOU PUT, IF YOU ASK A QUESTION SPECIFICALLY ABOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, THESE GUYS, THEY'RE NOT IN THAT. 
          OKAY? SO TO TRY TO MORE BIGGER PICTURE, UH, TOPICAL FOR, FOR THESE EXPERTS. 
          OKAY? SO JUST THAT'S THE DISTINCTION OF THE QUESTIONS. 
          I'M GONNA, UM, KIND OF CALL THROUGH, UH, WHAT ARE THE ELECTRICAL CO-OPS DOING TO MAKE SOUTH CAROLINA A LOCATION WHERE POWER IS AVAILABLE? AND THIS IS HUGE FOR AI AND DATA CENTERS. 
          'CAUSE I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALIZE HOW MUCH ENERGY THAT TAKES. 
          [01:35:01]
OH, OKAY. 
          HOT. 
          ALL RIGHT, LET'S GET INTO IT. 
          HOW DO WE COMPETE? UH, WE'RE STILL COMPETING. 
          I WANNA TELL YOU. 
          WE ARE NOT CLOSE FOR BUSINESS NUMBER ONE. 
          SO JUST FOR FRAME OF REFERENCE, WHEN I GOT HERE IN 2013, THE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE SYSTEM WAS 4,000 MEGAWATTS. 
          OKAY? DURING A NINE YEAR PERIOD, WE GREW ANOTHER A THOUSAND MEGAWATTS. 
          THAT'S 2014. 
          OUR LEADERSHIP ADOPTED A VERY AGGRESSIVE STRATEGY FOR GROWTH RESOURCES. 
          WE'VE NEVER HAD, I MENTIONED SITE READINESS FUND. 
          SO WE GROW ANOTHER THOUSAND MEGAWATTS. 
          IN 2023, WE SIGNED 750 MEGAWATTS. 
          IN 2024, WE SIGNED A THOUSAND MEGAWATTS. 
          NOW THAT'S LARGE INDUSTRIAL. 
          A LOT OF THAT IS DATA CENTERS. 
          WE HAVE A 900 MEGAWATT DATA CENTER GOING INTO YORK, WHICH IS A QTS. 
          WE HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL GOOGLE CAMPUSES. 
          WE ALREADY SERVE GOOGLE. 
          UM, SO WE HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL CAMPUSES THAT'S 400 MEGAWATTS, UH, META AND AIKEN, UM, WHICH APPARENTLY IS FACEBOOK. 
          I'M NOT ON FACEBOOK SETTING OF THAT. 
          UH, THAT'S ANOTHER 400 MEGAWATTS. 
          BUT THEY HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLE PARTNERS. 
          THE LAST THING THEY WANT TO DO IS COME HERE AND ROB YOU OF YOUR ABILITY TO SHINE YOUR LIGHTS AT HOME. 
          SO BEFORE THEY EVER TALK TO ANYBODY, LOCAL LEVEL, STATE LEVEL, AND TYPICALLY THEY DON'T TAKE STATE INCENTIVES, UM, BY THE WAY, BUT THEIR FIRST CONVERSATION THEY'RE HAVING IS WITH THE POWER COMPANIES, WHETHER IT'S DOMINION, DUKE US SENT COOPER, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT A SITE THAT THEY'VE IDENTIFIED ACTUALLY CAN SERVE THEM IN THE TIMEFRAME THAT THEY NEED. 
          NOW, THEY'LL TELL US THEY NEED 400 MEGAWATTS, BUT WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM ON A LOAD RAMP. 
          SO WE KNOW FROM DAY ONE OF OPERATION WHAT THEY NEED TO HAVE. 
          AND THEN GROWING OVER TIME TO 400 FROM AN ENERGY STANDPOINT. 
          UM, ON THE DUKE SYSTEM, WE'RE THE DUKE'S LARGEST WHOLESALE CUSTOMER. 
          WE STILL HAVE PLENTY OF CAPACITY. 
          THEY'RE CONTINUING TO BUILD ON SENT COOPER SIDE, WHICH IS WHERE OUR 15 CO-OPS, UH, WE CALL 'EM THE LOWER 15, TAKE THEIR GENERATION FROM, UM, THERE'S ACTUALLY A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL. 
          THERE'S, UH, GAS FIRED FACILITIES ARE GONNA BE COMING ONLINE. 
          UM, THE LONGER TERM PLAN, WHICH LOOKS VERY PROMISING TO GET THE NUCLEAR SITE BUILT OUT. 
          UM, AND THEN IN THE MEANTIME, THE CO-OPS ARE GOING OUT AND CONTRACTING FOR EVERY BETTER GENERATION WE CAN GET OUR HANDS ON. 
          SO IN OUR AGREEMENT WITH SANTA COOPER, IF THEY CANNOT PROVIDE THE RESOURCE, WE CAN GO FIND IT OUR OWN. 
          WE GOT OUR HAND SLAPPED, UH, TWO YEARS AGO IN THE LEGISLATURE BECAUSE WE WENT OUT STATE TO GEORGIA AND ABOUT TWO 50 MEGAWATTS OF POWER, NUCLEAR POWER WITHOUT ASKING FOR PERMISSION. 
          BUT THE REALITY IS WE'RE GROWING SO FAST. 
          I JUST GAVE YOU THOSE NUMBERS THAT IF WE AREN'T GOING OUT GETTING THAT SECURED, WE'RE TOAST. 
          AND THAT, THAT AFFECTS EVERY CO-OP, CEO AND THEIR STAFF, THEIR NUMBER ONE CONCERN IS TAKING CARE OF THE PERSON AT THE FARTHEST END OF OUR LINE. 
          UH, AND THAT'S THEIR NUMBER ONE COMMITMENT EVERY DAY. 
          GREG, QUESTIONS FOR YOU COMING IN. 
          I'LL ASK TWO OF THEM THAT ARE IN YOUR WHEELHOUSE. 
          WHAT INDUSTRIES PROVIDE THE HIGHEST MEDIAN INCOME FOR EMPLOYEES, BUT REQUIRE THE LOWEST INFRASTRUCTURE IN ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS? SO YOU CAN KIND OF, AND, AND IF ANY OF OUR PANELISTS WANNA COMMENT ON THAT AS WELL. 
          AND A SECOND QUESTION KIND OF IN THAT, HOW DO YOU RECRUIT AND LAND BUSINESSES THAT DO NOT REQUIRE LAND FOR MAJOR INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION? SO KIND OF SMALL FOOTPRINT, BIG IMPACT. 
          SO LET'S, LET'S TAKE THE FIRST, UH, QUESTION FOR HEALTHCARE HAS A DERIVED SPINOFF OF 10 TO ONE BECAUSE OF THE HIGHER ELEVATION OF, OF JOBS AND THE SKILL SETS THAT COME WITH HEALTHCARE. 
          SO ANYTHING RELATED TO HEALTHCARE IS LOWER HANGING FRUIT NEEDS TO BE CLOSER. 
          THAT'S THE, EVEN THE, YOU KNOW, THE DRY CLEANER THAT NEEDS TO BE CLOSED. 
          BUT IT'S ALSO THE, THE SMALL PARTS DISTRIBUTION. 
          IT'S THE, UH, TECHNICIANS FOR THE MRI MACHINES. 
          THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT COME OFF OF HEALTHCARE THAT IS AND SHOULD BE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE TARGET FOR, UH, DEVELOPED AREAS LIKE BEAUFORT COUNTY. 
          UH, THAT TAKES LESS INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT TAKES LESS POWER, LESS DEMAND, AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT WITH THE HEALTHCARE THAT'S SUPPORTING THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY HERE. 
          SO THAT'S THE EASIER ONE. 
          UM, WE ARE SEEING ON A LOT OF OTHER PROJECTS, HEAVY INDUSTRIAL GROWTH, I MEAN, OR REQUIREMENTS, A HUNDRED MEGAWATTS OF POWER OVER A MILLION GALLONS OF WATER AND SEWER A DAY. 
          UH, ALL ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. 
          SO YOU HAVE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE IN THE COUNTY THAT CAN GO. 
          THERE'S, FOR FLORENCE COUNTY, FOR EXAMPLE, WE ONLY HAVE LIKE THREE LOCATIONS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY, AMONG NINE DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES THAT CAN HANDLE THAT KIND OF DEMAND. 
          SO YOU HAVE TO GO FOR THE BIG ELEPHANT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE GAZELLE. 
          YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE HUNTING FOR AND CAN 
          [01:40:01]
YOU SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF THAT COMPANY. 
          TO GET BACK TO THE LAST QUESTION, WHICH IS ABOUT HOW DO YOU WORK WITH THE FLEX SPACE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE DEVELOPERS IN THE MARKET WORKING WITH YOUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS TO CREATE THAT SPACE. 
          THE SPEC BUILDINGS THAT ARE 30, 40, 60,000 SQUARE FEET THAT COMPLETELY QUICKLY BE DEMIS THAT HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT HAVE THE LOCATION, THAT HAVE THE THINGS IN PLACE. 
          SO THAT'S WHAT JOHN'S WORKING ON NOW WITH THAT SPECULATIVE PROPERTY. 
          IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT TODAY, YOU WILL MISS ON THAT PROJECT BECAUSE THEIR TIMELINES ARE TOO SHORT. 
          THEY'LL GO TO ANOTHER COMPANY, THEY'LL GO TO, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, THEY'LL GO TO ANOTHER COMMUNITY OR THEY'LL FIGURE IT OUT IF THEY CAN'T FIND THE SPACE. 
          I HOPE THAT ANSWERS THAT QUESTION. 
          YEAH, I THINK SO. 
          I, I HOPE SO. 
          SO HEALTHCARE, YEAH. 
          OKAY, SANDY, THIS, UH, THIS QUESTION IS, IS FOR YOU AND, UH, PERHAPS FOR YOU, BECAUSE YOU'RE KIND OF A FREE AGENT WITH YOUR OWN BUSINESS NOW, BUT YOU HAVE SO MUCH KNOWLEDGE OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE FROM, FROM YOUR WORK AT SOUTHERN CAROLINA AND, AND OTHERS. 
          UM, WHERE, WHAT AREA ARE THE NEW ENTRANTS HAVING THE MOST INTEREST? SO WHAT'S HOT RIGHT NOW AND WHAT'S NOT IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND WHAT WAS THE FIRST PART, BUT WHAT, WHAT AREA? THE ACTUAL QUESTION IS AREA WHERE NEW ENTRANTS HAVE THE MOST INTEREST. 
          SO I GUESS THAT WOULD EITHER BE LOCATION, KIND OF WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING, BECAUSE THE, THEY HAVE THE SECRET SAUCE, THE THE DIRT WORKS FOR THEM, OR WHAT AREA IN TERMS OF INDUSTRY. 
          WELL, THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW ME KNOW THAT I AM PROUDLY A SMALL TOWN GIRL, EVEN THOUGH I DID JUST MOVE TO CHARLESTON, BUT IT WAS FOR GRANDBABY LOVE. 
          BUT ANYWAY, SO, UM, IT, IT IS REALLY EXCITING TO SEE, AGAIN, I'M A NATIVE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          I MORE DEVELOPED AREAS, UM, COLUMBIA, CHARLESTON AND GREENVILLE UP. 
          THAT GROWTH IS SPREADING OUT. 
          SO IN TERMS OF THE AREA OF INTEREST, IT'S REALLY STATEWIDE. 
          IT FALLS CLOSELY WITH WHAT GREG AND JAMES SAID. 
          YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT, UM, COMPANIES ARE PUSHING OUT AND I THINK THIS REALLY IS BEING AS SUPPORTED AS WELL. 
          AND OUR FAST MOVING WORLD. 
          NOW, IF I LOCATE 60 MILES PER A MAJOR SOURCE OR A MAJOR, UM, COMPANY THAT I'M SUPPLYING, WALMART CAN STILL GET TO ME IN A DAY OR LESS. 
          AND SO CAN AMAZON. 
          SO THE RURAL AREAS, THE LESSER DEVELOPED AREAS ARE, UM, OF SEE, OH, JUST HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF INTEREST. 
          WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW TO KEEP INFRASTRUCTURE GOING OUT THERE. 
          AND THIS IS NOT A BAD THING FOR THE MORE DEVELOPED AREAS BECAUSE THE MORE DEVELOPED AREAS, THE, UM, CHARLESTON, UH, COLUMBIA, GREENVILLE, AND THEN BEAUFORT, UH, UH, AS WELL, THEY'RE FACING THE PRESSURE OF FULFILLMENT, RIGHT? YOU'VE BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL IN DEVELOPING YOURSELF AND YOU'VE GOT TRAFFIC ISSUES AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAN OUR SCHOOLS KEEP UP? AND THAT'S KIND OF THE GAME THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT. 
          SO YOUR NEIGHBORS CAN ACTUALLY HELP TAKE SOME OF THAT PRESSURE OFF WHILE YOU'RE GEARING UP. 
          SO WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF COLLABORATIVE, I JUST SPOKE WITH ULIA COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO TO A GROUP. 
          THERE'S SO MUCH COLLABORATION NOW GOING ON BETWEEN THE DEVELOPMENT CENTERS AND THEIR UNDERDEVELOPED NEIGHBORS SO THAT THIS GROWTH CAN GO OUT AND REACH ALL AREAS OF THE STATE. 
          NOW I FEEL LIKE THAT'S EXCITING. 
          I HOPE THAT ANSWERED THE QUESTION OF THE PERSON. 
          AND JAMES I THINK HAD A COMMENT ON THAT. 
          I'M GONNA COME TO YOU, GILLIAN, IN JUST A SECOND 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ON THAT. 
          I JUST WANTED TO TACK ON WHAT SANDY SAID. 
          UM, SO CITY CENTERS ARE BUILT OUT. 
          AND IN THE SIXTIES WHEN THE CO-OPS, WHEN THE STATE DIVIDED TERRITORY, WE TOOK EVERYTHING THAT WAS RURAL. 
          WE DIDN'T FIGHT FOR ANY CITY CENTER. 
          NOW GROWTH HAS LEFT CITY CENTERS AND IS COMING OUT TO WHAT WAS RURAL NOW SUBURBAN OR SECOND TIER CITY OR RURAL. 
          AND WE'RE SEEING OPPORTUNITIES AND SUCCESS IN RURAL PARTS OF THE STATE THAT WE'VE NEVER HAD OF JASPER COUNTY. 
          PALMETTO ELECTRIC JUST LANDED A 400 JOB, UM, MANUFACTURER OUTTA CALIFORNIA. 
          UNREAL. 
          YOU HAVE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE COMING INTO THIS AREA, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS THE NEXT PHASE OF GROWTH FOR THEM TO GO TO. 
          SO AGAIN, THAT JUST SPELLS OPPORTUNITY, HARNESSING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES. 
          THEY JUST, YEAH, AND, AND COLLABORATIONS ON THAT AS WELL TO KNOW THAT THEY'LL NEED, IF SOMETHING BIG IS COMING IN TO, TO GO AHEAD AND START LAYING THAT, AS WE TALKED ABOUT THE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE, I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SCOWL FOR EXAMPLE. 
          YOU BETTER BELIEVE FAIRFIELD, CHESTER AND YORK COUNTY THEN WHEN, BUT YEAH, BUT, UH, FAIRFIELD COUNTY AT THEY ARE AT THE TABLE TOGETHER TALKING ABOUT HOW CAN WE GET A PIECE OF THIS? HOW CAN WE LAY THIS? SO IT'S JUST KIND OF SEEING WHAT'S HAPPENING REGIONALLY. 
          YOU WANTED TO COMMENT ON THAT, GREG? UH, YOU KNOW, PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT IS TRANSPIRING GOOD OR BAD, UH, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL IS, IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL NEED TO REALLY FOCUS IN ON. 
          LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. 
          TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS REALLY PUSHING HARD TO BRING BACK PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTION TO THE UNITED STATES. 
          90% OF OUR PHARMACEUTICALS ARE MANUFACTURED OVERSEAS. 
          THEY'RE TRYING 
          [01:45:01]
TO FIX THAT. 
          SO THAT IS A TARGET MARKET FOR ALL US. 
          IF WE CAN BRING EVEN 10, 20, 30% OF THAT BACK TO THE UNITED STATES, WHICH IS ACHIEVABLE, THEN THAT IS SIGNIFICANT. 
          THAT'S BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR PHARMACEUTICALS THAT WILL HAVE TO BE MADE. 
          SOUTH CAROLINA IS A TARGET ON THAT. 
          I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. 
          IN FLORENCE COUNTY WHERE WE HAVE THERMO FISHER, UH, WHICH WAS ROCHE CAROLINA IN THE DAY, BUT THEY DO THE WORLD SUPPLY OF TAMIFLU. 
          SO WITH THEIR CAMPUS, WE ARE TARGETING, AGAIN, THE PHARMACEUTICAL ELEMENTS. 
          AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. 
          MY HOME COUNTY IS TARGETING THOSE ELEMENTS, AND JOHN IS DOING A GOOD JOB OF TRYING TO HIT ALL THE CLUSTERS, BUT WE GOTTA REALLY PAY ATTENTION IN THIS NEXT FOUR YEARS OF THE OPPORTUNITIES OF THAT PHARMACEUTICAL COMING BACK, GILLIAN, UH, THAT WE CAN, UH, SO THAT WE FINISH ON TIME FOR THESE KIND FOLKS. 
          UM, BACK TO THE RURAL COMPONENT OF, OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, AND WE TALKED ABOUT HOW THESE ARE, THESE AREAS ARE PRIME, RIGHT? THEY ARE READY, THEY WANT IT, BUT IT DOES COME BACK TO ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, HEART TUG OF MINE EDUCATION. 
          AND THE NUMBERS THAT HAVE COME OUT RECENTLY, ABOUT THIRD AND EIGHTH GRADE READING AND MATH LEVELS. 
          THESE BUSINESSES NEED, THEY'RE THE PRIMARY CONSUMERS OF WHAT HAPPENS IN CLASSROOMS EVERY DAY. 
          SO HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN EDUCATION, CONTINUE TO GROW OUR EDUCATION PARTNERS AS WE WORK ON INFRASTRUCTURES? AND WE CAN HAVE RAIL, WE CAN HAVE ROADS, WE CAN HAVE ENERGY, BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE A TALENTED, EDUCATED WORKFORCE, I MEAN GREG, GREG SAID IT, IF YOU'RE NOT KNOCKING ON THE DOOR, IF YOU ARE NOT SPEAKING WITH THE K THROUGH 12 ELEMENT IN YOUR COUNTY AND BRINGING THEM TO THE TABLE TO, TO MEET WITH YOUR INDUSTRY, YOU'VE ALREADY MISSED THAT OPPORTUNITY. 
          WHEN I WORKED IN WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY, WE HAD, UM, UH, IT WAS, UH, UM, MANUFACTURING DAY IN SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          THEY DO IT ALL OVER SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          UM, BUT I, I HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT THERE, AND SHE MADE IT MANDATORY THAT ALL OF HER TEACHERS, ALL OF HER EDUCATORS PARTICIPATE IN THAT MANUFACTURING DAY. 
          AND SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE HAD BUSES AND WE LOADED ALL THE TEACHERS UP AND WE HAVE THREE OR FOUR EXISTING INDUSTRIES WHO WOULD ALLOW TOURS. 
          AND WE TOOK THOSE TEACHERS THROUGHOUT THOSE MANUFACTURING FACILITIES BECAUSE MOST OF THEM THOUGHT THAT MANUFACTURING WAS DIRTY, DARK, AND DANGEROUS. 
          AND THEN THEY GO IN THESE FACILITIES AND THEY SEE THESE BRIGHT, BEAUTIFUL FACILITIES WITH ALL OF THIS TECHNOLOGY AND ALL THIS, THAT ADVANCED MANUFACTURING. 
          AND THEY SAID, I NEVER KNEW THIS PRODUCT, FIRST OF ALL WAS BEING MANUFACTURED IN OUR COUNTY AND THAT THE FACILITIES LOOK LIKE THIS. 
          AND SO, UM, IN THOSE COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY'RE REALLY STRUGGLING WITH EDUCATION, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE REACHING OUT TO THEIR EDUCATION PARTNERS AND MAKING SURE THAT THOSE EDUCATION PARTNERS HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE INDUSTRY LEADERS. 
          THANK YOU TO OUR PANEL TODAY, TO YOUR INSIGHTS. 
          WILL Y ALL STICK AROUND AND MAYBE TALK TO SOME FOLKS AND GET MORE QUESTIONS ANSWERED? I HAVE FINISHED AT 10 30 ON THE DOT, MR. O'TOOLE AND KELLY, YOU BETTER COME BACK FROM GERMANY. 
          DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT IT. 
          YOU GUYS COMFORTABLE? YOU'D LOOK IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AS THEY WERE SPEAKING, UH, I HANG OUT WITH THE THREE AND A HALF YEAR OLD GRANDSON AND WATCH A LOT OF TOY STORY. 
          I THINKING OF RANDY NEWMAN, YOU GOT A FRIEND IN ME. 
          IT KIND OF CELEBRATES, UH, WHEN YOU GOT GOOD FRIENDS AND IT'S NICE TO HAVE SMART FRIENDS. 
          SO, UH, GIVE OUR PANEL A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. 
          YOU GUYS COULD HAVE SNUCK OFF, BUT NOW I, I'VE GOT, UH, JUST A A FEW CLOSING COMMENTS. 
          ANNA, THANKS FOR DOING A GREAT JOB AND BEING SUCH A GREAT FRIEND OF OUR REGION. 
          UH, GILLIAN, UH, SANDY, GREG AND JAMES, THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERTISE AND YOUR INSIGHTS AND ALL OF YOU FOR BEING PART OF THIS IMPORTANT CONVERSATION TODAY. 
          WE'VE SEEN HOW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOUCHES EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES, JOBS, HOUSING, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND REALLY THE VITALITY, THE FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNI COMMUNITY. 
          UM, I DO HAVE SOME PREPARED REMARKS, BUT THAT REMINDS ME, I DO WANNA THANK MEGAN MORRIS, UH, AND HER AMBASSADORS FOR BEING SUCH A GREAT EXTENSION, UH, FROM THE BEAUFORD REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. 
          THANK YOU MEGAN. 
          AND I THINK HANK MAY HAVE SNUCK OUT, BUT, UH, HANK WITH THE COUNTY, UH, DOES A GREAT JOB, UH, UH, BEING OUR CONDUIT WITH THE COUNTY AND, AND MIKE MOORE, AND WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THEM. 
          THE WORK HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA DOESN'T REALLY HAPPEN IN A VACUUM. 
          IT TAKES COLLABORATION, LONG-TERM VISION 
          [01:50:01]
AND SUPPORT OF OUR LEADERS, BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS LIKE ALL OF YOU. 
          PROSPERITY AND PRACTICE IS NOT JUST THE NAME OF TODAY'S EVENT, IT'S THE GOAL WE'RE ALL WORKING TOWARDS. 
          TOGETHER WE CAN ENSURE BEAUFORT COUNTY AND THE LOW COUNTRY CONTINUE TO GROW, THRIVE, AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. 
          THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND LET'S KEEP MOVING. 
          BEAUFORT COUNTY FORWARD TOGETHER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.