* 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. [00:00:01] CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY. IF YOU NEED ONE. AND WE, WE'LL GET YOU WHENEVER YOU NEED. I'M, IF YOU COULD TAKE YOUR SEATS PLEASE. WE'RE READY TO BEGIN. IF YOU COULD TAKE YOUR SEATS PLEASE. I WANT TO SEE IF WE HAVE ENOUGH SEATS. , WE'RE GONNA KICK OFF THIS MORNING, UH, WITH A MESSAGE FROM, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL CHAIR ALICE HOWARD. I'M ALICE HOWARD, CHAIR OF BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL AND IT IS MY HONOR TO WELCOME YOU TODAY TO CONVERGE 2026. THIS YEAR'S THEME IS PEOPLE FIRST PROGRESS TOGETHER, WHICH IS REFLECTED IN THE AMOUNT OF BUSINESS LEADERS, MUNICIPALITIES, EDUCATORS, WORKFORCE PARTNERS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE TODAY. WITHOUT YOUR DEDICATION AND INVESTMENT INTO OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS SUCH AS CONVERGE 2026 WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. COUNTY COUNCIL'S ROLE IS TO SUPPORT BALANCED GROWTH. ENSURE POLICIES ALIGN WITH LONG-TERM ECONOMIC VITALITY AND ALIGN PRIORITIES WITH INTENTIONAL DECISIONS THAT SUPPORT PROGRESS IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE. WE COLLABORATE WITH B-C-E-D-C, THE MUNICIPALITIES, EDUCATION PARTNERS, AND STATE AND REGIONAL WORKFORCE INITIATIVES. WORKFORCE IS THE MOST CRITICAL ISSUE FACING. EMPLOYERS ARE COMPETING FOR TALENT, ADAPTING TO CHANGE, AND PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE. WORKFORCE CHALLENGES IMPACT BUSINESS GROWTH, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, SERVICE DELIVERY, AND MOST IMPORTANT QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. IN CLOSING, I'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPANTS TO ENGAGE AND PARTICIPATE IN THE SESSION TODAY. TAKE YOUR IDEAS BACK TO YOUR ORGANIZATIONS. WHEN WE PUT PEOPLE FIRST AND WORK TOGETHER, PROGRESS FOLLOWS. GOOD MORNING CONVERGE. MY NAME IS KEVIN PHILLIPS AND I'M THE MAYOR OF THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL PEOPLE FIRST. PROGRESS TOGETHER MEANS WE DON'T PURSUE DEVELOPMENT IN ISOLATION. WE WORK ALONGSIDE RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, EDUCATORS, AND REGIONAL PARTNERS TO ENSURE GROWTH BENEFITS TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOLLOWS THAT SAME PHILOSOPHY, CREATING OPPORTUNITIES THAT ALLOW OUR RESIDENTS TO WORK, LIVE, AND BUILD A FUTURE RIGHT HERE, WHILE ENSURING OUR NEW EMPLOYERS ARE ALIGNED WITH THE CHARACTER AND LONG-TERM VISION OF PORT ROYAL REDEVELOPMENT HAS OPENED DOORS IN CONSTRUCTION, HOSPITALITY, SMALL BUSINESS, PUBLIC SERVICES, AND EMERGING PROFESSIONAL SECTORS. AT THE SAME TIME, WE FACE CHALLENGES COMMON TO GROWING COASTAL COMMUNITIES, HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, TRANSPORTATION, AND ENSURING WAGES KEEP PACE. WITH THE COST OF LIVING. OUR GOAL IS TO MANAGE REDEVELOPMENT RESPONSIBLY SO IT STRENGTHENS OUR WORKFORCE RATHER THAN DISPLACING IT. SMALL BUSINESSES ARE THE BACKBONE OF PORT ROYAL'S ECONOMY. WE SUPPORT THEM BY STREAMLINING, PERMITTING, ENCOURAGING LOCALLY OWNED ENTERPRISES, INVESTING IN WALKABLE COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS, AND FOSTERING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE ENTREPRENEURS FEEL WELCOMED AND SUPPORTED. WHEN LOCAL BUSINESSES SUCCEED, JOBS STAY LOCAL DOLLARS CIRCULATE LOCALLY AND THE TOWN'S IDENTITY REMAIN STRONG. THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL RELIES ON STRONG REGIONAL COLLABORATION, WORKING WITH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS, AND EMPLOYERS [00:05:01] ACROSS BEAUFORT COUNTY TO CONNECT RESIDENTS WITH SKILLS THAT MATCH JOB OPPORTUNITIES. WE ALSO BENEFIT FROM THE PRESENCE OF MARINE CORPS, RECRUIT DEPOT, PARIS ISLAND, WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO A SKILLED CIVILIAN WORKFORCE AND STRENGTHENS OUR REGIONAL ECONOMY WITHIN THE TOWN. WE TREAT OUR MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES THE SAME WAY WE TREAT OUR RESIDENTS WITH RESPECT, TRANSPARENCY, AND APPRECIATION. RECRUITMENT STARTS WITH A CLEAR MISSION AND RETENTION COMES FROM CREATING A CULTURE WHERE EMPLOYEES FEEL VALUED, SUPPORTED AND EMPOWERED TO SERVE. INVESTING IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE IS ESSENTIAL TO DELIVERING EXCELLENT PUBLIC SERVICE. A STRONG WORKFORCE IS ONE THAT IS SKILLED AND ROOTED IN THE COMMUNITY. IT MEANS YOUNG PEOPLE SEE A FUTURE HERE. FAMILIES CAN AFFORD TO STAY AND EMPLOYERS CAN FIND TALENT LOCALLY. ULTIMATELY, A SUSTAINABLE WORKFORCE IS ONE THAT GROWS ALONGSIDE PORT ROYAL, PROTECTING OUR SMALL TOWN CHARACTER WHILE EMBRACING OPPORTUNITY AND PROGRESSES TOGETHER. WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE RECENT DECISION BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO LOCATE THEIR NEW CLINIC HERE IN THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL. THAT CLINIC WILL BE LOCATED ALONG REBO ROAD, WHICH WE ALSO CALL THE GATEWAY TO PORT ROYAL. WE'RE EXCITED AND BELIEVE THAT THIS INVESTMENT IS GONNA PROVIDE AMAZING SERVICES TO OUR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES, ALONG WITH GOOD PAYING JOBS IN THE COMMUNITY AND BE AN ECONOMIC BENEFIT AND A BOOM TO EVERY BUSINESS AROUND THE AREA. THAT BETTER? I GUESS SO. ALRIGHT, THANKS JOHN. UH, WE'RE GRATEFUL TO SEE SO MANY LEADERS FROM ACROSS BEAUFORT COUNTY IN THE REGION GATHER HERE TODAY. FROM BUSINESS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, EDUCATION, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. YOUR PRESENCE REFLECTS SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT THAT PROGRESS HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE COME TOGETHER. CONVERGE EXISTS TO CREATE SPACE FOR THAT COLLABORATION TO BRING THE RIGHT PEOPLE INTO THE ROOM, TO HAVE MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR ECONOMY AND OUR COMMUNITY. THIS YEAR, AS YOU'VE HEARD, OUR FOCUS IS WORKFORCE ACROSS INDUSTRIES. WORKFORCE CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF THE MOST PRESSING CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FACING OUR REGION. RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, SKILL ALIGNMENT, HOUSING AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AFFECT EVERY EMPLOYER AND EVERY COMMUNITY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. BUT TODAY IS NOT JUST ABOUT IDENTIFYING CHALLENGES, IT'S ABOUT ALIGNMENT. IT'S ABOUT SHARED RESPONSIBILITY, AND IT'S ABOUT MOVING FORWARD WITH INTENTION. I ALSO WANT TO EXTEND SINCERE THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS. YOUR INVESTMENT IN CONVERGE IS AN INVESTMENT IN THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF BEAUFORT COUNTY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, AND FOR ADVANCING OPPORTUNITY ACROSS THE REGION. OUR TITLE SPONSOR, YOU CAN SEE UP HERE, PALMETTO ELECTRIC CORPORATION GOLD SPONSORS, BUR FOREMAN, DOMINION ENERGY, MAY RIVER, MANOR, HILTON, HEAD ISLAND, AND BEAUFORT EXECUTIVE AIRPORTS, SILVER SPONSORS, DAVIS AND FLOYD, THE DON RYAN CENTER FOR INNOVATION ALLIANCE CONSULTING ENGINEERS, BEAUFORT DIGITAL CORRIDOR, MRB GROUP, NOVANT HEALTH AND THE SC DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKFORCE, AND OUR BRONZE SPONSORS, WHICH ARE LISTED IN YOUR PROGRAM. PLEASE JOIN ME IN THANKING OUR SPONSORS FOR TODAY'S EVENT. I ALSO WANNA THANK TODAY'S SPEAKERS AND VIDEO CONTRIBUTORS FOR THEIR TIME AND THEIR EXPERTISE. THEIR INSIGHTS WILL GROUND TODAY'S DISCUSSION IN LOCAL STRATEGY AND BROADER PERSPECTIVE. AS WE BEGIN, I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO ENGAGE FULLY, LISTEN CAREFULLY, ASK THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS, AND CONSIDER HOW EACH OF US CAN HELP STRENGTHEN WORKFORCE AND SHAPE OUR ECONOMIC FUTURE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, AND THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO PUT PEOPLE FIRST SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS. THANK [00:10:01] YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR BLUFFTON TO BE A PART OF CONVERGE. WE DO MORE THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS. ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS A FORCE MULTIPLIER IN OUR MISSION TO DEVELOP A STRONG DIVERSE ECONOMY. THIS YEAR'S THEME, PEOPLE FIRST PROGRESS TOGETHER FITS WELL WITH LOFTON'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STORY AND HOW THE DON RYAN CENTER FOR INNOVATION CAME TO BE. THE DON RYAN CENTER IS THE TOWN'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE HEADED, IT HELPS TO REMEMBER WHY THE CENTER WAS CREATED. THE DON RYAN CENTER STARTED AS A STARTUP. IT WENT THROUGH THE SAME EARLY PHASES, CHALLENGES AND DECISIONS THAT MANY OF OUR COMPANIES IT WORKS WITH NOW FACE TODAY. IN 2012, BLUFFTON WAS EMERGING FROM THE RECESSION. TOWN LEADERS RECOGNIZED WE NEEDED A STRONGER, MORE DIVERSE LOCAL ECONOMY. RELYING ON REGIONAL INDUSTRIES WASN'T ENOUGH. LOUGHTON HAD TO ACTIVELY RECRUIT AND SUPPORT NEW TYPES OF BUSINESSES. LOUGHTON FIRST PARTNERED WITH CLEMSON UNIVERSITY AND ITS TECHNOLOGY VILLAGES MODEL TO ESTABLISH THE CENTER. DURING THIS PROCESS, DON RYAN WAS THE FIRST BUSINESS OWNER TO RELOCATE TO BLUFFTON. THROUGH THIS EFFORT, HE FOUNDED CARE CORPS, A HEALTH CORPS MANAGEMENT COMPANY, AND MOVED HIS HEADQUARTERS FROM NEW YORK TO BLUFFTON. HIS WORK HELPED ESTABLISH THE CENTER, WHICH WAS LATER NAMED IN HIS HONOR. IN THE PAST 12 YEARS, THE DON RYAN CENTER HAS ADVISED AND SUPPORTED 105 COMPANIES. IN THIS FORMAL PROGRAMS ASSISTED MORE THAN 628 COMPANIES HELPED GENERATE NEARLY 40 MILLION IN NEW INVESTMENT AND MAINTAINED AN 84% BUSINESS SURVIVAL RATE, WHICH IS WELL ABOVE NATIONAL AVERAGES. TODAY, 76% OF THE CENTER'S ACTIVE CLIENTS ARE BLUFFING BUSINESSES AND HALF ARE WOMAN OR MINORITY OWNED. WHEN PEOPLE SEE A COMMUNITY INVEST IN THEM, THEY STAY, THEY BUILD, AND THEY ARE LOCALLY DEVELOPING A FUTURE WORKFORCE STARTS EARLY. THE DON RYAN CENTER HELPS TO DO THAT BY SUPPORTING INNOVATION PROGRAM IN HIGH SCHOOLS AND LOCAL COLLEGES. THE CENTER LEADS THE REGION IN EDUCATING BUSINESS LEADERS AND STUDENTS IN THE USE AND BENEFITS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. IN THE PAST YEAR, MORE THAN 500 PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED AI TRAINING SESSIONS, ALSO PARTNERS WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS. PLEIN HIGH SCHOOL AND THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT ARE LAUNCHING SOUTH CAROLINA'S FIRST HIGH SCHOOL AI PATHWAY. WITH SUPPORT FROM THE DON RYAN CENTER, BLUFFTON CONTINUES TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE HERE. OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT PRESERVED HISTORY AND STRONG COMMUNITY PRIDE MAKE BLUFFTON A VERY SPECIAL PLACE TO BE. BLUFFTON HAS GROWN FROM ROUGHLY 750 TO OVER 40,000 PEOPLE. AS BLUFFTON GREW TOWN LEADERS FOCUSED ON ATTRACTING A VARIETY OF COMPANIES, KNOWLEDGE BASE, MEDICAL LIGHT, INDUSTRIAL, AND OTHERS ALIGNED WITH OUR ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES. A DIVERSE ECONOMY CREATES LONG-TERM STABILITY. SIMILAR TO A BALANCED INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO, LOUGHTON IS ONE OF THE FEW MUNICIPALITIES THAT OFFERS BOTH AN INCUBATOR AND A LANDING PAD. THE DON RYAN CENTER AND ITS SECOND BUILDING. THE COVE PROVIDES SPACE AND SUPPORT FOR COMPANIES CONSIDERING RELOCATION OR EXPANSION. INSIDE TOWN HALL, WE OPERATE WITH THE SAME PHILOSOPHY. INVEST IN PEOPLE. TOWN EMPLOYEES HAVE ACCESS TO LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING, MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS EDUCATION, TUITION REIMBURSEMENT AND CERTIFICATION BONUSES. THE TOWN OFFERS BENEFITS, WHICH MANY PRIVATE COMPANIES SIMPLY CANNOT DO, SUCH AS FREE ACCESS TO A MOBILE MEDICAL CLINIC. WELLNESS REIMBURSEMENTS, INTEREST FREE COMPUTER LOANS, FORGIVABLE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR EMPLOYEES BUYING HOMES IN BLUFFTON. EMPLOYEE SURVEYS SHOW EMPLOYEES FEEL SUPPORTED AND VALUED, WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO RETENTION AND SERVICE QUALITY. BY INVESTING IN PEOPLE, THE CULTURE IS SET FOR THE PRODUCTIVITY AND PROGRESS BOTH OUTSIDE TOWN HALL AND IN BLUFFTON BUSINESS COMMUNITY. THE TOWN PERSEVERANCE IN THE DON RYAN CENTER IS A TEMPLATE FOR ANY STARTUP. THERE WILL BE CHALLENGES, THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES. JUST KEEP ON MOVING. IT'S NICE. THE RECESSION WAS A STARTING POINT [00:15:01] AND FULLY IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR NOW, BUT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THIS CHALLENGE LEFT AND BECAME CLEAR ABOUT WHAT IT WANTED FOR ITS FUTURE. WE ARE PROUD OF THE DON RYAN CENTER AND EVERY BUSINESS OWNER WHO HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE ECONOMY WE HAVE TODAY. THE VISION WE HAD 12 YEARS AGO IS NOW OUR REALITY. GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. IT'S AN HONOR AND PLEASURE TO BE HERE THIS MORNING TO SEE SO MANY, UH, FRIENDLY FACES, FAMILIAR FACES, AND UM, JUST VERY THANKFUL THAT, UH, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO BE THE SPONSOR FOR THIS EVENT AND, UH, ALL THE GOOD THINGS THAT, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION DOES FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY. UM, YOU KNOW, MY GOOD FRIEND LARRY TUBER JUST, UH, MADE A GREAT PRESENTATION ABOUT THE DON RYAN CENTER, AND I DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS GONNA DO THAT, BUT AS THE FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE DON RYAN CENTER, I'M VERY PROUD OF WHAT THAT ORGANIZATION HAS DONE. AND I'M LOOKING AT LISA SOKO, WHO WAS VERY, WHO OF COURSE THE PREVIOUS MAYOR IN BLUFFTON WAS VERY, UM, VERY INVOLVED IN, UH, GETTING THAT, UH, CENTER STARTED. AND, UH, IF YOU, IF YOU NEVER HAVE BEEN TO THE DINE RYAN CENTER, YOU NEED TO, TO GO BY THERE. AND IF NOTHING ELSE, YOU CAN SEE JOHN O'TOOLE 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE HIS OFFICE IS. UM, BUT, UH, BUT ANYWAY, UM, IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE AND, UH, GLAD TO SEE EVERYONE. AND, UH, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT, UH, YOU ALL DO TO MAKE THIS, UM, THIS COUNTY AND THIS AREA THAT WE LIVE IN SUCH A GREAT COMMUNITY. AND IT'S BECAUSE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT, UM, MAKE IT SUCH A GREAT COMMUNITY. AND, UM, AND AGAIN, I'M, I'M JUST AGAIN, VERY HONORED TO BE HERE. AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY REALLY TO, TO MEET REBECCA THIS MORNING. AND, UH, WE HAVE, UH, ONE THING IN COMMON THAT I FOUND OUT THAT, UM, SHE IS A, SHE IS A TIGER. UH, I'M A TIGER, BUT LISA, SHE'S AN AUBURN TIGER AND NOT A CLEMSON TIGER. BUT, UH, BUT I, I'M NOT SURE IF THEY FIGURED OUT WHETHER THEY A TIGER OR A WAR EAGLE YET. BUT, UH, ANYWAY, MAYBE YOU CAN HELP US WITH THAT, REBECCA. BUT, UM, AGAIN, UH, I'M VERY HONORED TO BE ABLE TO INTRODUCE REBECCA BATTLE BRYANT. UH, REBECCA WAS, UH, APPOINTED BY GOVERNOR HENRY MCMASTER AND CONFIRMED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE AS THE FIRST DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF STATEWIDE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND IS LEADING THE EFFORT TO COORDINATE ALIGNED AND DIRECT WORKFORCE EFFORTS ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA. PRIOR TO HER ROLE, UH, BATTLE BRYANT WAS THE PRESIDENT OWNER OF BATTLE PLAN CONSULTING, WHICH IS A FULL SERVICE HUMAN RESOURCE, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC OUTREACH CONSULTING FIRM. UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHAT LURED HER TO SOUTH CAROLINA, UM, SHE WORKED FOR SCANNER CORPORATION, UH, WHICH IS OF COURSE NOW DOMINION ENERGY. AND, UH, SHE HELD SEVERAL JOBS THERE IN PROGRESSIVE MANAGEMENT POSITIONS AT SCANNER, UM, IN CUSTOMER SERVICE, CORPORATE TRAINING, GAS OPERATIONS, AND CALL CENTER OPERATIONS. AND AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE WE HAVE IN COMMON BECAUSE I'M WORKED AT, UH, SCANNER, SENG MANY, MANY YEARS AGO MYSELF. BUT, UH, SHE'S HERE. UH, AGAIN, I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT SHE IS AN AUBURN, UH, GRADUATE. SHE RECEIVED HER UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, MAJORING IN MARKETING AND SALES, AND A MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. SHE RECEIVED HER DOCTORATE DEGREE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND HIGHER EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION. SHE IS A PUBLISHED AUTHOR, CERTIFIED ECONOMIC DEVELOPER, A-S-H-R-M CERTIFIED AND PROFESSIONAL, A DISC COACH CONSULTANT. AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO HELP ME WITH THAT ONE. AND AN AUTHORIZED SH RM RECERTIFICATION CREDIT PROVIDER. SHE IS MARRIED, HAS ONE DAUGHTER AND A MYRIAD OF RESCUED DOGS AND CATS, WHICH SHE'D GET ALONG WELL WITH MY WIFE BECAUSE WE HAVE FIVE AS WELL AS SONGBIRDS AND WHATEVER ELSE MOTHER NATURE DROPS BY. SO JOIN ME IN WELCOMING REBECCA DORAN. Y'ALL HEAR ME? KATE? AM I OWN? I'M ON. HE GOT ME. I'VE GOT THE LAVALIER. I'LL TAKE THIS. Y'ALL, WE ARE HIGH OFF. SO I'M HERE TODAY. I'M SO EXCITED TO BE WITH YOU. AND I COULD NOT BELIEVE HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE REGISTERED WHEN THEY SENT ME LIST. UM, I HOPE THAT THE MESSAGE THAT I HAVE, UM, HELP YOU [00:20:01] BECAUSE WHAT I'M GONNA TELL YOU TODAY CAN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT ALL OF YOU IN THE ROOM. AND WE CAN TALK, BUT WHAT WE DO IN AIN'T GONNA BE WHAT WORKS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND THE REGION. Y'ALL KNOW YOU, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO DO AND YOU KNOW WHO YOUR DRIVERS, YOUR MOVERS IN YOUR SHAKERS ARE. SO I APPRECIATE PEOPLE FIRST PROGRESS TOGETHER. MY THING, I LIVED IN ORANGEBURG COUNTY FOR 22 YEARS. I MARRIED DRAYTON FROM THERE. AND YEAH, THEY, THEY TOOK A YEAR TO TELL ME HE WAS GOING. I I HAD TO LIVE THERE, BUT I LIVED IN ORANGEBURG FOR 22 YEARS. IT WAS FINE. UM, BUT UM, WE MOVED TO LAKE MARION 10 YEARS AGO. SO I LIVED IN ORANGEBURG AND CLARENDON COUNTY FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS TOTAL. AND I KNOW RURAL COMMUNITIES AND THAT WAS MY RESEARCH WAS RURAL COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND WE HAVE GOT SOME CHALLENGES, BUT WE'VE ALSO GOT SOME GOOD NEWS. BUT THE FIRST THING IS A LOT OF PEOPLE WANNA KNOW WHAT IS THE OFFICE OF STATEWIDE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. FIRST OF ALL, Y'ALL, I GAVE UP MY JOB, MY COMPANY, I HAVE MY OWN COMPANY AND I GAVE IT UP TO DO THIS. AND THE REASON I'M DOING THIS AND DRIVING 150 MILES A DAY ROUND TRIP EVERY DAY FROM LAKE MARION TO COLUMBIA IS BECAUSE I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. BUT I'M ALSO GONNA TELL YOU, IT IS CRAZY AND IT'S COMPLICATED. AND WHY? BECAUSE IT INVOLVES LOTS OF DIFFERENT GROUPS AND IT INVOLVES PEOPLE AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT TRICKY. SO WE ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THIS. UM, THEY CREATED MY OFFICE THAT I'M IN IN 2023 WITH A LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED IN ACT 67. AND IN THAT WHAT THEY DID WAS THEY EXPANDED A COORDINATING COUNCIL FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. HOW MANY OF YOU KNEW THAT THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA HAD A COORDINATING COUNCIL? WELL THEY THAT'S RIGHT. NOBODY KNEW. OKAY, I DID. 'CAUSE I WORKED AT DEW BEFORE AND UM, I WORKED AT DEE. I'M NOT A GOOD GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE, BUT I TRY MY BEST. UM, BUT ANYWAY, UH, THE, THE COORDINATING COUNCIL USED TO BE 14 GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT Y'ALL, BUT THE GOVERNMENT CAN'T FIX EVERYTHING 'CAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON HERE. I SAW THAT ACT PASSED. FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS EXTENDING THE COORDIN AND THERE'S 38 MEMBERS ON THE COORDINATING COUNCIL FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. THERE ARE GOVERNMENT EDUCATION PARTNERS. OUR EDUCATION PARTNERS ARE NOW AT THE TABLE. AND I'M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WHEN WE CAME IN, I'M GONNA SLIP TO THIS ONE FIRST. WHEN I CAME IN, THERE WERE FIVE BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY SLOTS THAT HAD NOT BEEN FILLED AND THEY WANTED ME TO FILL THEM. AND HAVING BEEN IN PRIVATE INDUSTRY, IN HUMAN RESOURCES, I WAS VERY PASSIONATE THAT THEY BE OUTSPOKEN, REPRESENT A VARIETY OF INDUSTRIES AND . AND THE GOVERNOR HAS TO APPOINT ALL OF THESE PEOPLE. SO ONE OF THEM IS HERE TODAY. UM, SHE'S HERE REPRESENTING NOT ONLY THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WITH PYRAMID CONSTRUCTION WHO IS A BRONZE SPONSOR FOR TODAY'S EVENT. BUT SHE ALSO HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN CAREER TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION, HAVING RUN THE BERKELEY COUNTY AND RICHLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ONE CAREER CENTERS. AND SO HER VOICE IS VERY IMPORTANT. WE'VE GOT MANDY BOLT SEEKER WHO IS FROM ORANGEBURG AND HAS WORKED IN HUMAN RESOURCES IN IT. AND YOU'LL KNOW WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT. WE HAVE MICHAEL MORRIS WHO HAD BEEN WITH US THE LONGEST. UM, AND WE'VE GOT HEALTHCARE J HAM WHO REPRESENTS MEDICAL AND BARBARA LIVINGSTON WHO IS HR FOR GREGORY ELECTRIC. BUT THEY REP, SHE REPRESENTS OUR PUBLIC UTILITIES. BUT I'M PROUD. AND JESS KEY, I ALSO WANNA MENTION JESS KEY. SHE IS THE DIRECTOR OF TALENT ACQUISITION AT NEWPORT NEWS. AND NEWPORT NEWS IS A SHIP BUILDING COMPANY THAT HAS COME TO CHARLESTON IN THE LAST YEAR. AND THEY PLAN, UH, IF YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT WHAT THE PLANS ARE FOR OUR NAVY, THEY MAKE THE UH, SUBMARINES AND THE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS. UH, AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. SO SHE IS ALSO THERE. WE NOW HAVE SIX PRIVATE INDUSTRY PEOPLE, FOUR OF WHOM ARE HUMAN RESOURCE PRACTITIONERS AND THREE WHOM REPRESENT MANUFACTURING. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. BUT JUST TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT OFFICE OF STATEWIDE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IS IN RELATION TO THE COORDINATING COUNCIL, THERE'S ONLY FIVE OF US. I WOULD'VE NEVER AGREED TO COME AND START ANOTHER AGENCY. WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER AGENCY. WE NEED BOOTS ON THE GROUND TRYING TO HELP. 'CAUSE I'M GONNA SHARE WITH Y'ALL SOME STATISTICS FROM OUR STATE THAT I FIND CONCERNING. I THINK THERE'S SOME GOOD THINGS GOING ON, BUT WE HAVE SOME CONCERNING STATISTICS. AND Y'ALL AS THE LOCAL THOUGHT LEADERS ARE GONNA HAVE TO BE THE ONES THAT FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS YOU'RE GONNA DO TO TRY TO HELP THAT. SO WITH THE OFFICE OF STATEWIDE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WE ARE BASICALLY HIGH POWERED PROJECT MANAGERS FOR THE COORDINATING COUNCIL. THAT COORDINATING COUNCIL REPRESENTS YOU. THOSE MEETINGS ARE PUBLIC MEETINGS. YOU ARE PERFECTLY ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE ONLINE OR IN PERSON. IT'S PERFECTLY FINE. UM, I'M VERY EXCITED THAT WE'RE MAKING THE MEETINGS MUCH MORE [00:25:01] INTERACTIVE. WE ARE BRINGING LOCAL PEOPLE TO THE COUNCIL FOR THEM TO HEAR FROM YOU BOOTS ON THE GROUND, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MYRTLE BEACH, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT. BUT THE COORDINATING COUNCIL, AS I MENTIONED, IS THAT BIG OVERSIGHT BOARD. UM, AND THEN THERE IS AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF WHICH A VOTING MEMBER AND WE MAKE THE DECISIONS. AND THEN I REPORT TO THE COORDINATING COUNCIL CHAIR WHO IS WILLIAM FLOYD. HE IS THE UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYEE WORKFORCE. AND HE IS A RETIRED ATTORNEY, LABOR ATTORNEY. AND I KNEW HIM BACK IN THE CIRCLES BACK IN THE DAY. OUR GROUP IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENACTING WHATEVER PROJECTS THE VOTES ON, HAVE A VOTE. SO THIS YEAR I'M GONNA SHARE WITH YOU THE TWO BIG THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON TO TRY TO ADDRESS FORCE. BUT THE TWO BIG THINGS ARE OUT THERE, BUT THEY'RE NOT GONNA WORK UNLESS I GET Y'ALL HELP US. THAT'S WHAT SHARE WITH YOU TOO. WE OPERATE UNDER A UNIFIED STATE PLAN. AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, LIKE RIGHT NOW THERE AND IT IS REQUIRING THAT THE GOVERNOR GRANTEE, THE GOVERNOR HAS TO SIGN AND HE HAS DESIGNATED THE COORDINATING COUNSEL AS HIS, UM, ARM TO GET. SO THIS IS A COUNCIL THAT IS TO BE THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE. AND WE ARE ALL ALIGNED UNDER THREE THINGS. ARE PEOPLE AWARE OF OUR JOBS AND CAREERS? AND WHEN I TELL YOU THE STATISTICS OF THE COLLEGE GRADUATES LEAVING OUR STATE EVERY YEAR AND THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT DISAPPEAR AFTER GRADUATION EVERY YEAR, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA BE AWARE THAT WE DON'T HAVE AWARENESS. AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU WHAT WE FOUND OUT IN A A PERCEPTION STUDY. I'M GONNA MOVE QUICK. ALSO, DO THEY HAVE THE SKILLS TO DO THE JOB? DO YOU FIND THAT YOUR WORKFORCE HAS THE SKILLS TO DO THE JOB OR IT'S OKAY? ARE THESE, ARE THEY READY? YES. NO, I'M HEARING NO. WELL YOUR NEWS FLASH, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO IT. IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN IN EDUCATION UNLESS Y'ALL TALK TO EDUCATION. Y'ALL GONNA HAVE TO TALK TO YOUR EDUCATION SCHOOL DISTRICTS. 'CAUSE HERE'S ANOTHER THING THAT'S FASCINATING ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA. WE ARE A STATE OF 46 COUNTIES THAT ARE INDEPENDENTLY OPERATED. AND THEN YOU'VE GOT YOUR TOWNS, AS WE HEARD FROM OUR MAYORS, WE'VE GOT OUR TOWNS AND OUR CITIES AND EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN TURF AND EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN POLITICAL THING. AND SO THAT IS WHAT MAKES US INTERESTING. OUR TECHNICAL COLLEGES ALL OPERATE ON THEIR OWN OR AN ENTITY UNDER THEMSELVES. YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THERE'S OVER 80 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND THEY GET TO SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ED CAN RECOMMEND AND SEND MONEY, BUT THEY CAN'T TELL 'EM WHAT TO DO. ONLY YOU CAN THROUGH SCHOOL BOARD AND UH, LOCAL PARTICIPATION. SAME FOR YOUR COLLEGE. AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT SKILLS IF THEY'RE AN ISSUE. YOU GOTTA GET INVOLVED WITH EDUCATION EARLIER THAN LATER. AND IF YOU AREN'T, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PROBABLY DO SOME SKILL DEVELOPMENT ON YOUR OWN AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT INCENTIVES MIGHT BE AVAILABLE. AND THEN IF YOU'RE FROM RURAL COMMUNITIES LIKE I HAVE BEEN, THERE ARE BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT. IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD CHILDCARE OR YOU CAN'T FIND IT, I HAD A CHILD LATE IN LIFE AND I COULDN'T GET HERE 'CAUSE I WAS ON A WAITING LIST SO I COULD GET OTHER HELP BUT OTHER PEOPLE CAN'T. SO THAT'S SOMEBODY NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE WORKFORCE IF THEY CAN'T AFFORD CHILDCARE OR IT'S NOT ACCESSIBLE TO THEM, TRANSPORTATION IS ANOTHER BARRIER. IF YOU DON'T HAVE RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION TO YOUR JOB THAT IMPACTS YOU. HOW CAN WE OVERCOME SOME OF THESE THINGS? AND THEN JUST THE UM, SURVIVAL STRATEGIES OF GENERATIONAL POVERTY ARE PERVASIVE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE OFFICE TALK ABOUT, OVERCOME THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN I SHARE THE HIGH SCHOOL STATISTICS. SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW WE OPERATE. WE TAKE THE PROJECTS AND I GET INSPIRATION FROM YOU. I'M GONNA SHARE ABOUT BEST PRACTICES THAT I'M HEARING THROUGHOUT SOUTH CAROLINA WITH INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE COMMUNITIES JUST LIKE YOURSELF. BUT WHEN I SEE THIS MANY PEOPLE IN A ROOM, I FEEL LIKE I'M GOING DOWN THERE AND TALKING. 'CAUSE Y'ALL HAVE GOT STUFF THAT YOU HAVE THE PEOPLE THAT WANNA DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. BUT GIVE YOU A 50,000 FOOT PERSPECTIVE CONTEXTUALLY ON WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON WITH OUR WORKFORCE. IT IS VERY, LIKE I SAID, COMPLICATED. AND THERE ARE FOUR MAIN ENTITIES HERE. WE HAVE THE JOB, WHICH I CALL THE EARNERS. THEN WE HAVE OUR , WHICH COUNTS FOR PRE-K, I COUNT IT BIRTH TO KINDERGARTEN. SO WHAT ABOUT OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CENTER? AND THEN KINDERGARTEN, 12TH GRADE EIGHTH HIGHER EDUCATION, WHICH INCLUDES TWO YEAR AND FOUR YEAR. SO THEN WE HAVE OUR EMPLOYERS AND THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN HIRING THE WORKERS THAT THEY BRING IN. AND THEN IN THE MIDDLE WE HAVE OUR WORKFORCE ECOSYSTEM, WHICH IS YOUR DEW, UM, HAVE REGIONAL WORKFORCE, , AMAZING WORK. LOCAL COUNTY, YOUR COUNCIL [00:30:01] OF GOVERNMENTS, THEY RECEIVE FUNDING THAT CAN ALLOW FOR TRAINING TO OCCUR. IF THEY DON'T KNOW YOU'RE HERE AND YOU DON'T KNOW THEY'RE THERE, Y'ALL ARE TWO SHIPS PASSING IN THE NIGHT AND THERE'LL BE MONEY AVAILABLE TO HELP YOU WITH SOME TRAINING. BUT THERE'S ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE IN THIS MIX AND IT TAKES A BALANCING ACT AMONGST THEM. AND THAT'S WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT. WORLD HAS CHANGED BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY, BETWEEN GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES, WHICH I THINK HAS BEEN A PARADIGM BUSTER. UM, EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED IN OUR WORKPLACES. WHAT MUCH MORE DIFFERENT. I'M GONNA SHOW YOU RESEARCH THAT I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO A LOT OF DETAIL HERE 'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME, BUT THESE ARE MY TOP 10 WORKFORCE FOR 2026. YOU WANNA TAKE A PICTURE AND I THINK THEY'LL HAVE THE PRESENTATION AND A PDF LATER. BUT THE BEST IS FRACTIONAL WORK. A LOT OF 'CAUSE EITHER THEY'RE CHILDCARE OR HOMESCHOOLING, THEY MIGHT WANNA WORK A PART-TIME GIG OR A CONSULTING GIG. I CONSULTANT, I WAS A FRACTIONAL WORKER. I SPENT 20% OF MY TIME OVER HERE, 10% OVER THERE. I ENJOYED MY LIFE. I REALLY DID , BUT I'M ENJOYING IT TOO NOW. I'M, I'M FINE. BUT FRACTIONAL WORK IS HUGE AND IT MIGHT BE AN UH, A THING YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT. I HAD A COMPANY IN CHARLESTON AND SHE WANTED TO HAVE SOMEBODY THAT HAD WORKED FOR HER PART-TIME, UH, FULL-TIME. SHE WANTED HER FULL-TIME AND SHE SAID, SHE TOLD ME SHE ONLY WANTS TO WORK 20 HOURS A WEEK. SHE WAS A YOUNGER WORKER, SAID THEY DON'T WANNA WORK. AND I SAID, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE. THE GIRL HAD HER OWN COMPANY, SHE HAD HER OWN SOCIAL UH, MEDIA COMPANY AND WANTED TO DO THAT AND BUILD IT UP. SO SHE JUST WANTED A PART-TIME JOB. AND IF SHE'S GREAT, FIND IT THE 20, YOU KNOW, 20 HOURS A WEEK AND HIRE HER AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR A FULL-TIME PERSON, DO IT. THE OTHER THING, OUR GEN, AND I'M GONNA TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR YOUNGER WORKERS JUST QUICKLY, BUT CAREER PATHWAY, IF YOU DON'T SHOW, THEY'RE GOING FROM AN ENTRY LEVEL JOB INTO WHAT'S AVAILABLE. AND EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE AVAILABILITY, IF YOU'RE DEVELOPING THIS FOR SOMETHING, IF YOU KNOW I'M A WASTE STATION JOB, THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE MOVING ON. ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE IN HOSPITALITY OR ACCOMMODATION. BUT I WORKED FOR A BRIDGE CONTRACTOR FOR THREE YEARS. I HIRED, I WAS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF HR FOR BRIDGE CONTRACTOR WHEN I BROUGHT INTERNS, , THE WHOLE COMPANY. I SHOWED 'EM ACCOUNTING, I COULDN'T ESTIMATOR JOBS. THOSE ARE COMPLICATED ACCOUNTING AND PHYSICS KIND OF JOBS. 'CAUSE YOU'RE ESTIMATING HOW MUCH DIRT YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO MAKE AN EXIT RAMP. YOU KNOW, CEMENT, I'M GONNA NEED TO FOR A COLUMN ON A BRIDGE. SO I COULDN'T FIND ESTIMATORS. I BROUGHT MY INTERNS IN AND SHOWED THEM EVERYTHING. I DIDN'T, I COULDN'T TAKE 'EM TO JOB SITES. IT'S HAZARDOUS. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST EXCUSES PEOPLE GIVE. IT'S HAZARDOUS. THEY WON'T LET ME DO IT. YOU CAN GET CREATIVE PEOPLE, YOU CAN BE SAFE AND BE CREATIVE AND STILL GET THEM THERE. UM, BUT A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE ABOUT WORK, IT USED TO BE PEOPLE WANTED TO WORK FROM HOME 10 YEARS AGO, WORK FROM HOME WAS A BENEFIT. COVID MADE IT AN EXPECTATION. THREE YEARS AGO IT WAS RETURNED TO WORK AND NOW IT'S WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY. AND YOU'LL SEE IN A SURVEY OF SOUTH CAROLINIANS, THAT IS SOMETHING THEY EXPECT, ESPECIALLY OUR YOUNGER WORKERS. AND YOU MIGHT SAY, WHY ARE WE SPENDING SO MUCH TIME ON THEM? I'LL SHOW YOU A GRAPH. BUT THEY ARE 55% WORKFORCE. SO IT'S TIME TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT WORLD WORKS ON THEIR TERMS. SO NUMBER SEVEN IS WORK CIVILITY. AND THIS IS BECAUSE THIS IS NEW ON MY LIST AND Y'ALL EARLIER, UM, WANT KINDER, NICER PLACES TO WORK. AND I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. AND I'M NOT YOUNG . SO UM, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. BUT IF YOU HAVE TOXICITY, IT IS DRIVING PEOPLE AWAY. ONE 'CAUSE OUR YOUNGER GENERATIONS DON'T KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE OR DEAL WITH CONFLICT. AND CONFLICT IS HUMAN NATURE. THE OLDER WE GET, THE MORE WE REALIZE IT AND THE MORE ADEPT WE BECOME AT DEALING WITH IT, HOPEFULLY. BUT UM, NONETHELESS, THEY DON'T KNOW. AND IF THEY DON'T KNOW, THEY JUST GHOST YOU. THEY LEAVE. THEY'RE LIKE, THIS ISN'T WHAT I SIGNED ON FOR, BUT BIG THING THAT SHOWED UP, THAT'S NEVER SHOWN UP. AND I KEEP HEARING IT. AND Y'ALL SAYING PEOPLE, Y'ALL ARE, WE ARE TALKING LOCAL ACTION HERE. BELONGING AND NETWORKING. AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU DATA THAT SAYS WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR INTERNSHIPS, THE NUMBER THING THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IS NOT CAREER EXPLORATION. THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SKILL ACQUISITION AND NETWORKING LIKE Y'ALL DID FROM EIGHT TO NINE THIS MORNING. AND IF YOU HAVE AN INTERN THAT YOU'RE GIVING THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET OTHER PLAYERS BECAUSE THEN I'M GONNA HAVE A CONNECTION WITH YOU AND THEN I MIGHT WANNA STAY WITH YOU BECAUSE I FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT I'VE EN EMERGED INTO THAT RELATIONSHIP. AND THAT'S WHY WE COME AND NETWORK AT THESE THINGS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. FIVE GENERATIONS AT WORK IS HUGE. IT IS NOT GOING AWAY. WHILE OUR TRADITIONALISTS, WHICH WERE BORN BEFORE 1946, HAVE ANY TRADITIONALISTS IN THE ROOM? ANYBODY BORN BEFORE 46? OKAY, SO WE GOT SOME BOOMERS MAYBE. DO WE HAVE FOUR? SIX TO 64? RAISE YOUR HAND, Y'ALL BE PROUD. IT'S OKAY . YEAH, IT'S FINE IF YOU'RE THERE, YOU'VE EARNED IT. OKAY. AND HOW ABOUT OUR GEN XERS? WE GOT 65 TO 80. I'M A GEN XER. OKAY, SO WE [00:35:01] ARE HERE AND THEN OUR MILLENNIALS THAT WE WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, 1981 TO 96. Y'ALL RAISE YOUR HAND. BE PROUD. WE WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT Y'ALL ANYMORE. OKAY? AND THEN DO I HAVE ANY GEN ZS 1997 TO NOW I SEE A SMATTERING AND THAT'S ABOUT WHAT I SEE AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU SOME STATISTICS IN JUST A SECOND. BUT GEN Z IS HERE, BUT THEY'RE GETTING READY TO SPLIT OUT GEN Z AND THEY'VE NAMED IT GENER ALPHA. AND THEY WERE BORN BETWEEN 2013 AND 15, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE GONNA BE AT YOUR WORKPLACE IN FOUR YEARS IF THEY DON'T GO TO COLLEGE. AND IF YOU THINK THAT JIM'S A HOT LITTLE MESS, WELL LORD YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN NOW BECAUSE GUESS WHAT, IF YOU'RE, DO ANY OF Y'ALL HAVE KIDS OR GRANDKIDS BUT BORN BETWEEN 2013 AND 15, RAISE YOUR HANDS, GET THEM OUTSIDE AND LET THEM PUSH A LAWNMOWER RIGHT NOW AND Y'ALL TALK TO THEM. BECAUSE HERE'S THE DEAL, THEY WENT TO, THEY WERE IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SECOND GRADE DURING COVID. SO IF YOU THINK YOU GOT DEVELOPMENTAL TRAINING PROBLEMS, NOW YOU MIGHT HAVE IT WHEN IT COMES. 'CAUSE THEY WERE PASSING KIDS ALONG, ESPECIALLY IN OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES. THEY DID A DISSERVICE TO OUR CHILDREN AND WE HAVE GOT TO HELP THEM. AND I GET VERY UPSET ABOUT IT. AND I TELL YOU, I GET EMOTIONAL, WHICH COMES TO OUR THIRD THING. SKILLS. SKILLS ARE THE THE BUZZWORD. WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO TEACH SKILLS AND THEY'RE GONNA BE HARD SKILLS, WHICH ARE TECHNICAL SKILLS AND THEY'RE GONNA BE SOFT SKILLS. IF YOU WANT SOFT SKILLS FROM AN EMPLOYER EMPLOYEE, YOU NEED TO MODEL THEM. SO DON'T ASK SOMEBODY TO COME IN AND BE A UNICORN. AND Y'ALL ARE AWFUL. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW NONE OF YOU ARE. BUT THEN NUMBER TWO, AND I HEARD IT MENTIONED AND Y'ALL'S INNOVATION CENTER IS ARRANGING THESE AI CLASSES AI'S HUGE AND COMPANIES TO ETHICALLY EMBRACE AND TO USE IT. IT HELPED ME AS A SOLE PROPRIETOR FOR MY COMPANY. BUT THERE ARE WAYS IT CAN BE ABUSED. I ALWAYS AM A PRIMARY SOURCE PERSON. BUT IF THEY CAN STRUCTURAL CREATIVITY, IDEAS AND IDEAS FOR WHERE TO GO TO RESEARCH AND THEN GO DIG FORWARD, IT'S FINE. BUT AI USE AND POLICIES IN YOUR WORKPLACE IS HUGE BECAUSE GEN Z IS SUSPICIOUS OF IT. AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR JOBS THAT ARE AI PROOF. SO WE ARE SEEING, AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, A RESURGENCE IN CRAFT SKILL TRAIN TRAINING. AND I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CRAFT TRADES PROGRAM AT ORANGEBURG CALHOUN TECH FOR 11 YEARS. I RAN TRUCK DRIVING WEB, UH, , I DID IT ALL AND I GOT TO BE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT IT. AND THEN NUMBER ONE IS HUMAN CONNECTION. AND WE'VE SOMEHOW GOTTEN AWAY FROM THAT AND WE NEED TO GET BACK TO IT. AND IT'S BEEN MISSING AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR AT WORK. SO I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THE SKILLS HARD AND SOFT ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT. THIS WAS A SURVEY OF 2,600 LAWYERS ON THE SOFT SKILLS LIST A LITTLE BIT. COMMUNICATION ALWAYS COMES UP. NUMBER ONE, ALWAYS WE DON'T COMMUNICATE RIGHT, WE DON'T, AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM SOME GEN ZS, BUT PROFESSIONALISM, TIME MANAGEMENT TO TWO AND THREE WHERE BEFORE SOLVING IT THINKING. BUT SOME OF THESE SKILLS ARE GONNA HAVE TO BE TAUGHT AT YOUR WORKPLACES. THEY MIGHT NOT BE EDUCATION SYSTEM. YOU, YOU MIGHT HAVE A GREAT EDUCATION SYSTEM, YOU MIGHT HAVE GREAT SCHOOLS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE GETTING WHAT YOU WANT OUTTA YOUR EDUCATION SYSTEM. THEY ARE AN ENTITY UNTO THEMSELVES. AND YOU NEED TO GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD. YOU NEED TO BE TALKING TO YOUR TEACHERS, YOU NEED TO BE TALKING TO YOUR TEACHER, YOUR, UH, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS. AND I MEAN THIS IS FROM BIRTH TO K 12. UM, IT JUST, IT STARTS EVERYWHERE. THEN I HEARD THIS WORD BROUGHT UP AND THIS WAS FROM MY RESEARCH EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP. I CO-AUTHOR THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PLAYBOOK. IT'S FREE. YOU DO HAVE TO ENTER INFORMATION, BUT THEY ARE NOT TRACKING YOU FOR MARKETING, IT'S FOR THEM TO KNOW HOW LOADED. BUT WHEN I INTERVIEWED COMPANIES ALL OVER SOUTH CAROLINA, WORKFORCE ISSUES FELL IN THREE AREAS. HOW DO I RECRUIT? WHERE DO I FIND THESE PEOPLE? HOW DO I RETAIN? WHAT AM I GONNA DO? AND I QUESTION ABOUT HOW DO I KEEP MY EMPLOYEES UP TO SPEED ON THEIR SKILLS? YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRAIN THEM AND YOU'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO INVEST IN THAT TRAINING. BUT HOW DO I KEEP THEM? AND THE OTHER IS TO BE A NICE WHAT PLACE TO WORK. AND THEN THE LAST IS REPUTATION. AND YOU KNOW, THESE SMALL TOWNS, WE ALL TALK, WE TALK AT THE PIGGLY WIGGLY, WE TALK ON THE SIDEWALK AFTER CHURCH. WE'VE ASKED FOR FORGIVENESS. WE GO OUT TO START TRASHING EVERYBODY. AND SO THAT IF YOUR REPUTATION'S IN THE TANK, YOUR RECRUITMENT AND YOUR RETENTION, YOU'RE WASTING YOUR TIME AND YOUR MONEY IF YOUR COMPANY'S A BAD PLACE. , THIS THING I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY IS ABOUT HOW YOU RECRUIT AND YOU RETAIN. SO WE'VE ALREADY KIND OF HIT OUR GEN Z. THIS IS A PARADIGM BUSTER Y'ALL BECAUSE HOW THE YOUNGER WORKFORCE TALKS AND INTERACTS IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN HOW I MIGHT HAVE AS A GENERATION XER. UM, AND BABY BOOMERS FOR SURE A LOT MORE FORMAL, BUT GENERATION ZS HERE, GENERATION ALPHAS COMING AND [00:40:01] THEIR EXPECTATIONS ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. THEY'RE NOT GONNA STAY WITH YOU LONG. SO DON'T TAKE IT PERSONAL WHEN THEY LEAVE, BUT MAKE IT REALLY HARD FOR THEM TO LEAVE. OKAY? THIS IS SOMETHING I FIND FASCINATING. WHEN I DID IN MY CONSULTING COMPANY, I WAS WORKING WITH COMPANIES ON RETENTION STRATEGIES. I HAD A CLIENT IN ALABAMA THAT HIRED 1700 PEOPLE BETWEEN JANUARY OF 2024 AND OCTOBER OF 20 24, 1700 PEOPLE. AND GUESS HOW MANY PEOPLE HAD LEFT FROM JANUARY THROUGH OCTOBER OVER THEY HAD OVER 900 HAD LEFT. AND AT SOME POINT WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF BODIES. WE ARE NOT, OUR POPULATION IS NOT INCREASING Y'ALL. SO IN THESE CLASSES I WAS TEACHING RETEACHING, SUPERVISORY SKILLS THAT THE YOUNG PEOPLE WANNA BE COACHED MORE THAN SUPERVISED. AND SO I WAS FINDING THAT LIKE IN THIS ROOM, 10% WERE GENERATION Z. SO I ASKED THEM SOME QUESTIONS IF THEY WERE AGREEABLE, NOT SCIENTIFIC, BUT JUST ME. AND I SAID, DO YOU AGREE WITH HOW DEFINE GENERATION Z? AND THEY DEFINED CORRECTLY. AND I SAID, DO YOU IDENTIFY AS HOW IT IS SAID? NO, I DO NOT. SO MY THIRD QUESTION IS, WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE FOR YOU? AND THE BIGGEST WAS A PARENT OR PARENTS. BUT THIS GENERATION IS THE LARGEST ONE RAISED IN A SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLD. AND IF THAT SINGLE PARENT'S TRYING TO WORK TWO JOBS TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE, CLOTHES ON THEIR BACK, BE A PARENT, THE OTHER, THE SCHOOL TEACHER THIRD WAS A GOOD BOSS AND A JOB FIVE WAS UM, IT WAS A SPORT PING IN SPORTS AND A GOOD COACH TOLD THE TRUTH. NUMBER SIX WAS A RELIGIOUS, WE ONLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO IMPACT MAYBE ONE OR TWO OF THOSE SIX THINGS. AND IF IT'S A GOOD BOSS OR A GOOD PLACE TO WORK, THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUT SET THEM APART AND WHAT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND IT WAS A HUMAN CONTACT. IT WASN'T A CLASS A HUMAN BEING. AND THIS WAS A GROUP WE INTERVIEWED FOR COUNCIL MEETING IN SEPTEMBER. WE INTERVIEWED FIVE YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 24. THEY EITHER HAD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND A JOB, TWO YEAR COLLEGE DEGREE IN A JOB OR A FOUR YEAR COLLEGE DEGREE JOB. AND WE ASKED THEM ONE QUESTION AND ALL OF THEM ANSWERED THE SAME THING. THE QUESTION WAS, WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU'D LEARNED IN HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE WOULD'VE BETTER PREPARED YOU FOR THE WORLD OF WORK? AND EVERY ONE OF THEM SAID, THEY WISH THEY TAUGHT ME HOW TO SPEAK AND COMMUNICATE BETTER. IT'S NOT BEING TAUGHT IN OUR SCHOOLS. I'M ADVOCATING FOR OUR EDUCATION PARTNERS TO DO IT. BUT YOU ARE A MORE POWERFUL VOICE THAN ME. YOU NEED TO TELL YOUR SCHOOLS THEY NEED TO BE DOING PROJECT WORK. THEY NEED TO BE ON TEAMS. THEY NEED TO BE GRADED ON HOW THEY INTERACT WITH YOU AND WITH THEIR CLASSMATES. THIS NEEDS TO BE A PART OF THEIR RUBRIC BECAUSE IT'S ALSO A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THEIR HIRING SKILLS. BUT THESE ARE SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT THEY SAID. AND ONE OF THEM WAS A 19-YEAR-OLD FIREFIGHTER. I GET KIND OF CHOKED UP, BUT HE SAID, AND HE ISN'T A HOSPICE JOB, BUT HE SAID HE WISHED THEY HAD TAUGHT HIM WORDS OF COMFORT FOR PEOPLE IN THEIR TIME OF NEED. AND I THINK THAT'S VERY POWERFUL Y'ALL. AND WE JUST NEED TO TALK TO EACH OTHER MORE EFFECTIVELY AND MORE COMPASSIONATELY AND HAVE SOME GRACE BECAUSE THIS GENERATION HAS BEEN RAISED ON THEIR PHONES, BUT THEY'RE SUSPICIOUS OF THEIR PHONES. SO THIS IS YOUR WORKFORCE. IF IT'S CORAL OR RED, 55% OF YOUR WORKFORCE LIGHT IN 2025 IS 45 YEARS OR YOUNGER. THEY'RE HERE. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN EXPECTATIONS. AND IF YOU HAVEN'T ADJUSTED HOW YOU SUPERVISE, HOW YOU LEAD, THIS COULD BE IMPACTING YOUR TURNOVER NUMBERS. IT'S JUST ANOTHER GRAPH TO QUICKLY SHOW THAT GENERATION Z IS ABOUT 10% OF YOUR MANAGEMENT TEAMS ALREADY. AND SO THEY ARE GONNA DRIVE HOW SOME OF THESE CHANGES ARE. BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE THE BABY BOOMERS ARE RETIRING. GEN X WAS A SMALL GROUP ANYWAY. BUT GUESS WHAT, IN COVID, THE MAJORITY OF US LEFT THE WORKPLACE AND STARTED OUR OWN COMPANIES. WE GOT SICK OF IT. AND THAT'S WHAT I DID WHEN I STARTED BATTLE PLANNING CONSULTING. SO FASCINATING DYNAMICS HERE. SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE WORKPLACE HAS CHANGED. THIS IS FROM A BOOK CALLED IT'S THE MANAGER I HIGHLY RECOMMENDED JIM CLIFTON, JIM HARDER, OUR RESEARCHERS FOR AD UM, A DP RESEARCH. UM, AND SO A DPI. AND SO ANYWAY, UM, THEY SAID OUR FUTURE WORKFORCE WANTS TO KNOW HOW THE JOB ALIGNS WITH THEIR FUTURE. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DEVELOP THEM? WHICH MEANS TRAINING AND HOW ARE YOU GONNA COACH THEM VERSUS TELL THEM WHAT TO DO? THEIR NUMBER ONE QUESTION TO ASK IF YOU HADN'T FIGURED OUT IS WHAT, WHAT'S THEIR NUMBER ONE QUESTION IF YOU GOT KIDS? NO. WHY? WHY? I HAVE A 22-YEAR-OLD Y'ALL. I'M MARRIED TO A BOOMER, I'M A GENERATIONAL EXPERT. I'M MARRIED TO A BOOMER. I WAS HIS FIRST MIDLIFE CRISIS. THAT'S WHY I'M HYPHENATED. WASN'T SURE TO LAST IT DID. AND THEN 11 YEARS AFTER THE MARRIAGE VOWS, A CHILD SHOWED UP. THAT'S A GENERATION Z. SO HE'S 71 WITH A 22-YEAR-OLD. LIFE IS FINE AT MY HOUSE. SO ANYWAY, I JUST TELL YOU, IF YOU NEED ANY INFORMATION ON GENERATIONAL PROBLEMS, I CAN HELP YOU. SO PRIORITY OCCUPATIONS, [00:45:01] THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF. I'M GONNA SHOW YOU THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT JOBS ARE OUT THERE. AND UH, I I THIS IS SOME RESEARCH THAT WAS DONE. HOW MANY DIFFERENT OCCUPATIONS DO YOU THINK EXIST IN SOUTH CAROLINA? WELL, IT'S ABOUT 800 PLUS. SO WE HAVE 800 PLUS OCCUPATIONS. BUT WE DID THIS FANCY FORMULA WITH ALL THE ECONOMISTS AT DEW THAT ARE MUCH SMARTER THAN ME. TELL ME WHAT YOU, WHAT I NEED TO KNOW. AND THEY JUST GIMME THE RUNDOWN. BUT, UM, THEY BASICALLY LOOKED AT WHAT JOBS ARE IN SOUTH CAROLINA THAT REQUIRE SOME TYPE OF CREDENTIAL OR HIGHER ED DEGREE OR CERTIFICATE, UH, TO, TO, TO WORK. WE LOOKED AT WHAT JOBS ARE IN DEMAND OR HAVE WHAT JOBS PAY ABOVE THE THE POVERTY LEVEL AND PROVIDE A LIVABLE WAGE. SO THEY DID THIS, YOU KNOW, MUSHY, MUSHY FORM STUFF AND THEY LOOKED AT THE FUTURE GROWTH OF JOBS. AND I'VE GOT THE TOP FIVE, UH, OCCUPATIONS IN YOUR REGION. AND THE NUMBER ONE GROWTH, UM, INDUSTRY IN THE BEAUFORT REGION IS, UM, IT IS HEALTHCARE. HEALTHCARE'S HUGE AND IT WILL GROW. Y'ALL ARE GONNA SEE, UH, UH, IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, ABOUT 4,000 IN ADDITION TO WHAT'S ALREADY HERE. AND MOST OF THAT WILL BE IN HEALTHCARE. NUMBER TWO, CONSTRUCTION. AND THEN, UM, CERTAINLY YOUR HOSPITALITY IS THREE. UM, I I HAVE THE LIST HERE. HOSPITALITY IS THREE AND THEN I'VE GOT NO AND THEN UH, WELL NO PROFESSIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL SERVICES, WHICH IS MANAGEMENT. YOUR ENGINEERING FIRMS LIKE ARCHITECTURE FIRMS, THOSE TYPES OF INDUSTRIES ARE NUMBER THREE, HOSPITALITY IS FOUR. AND NUMBER FIVE IS ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT. I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE TO BE A MOVIE THING GOING RIGHT NOW. SO ANYWAY, WE LOOKED AT ALL OF THAT. Y'ALL HAVE HOW, HOW YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE A LIVING CURRENT DEMAND ARE WE KEEPING? SO THESE ARE, WE CAME UP WITH 64 HIGH PRIORITY OCCUPATIONS, ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION IS NUMBER ONE WITH ALL THE BUILDING AND ALL THE INFLUX OF PEOPLE. THAT MAKES SENSE. UM, MANUFACTURING NUMBER TWO. WELL IN HEALTHCARE OVER HERE, HEALTH IS OVER HERE. SO THERE'S, THAT'S UP THERE TOO. SO HEALTHCARE, MANUFACTURING, CONSTRUCTION AND THEN HOSPITALITY TOURISM IS SOMETHING BIG. BUT WHAT DO YOU SEE ON THIS GRAPH THAT I SEE OF THE 64 OCCUPATIONS? WHAT DOES THIS GRAPH TELL US? MOST DO NOT REQUIRE A FOUR YEAR DEGREE. NOW THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU DON'T GO GET ONE, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT WE SHOULD, WHY ARE WE TELLING OUR KIDS THEY'VE GOTTA GO TO COLLEGE RIGHT OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL? WHY ARE WE PIGEONHOLING PEOPLE TO GO INTO CERTAIN CAREER PATHWAYS AND HOW CAN YOU SHOW THEM WHERE THEY CAN GO FROM THERE? BUT MOST OF OUR HIGH PRIORITY OCCUPATIONS DO NOT REQUIRE A FOUR YEAR DOES NOT MEAN THEY SHOULDN'T GO GET IT, BUT IT MIGHT HAPPEN DIFFERENTLY. HOW MANY OF YOU ARE DOING TODAY WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA DO WHEN YOU WERE A FEW OF YOU? AND I'M PROUD FOR YOU, I'M HAPPY FOR YOU. THAT'S SO GOOD. BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT IT WAS NOT MANY . SO YOUR CAREER PATHWAY IS UNIQUELY AND WONDERFULLY MADE AS YOUR DNA CODE. SO WHY ARE WE TELLING KIDS WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO WHEN THEY'RE IN THE EIGHTH GRADE? WHY AREN'T WE COLLEGE AND CAREER PREPARING ALL OF OUR KIDS WHETHER THEY'RE IN THE COLLEGE TRACK OR THE CTE TRACK? BECAUSE THEN I'LL SHARE WITH YOU SOME STATISTICS AND I'M GONNA MOVE FAST 'CAUSE I KNOW I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME BECAUSE WE DID A RESEARCH OF WHAT SOUTH CAROLINIANS THINK ABOUT THE WORLD'S WORK IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND WE DID IT LAST SUMMER AND WE PUBLISHED IT AND IT IS ON OUR WEBSITE CALLED FIND YOUR FUTURE SC.GOV. THAT'S GONNA BE ONE OF YOUR ACTION ITEMS TODAY. IT'S TO GO TO FIND YOUR FUTURE SC.GOV AND LOOK AT THIS STUFF AND YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE REPORT IF YOU'RE ME, READ THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND THEN GO TO PAGE 44 FOR THE KEY FINDINGS. THAT'S HOW I WORK. BUT IF YOU WANNA READ THE WHOLE THING AND YOU'RE THAT PERSON, YAY, YAY. BUT WE ASKED HOW FAMILIAR, WE ASKED, WE ASKED 800 PEOPLE, 800 PEOPLE AND GOT A RESPONSE RATE OF ABOUT 600 PLUS, WHICH IS A GREAT RESPONSE RATE IF YOU'RE INTO MARKETING AND ALL THAT. SO OF THOSE THAT RESPONDED, VERY REPRESENTATIVE OF DEMOGRAPHICS, LOCATION IN THE STATE EDUCATION LEVEL, IT WAS VERY REPRESENTATIVE. HOWEVER, WE DID OVERSAMPLE 18 TO 24 YEAR OLDS. SO WHEN WE ASKED HOW FAMILIAR PEOPLE ARE WITH OUR INDUSTRIES, I DON'T THINK THESE ARE EXCEPTIONAL NUMBER KIND OF MEDIOCRE. BUT THE HIGH PRIORITY OCCUPATIONS ARE ALL OVER HERE, WHICH IS EVEN LESS AWARENESS OF THOSE. WE DON'T TALK ABOUT MANUFACTURING OR CONSTRUCTION. AND Y'ALL, I WORKED IN BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION AND I HAD A PHD AND I WAS VP AS THAT. WE'RE 26 [00:50:01] YEARS OLD RUNNING A CRANE, MAKING MORE MONEY THAN ME 'CAUSE MONEY'S GOOD. I WAS LIKE DARN. YOU KNOW WHEN MY CHILD WAS LIKE, YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT CONSTRUCTION AND UM, SO YOU'LL DO REALLY WELL AND UM, BUT YOU CAN'T MAKE MONEY IF YOU DON'T RUN A CRANE. BUT ALL I NEEDED TO KNOW IF YOU COULD RUN A CRANE WAS, DID YOU GET CRANE OPERATOR CERTIFICATION FROM NORTH CAROLINA? IT COST US $5,000 TO PAY FOR IT AND WE TOOK CARE OF THE REST. WE'LL TRAIN YOU TO BE A SUPERVISOR, BUT IF YOU CAN RUN THAT CRANE THEN YOU CAN BE A SUPERINTENDENT OR A FOREMAN. 'CAUSE I CAN'T HAVE A FOREMAN ON A JOB SITE THAT CAN'T RUN A CRANE IN CASE THE CRANE OPERATOR DOESN'T SHOW UP. THAT'S A BIG JOB. ESTIMATES BIG JOBS THAT THESE KIDS DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT. THIS IS YOUR REGION. SO HERE YOU ARE IN THE LOW COUNTRY, THE MOST FAMILIAR INDUSTRY WAS RETAIL AND SALES, RETAIL TRADE AND SALES. NO SHOCK WITH ALL THE HOSPITALITY BUT OUR, OUR BIG SPONSOR FOR THE DAY, THE ADVANCED ENERGY AND UTILITIES, YOUR GAS, YOUR ELECTRICITY, THE STUFF THAT MAKES THE CITIES RUN IS THE AND HAS THE HIGHEST GROWTH OPPORTUNITY. I SAY THERE WAS HIGHER RECOGNITION OF IT IN THIS AREA THAN IN OTHER AREAS OF THE STATE. SO I DO WANNA POINT THAT OUT. BUT THE ORANGE LINE HERE SHOWS THE YOUNG PEOPLE. SO WE WE'RE KIND OF FAIR TO MIDDLING WITH THE GENERAL POPULATION AND AWARENESS OF RETAIL EDUCATION AND ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD SERVICES. WHERE THE TOP THREE MANUFACTURING, WHERE THE BIG JOBS ARE, CONSTRUCTION, TRANSPORTATION, WAREHOUSING, NOT SO GOOD GENERALLY, BUT IT'S EVEN LESS WITH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. WHY AREN'T WE TELLING THEM ABOUT THESE JOBS? AND IF THAT IS YOUR COMPANY, YOU NEED TO BE TALKING TO THESE KIDS IN SCHOOL ABOUT WHAT OPPORTUNITIES EXIST. THESE CHALLENGES THAT STUDY, YOU KNOW, WERE ASSOCIATING WITH CERTAIN INDUSTRIES. LOW WAGES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD SERVICE, WHICH IS TRUE RETAIL, THAT'S ALSO TRUE. BUT Y'ALL, IF YOU GO FOR A PART-TIME JOB AT MARSHALL'S OR TJ MAG, MY FAVORITE STORE IN THE WHOLE WORLD, IT'S UM, $15 AN HOUR. 'CAUSE I TO GET A JOB SHE TRIED THE INTERNATIONAL CAR, NOT JUST A LITTLE OFF THE RADAR TRACK. BUT ANYWAY, SHE DOES HER OWN THING. BUT UM, ANYWAY, $15 AN HOUR, SHE WANTS TO FLY A PLANE. SHE DOESN'T EVEN NEED A COLLEGE DEGREE FOR THAT. SHE'S TOO FAR DOWN HER COLLEGE BUNNY TRAIL. UM, SO ANYWAY, UH, SHE WANT UH, HEALTHCARE AND PUBLIC GOVERNMENT CONSIDERED HIGH STRESS HANDS OF THE JOB CONSTRUCTION, MANUFACTURING, CONSTRUCTION SHOWING UP THERE. BUT IT IS. AND THEN WORK ENVIRONMENT, UH, ADVANCED ENERGY, UTILITY I GUESS HANGING OFF THOSE POWER POLES CAN BE WORRISOME. UM, BUT THE BIGGEST THING, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR YOUNGER WORKERS, IT WASN'T NUMBER ONE BUT TWO OR THREE, IT WAS ROUTINELY SHOWING UP ACROSS INDUSTRIES THAT INFLEXIBLE OR LONG HOURS WAS WORRYING. AND IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF FAMILY OF ELDER CARE, CHILDCARE, I DON'T KNOW. WE ALSO ASK WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A JOB? AND OF COURSE SALARY COMES FIRST AND BENEFITS COME TO HEALTH BENEFITS AND A STABLE JOB. WHEN WE PUT THE, AND I WANNA DRAW YOUR ATTENTION THAT WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY STOOD OUT. THAT WAS A BIG THING FOR THEM. AND IT GOES BACK TO THE WRITTEN SLIDE I SHOWED YOU ABOUT HARDER AND CLIFTON, THEY WANT OPPORTUNITIES THAT ALIGN WITH YOUR PERSONAL INTEREST AND THEY WANT A SENSE OF BELONG WHICH ALIGNS BACK WITH THE TRENDS THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE THAT CONNECTION. SO WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH INFORMATION? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE FEEL OKAY, NOT ENTHUSIASTIC, BUT IT'S EVEN LESS SO WITH YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE GOTTA START TALKING TO THEM ABOUT ALL THE JOBS, CAREERS. AND EVEN IF YOU'RE A SMALL OR A MEDIUM SIZED COMPANY, THE MORE ADVANTAGE OVER THE BIG NAMES BECAUSE YOU HAVE FLEXIBILITY TO MAKE THINGS WORK. LIKE WELL WE HAVE THESE SAFETY RULES, WE CAN'T BRING THEM IN. AND I WAS LIKE, WE'RE SMALL, WE CAN, WE CAN WORK THINGS AROUND AND Y'ALL CAN TOO. SO DON'T SELL YOURSELF SHORT IF YOU'RE A SMALLER MEDIUM SIZED COMPANY. BUT JUST KNOW THAT THE LACK OF GOOD PAYING JOBS IS WHAT IS DRIVING PEOPLE. SAVANNAH IS WHAT'S DRIVING PEOPLE TO ATLANTA AND DRIVING OUR TO SOME STATISTICS CAME UP IN THIS REPORT IN OUR DATA. DEW 20% OF YOUR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES EVERY YEAR DISAPPEAR. THAT IS YOUR POTENTIAL WORKFORCE THAT YOU SHOULD BE RECRUITING. THEY GO AWAY. AND IF YOU'RE FROM GENERATIONAL POVERTY IN A RURAL COMMUNITY, THERE ARE SURVIVAL STRATEGIES. THEY KNOW HOW TO SURVIVE. BUT WHEN I SAY THEY DISAPPEAR, THAT MEANS THEY DO NOT SHOW UP ON COLLEGE RECORDS FOR A TWO OR FOUR YEAR AND THEY DO NOT GET A JOB. THEY DO NOT SHOW UP ON WAGE RECORDS AT DEW THAT PEOPLE I'VE GIVEN HUMAN POTENTIAL, OKAY? AND, AND AND AND YEAH IT'S HARD WORK AND WE ALL KNOW IT'S HARD WORK BUT SOMETIMES SOMEBODY JUST SITTING THERE GOING, IT'S HARD WORK BUT LOOK WHAT I DID. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN DO IT TOO AND GIVE THEM SOME HOPE BESIDES THIS IS IT. BUT I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY'RE DISAPPEARING, BUT THEY ARE. AND IT'S REALITY. I'M LEAVING WITH YOU IS THE THOUGHT LEADERS OF BEAUFORT TODAY. THE OTHER THING IS THAT THE NUMBER OF [00:55:01] COLLEGE GRADUATES WE'RE PRODUCING HAVE NUMBER OF THEM LEAVING OUR STATE IN THE LAST 10 YEARS. WHY? WALKING AWAY AND IT, YOU KNOW A LOT AND WE ARE, OUR BIG SCHOOLS ARE RECRUITING A LOT OF OUTTA STATE STUDENTS, THE PREDOMINANCE OF THAT. BUT KID DOESN'T HAVE A JOB. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOUR KID, MINE'S GONNA, BUT IF YOUR CHILD DOESN'T HAVE A JOB WHEN THEY GRADUATE, WHERE DO THEY GO? HOME? HOME IN HERE OR YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A LIFE HERE. SO MY HAT IS OFF. I KNOW ONE OF YOUR PEOPLE, I THINK BOB ELLIOTT AND A GROUP OF CONCERNED CITIZENS IS THERE I'M VERY PROUD OF AND I FOR THEM BEFORE CHRISTMAS ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO RETAIN YOUR NURSING GRADUATES IN THIS AREA. Y'ALL HAVE A SOUTH CAROLINA NURSING RETENTION, IT'S A GROUP OF CONCERNED PRIVATE CITIZENS THAT SAID WE ARE GRADUATING HEALTHCARE GRADUATES FROM USCB AND FROM UH, TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THE LOW COUNTRY AND THEY'RE WALKING OUT THE DOOR, WE'RE GONNA STOP THAT. AND THEY CREATED THEIR INITIATIVE, THEY'VE GOT THEIR PLAN AND THAT IS WHAT I'M PROPOSING TO YOU. THAT IS A BEST PRACTICE THAT I'M SHARING WITH OTHER AREAS IN THE STATE. THAT IS WHAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO, Y'ALL, IS GET TOGETHER AND FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE DO THIS? THEY RAISE THEIR MONEY PRIVATELY, THEY'VE GONE AND LOOKED FOR OTHER SOURCES. HE'S LOOKING FOR HOW TO SCALE UP AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN FIGURE THAT OUT AS A STATE. I CAN, I DON'T HAVE MONEY BY THE WAY, I'M JUST GONNA TELL Y'ALL I DON'T HAVE MONEY. UM, BUT I WILL HELP YOU TRY TO FIND IT AND CONNECT WITH OTHER PEOPLE. SO I JUST BROUGHT THAT UP. HOW WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THIS AWARENESS IS GONNA TAKE TIME, BUT IT'S GOTTA BE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE GREAT JOBS THAT ARE OUT THERE IN THIS AREA AND KEEPING PEOPLE HERE. SO I WILL WRAP IT UP BY TALKING QUICKLY ABOUT HOW WE PLAN TO DO THIS. FROM CCWD LEVEL, WE ARE ADDRESSING WORKFORCE ON TWO COMPONENTS. ONE IS A TECHNOLOGICAL CONNECTION AND THEN ONE IS THE HUMAN CONNECTION, THE TECHNOLOGICAL CONNECTION WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IN THE LEGISLATION THAT FORM MY OFFICE IS CALLED, THEY WANT US TO BUILD A PORTAL WHERE EMPLOYERS, JOB SEEKERS, EDUCATORS ALL GO IN ONE PLACE. HIRING MANAGER. I KNEW WHAT I, WHERE I WENT TO FIND PEOPLE TO WORK AND I HAD MY SOURCES, I HAD AN APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE. I USED INDEED FOR SOME THINGS. I USED LINKEDIN FOR SOME THINGS. WE ALL HAVE OUR WAY. AND I WAS LIKE, NO WAY. THEY'RE GONNA SELL ME ON GOING INTO SOMETHING THAT'S A CENTRAL PLACE, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S ANOTHER GOVERNMENT DATABASE. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WAS IN THE LEGISLATION. AND THEN DURNED, IF THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION IN DC IN THE LAST YEAR LEASE A REPORT CALLED AMERICA'S TALENT MARKETPLACE, AMERICA'S TALENT STRATEGY. AND THEY WANT A DIGITIZED MARKETPLACE FOR HUMAN CONNECTION, THEY WANT A ONE STOP SHOP AND WE'RE ALREADY AHEAD OF THE GAME OVER OTHER STATES. AND ONE OF THOSE GRANTS THAT I'M WORKING ON THROUGH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE IS TO HOPEFULLY FIND US SEED MONEY TO CONTINUE BUILDING THIS. ALTHOUGH OUR STATE LEGISLATURE GAVE US UM, ABOUT $10 MILLION LAST YEAR TO START THE BUILDING OF IT. AND WE ARE GETTING READY TO BUILD THE SCOPE OF WORK. NOW TO BUILD A PORTAL, IT TAKES TIME JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT IS A PORTAL. FIRST OF ALL IT'S SOUTH CAROLINA. WE HAVE ALL THESE AGENCIES AND NONE OF THEM TALK TO EACH OTHER JUST LIKE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL TOO, SAME THING. SO THE PORTAL WILL CONNECT THEM. WELL, WE'RE ALREADY CONNECTING THEM THROUGH LINKS ON OUR WEBSITE. THE PORTAL, BECAUSE OF STATE PURCHASING RULES MIGHT TAKE 18 TO 24 MONTHS TO BUILD. SO WE HAVE A WEBSITE THAT'S GONNA BUILD THE BRIDGE BETWEEN NOTHING AND THE PORTAL LATER. BUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS LOOKING FOR ALL OF THE STATES THROUGH THEIR GOVERNORS TO BUILD THIS. AND WE'RE ALREADY WELL DOWN THE ROAD HAVING DONE SOME EXPERIMENTS ON THIS. FIRST WE BUILT THE WEBSITE AND THAT'S ONE OF YOUR TO-DOS BECAUSE YOU WILL HAVE WASTED YOUR TIME IF YOU CAME TO, WELL YOU DID, YOU NETWORKED SO YOU DIDN'T WASTE THAT TIME. BUT YOUR TIME LISTENING TO ME, IF YOU DON'T GO DO SOMETHING, GO CHECK THIS WEBSITE OUT THE PORTAL IS UM, BEING DETERMINED. BUT WE HAVE BEEN RUNNING EXPERIMENTS AND FOUND SOME FASCINATING THINGS. SO A PORTAL IS LIKE IF YOUR KIDS GO TO COLLEGE, THEY HAVE A SIGN ON AND IT'S GOT THEIR CLASSES, THEIR PROFESSORS, ALL OF THEIR STUFF THAT'S UNIQUE TO THEM. SAME THING FOR YOU, SAME THING FOR YOU. YOU CAN SIGN IN AND IT'S UNIQUE TO YOU, BUT EVERYBODY IS IN ONE PLACE WHICH MAKES IT EASIER TO FIND BECAUSE Y'ALL POST THE JOBS AND NO ONE ANSWERS. THEY SAY THEY APPLY FOR THE JOBS AND NO ONE ANSWERS WHERE TWO CHIP PASSING IN THE NIGHT, Y'ALL, THIS MIGHT BE OUR CHANCE. SO WE DID THE FIRST EXPERIMENT WITH FUTURE FINDER AI AND WHAT WE FOUND OUT IS IT WON'T WORK IF THE EMPLOYERS AREN'T THERE. SO I'M ASKING YOU ONCE HERE TO THINK ABOUT DOING IT AND TALKING ABOUT IT. BUT ON OUR WEBSITE WE HAVE INFORMATION THAT'S AVAILABLE TO YOU. WE'VE CONNECTED ALL THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES. IS IT PURDY? NO. IS IT PERFECT? NO, BUT IT IS SOMETHING AND WE'RE GETTING THERE AND WE'RE EVOLVING IT EVERY DAY. WE ALSO LEARNED [01:00:01] THAT IF YOU'RE RECRUITING YOUNG PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR A SYSTEM OR FOR YOUR JOB, IF YOU'RE NOT ADVERTISING ON TICKY TALKIE AND SNAPPY CHATTY, THEY'RE NOT GONNA FIND YOU. MY DAUGHTER'S BECOME A GOURMET COOK, UH, WITH TIKTOK VIDEOS. I'M MORTIFIED TO TELL YOU THIS, BUT IT'S TRUE. AND SO I TRIED SO HARD, BUT IT'S OKAY. SHE DOES COOK AND SHE'S EATING HEALTHY FOOD. SO THAT'S ALL I CAN ASK. BUT UM, BUT ANYWAY, THIS EXPERIMENT SHOWED US, MADE INEXPENSIVE MONEY AND FOUND OUT THAT THE MAJORITY, 75% OF THE KIDS THAT SIGNED UP FOR OUR EXPERIMENT FOUND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA, NOT THROUGH NORMAL ADS, THROUGH INDEED, NOT THROUGH LINKEDIN. THEN THIS HAS BEEN THE BIGGIE. AND I DON'T KNOW WILLY WHERE THIS IS GOING, BUT I FIRST WAS LIKE SKEPTICAL 'CAUSE I WAS THAT HIRING MANAGER THAT SAYS, OH, I GOT MY WAY. I'M NOT DOING THIS. BUT GOOGLE WANTED TO START A SECOND EXPERIMENT JULY, AND THEY'RE STILL HERE LIKE THIS. AND WE'RE THE FIRST STATE ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF, OF IDEA. AND THEN HERE COMES FROM WASHINGTON DC DIRECTIVE THAT SAYS A DIGITAL TALENT MARKETPLACE. AND WE'RE ALREADY ON THE WAY. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR THIS, KNOW WHERE IT'S COMING. DON'T KNOW. GOOGLE WILL END UP BEING ONE OF THE VENDORS. WE HAVE NOT PAID THEM ANYTHING, SO THERE'S NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST. THEY BASICALLY HAVE BUILT PROFILES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND EMPLOYERS AND IT LOOKS REALLY SWANKY AND REALLY GOOD. AND THEIR TECHNOLOGY IS UNBELIEVABLE. SO JUST KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS GETTING NOTICED SHOTS AT GOOGLE. I JUST WANT YOU TO BE AWARE THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE IT. AND THE THING THAT WILL SET THEM APART, IF THEY CAN PULL THIS OFF, I DON'T KNOW, BUT WHAT THEY'VE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THAT NO ONE ELSE HAS EVER TALKED TO ME ABOUT IS SUPPORT WRAPAROUND SERVICES. HOW CAN PEOPLE LOCATE LOCAL SERVICE TO HELP THEM WITH TRANSPORTATION, CHILDCARE, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. THAT MAKES ME HAPPY. 'CAUSE IT WON'T WORK UNTIL WE GET PEOPLE WORKING. SOME OF OUR LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION IS CHILDCARE OR HOMESCHOOLING. SO I WANNA JUST DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION AGAIN TO OUR WEBSITE. LAST ASK FROM YOU THE , BUT THE YOUNG SUSPICIOUS OF IT, THEY WANT OPPORTUNITIES AND THEY WANNA KNOW YOU AND THEY WANNA KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING. AND IF YOU, FROM GENERATIONAL POVERTY OR IF YOU'RE FROM A DISADVANTAGED DISTRICT, YOU MIGHT NOT. THERE'S ANY JOBS OUT THERE. I WAS IN AN URBAN AREA DOING A RESEARCH STUDY FROM A SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THEY SAID, WE DON'T HAVE MANUFACTURING HERE. AND I'M GOING, OH MY GOD, I PASSED ON THE WAY TO YOUR SCHOOL. BUT IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, IT'S JUST A BIG BOX BUILDING. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THERE. THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK. AND THAT WHAT, WHAT BEING WE NEED TO SIT DOWN ABOUT. CAN WE, HOW CAN I LET YOU KNOW HERE? BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU DON'T KNOW. ESPECIALLY IN THESE RURAL COMMUNITIES, THEY THINK IT'S DESOLATE. THEY'VE GIVEN UP. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TALK. SO WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW? YOU CAN GET INVOLVED WITH, YOU NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING FOR JASPER HAMPTON COUNTY SCHOOL. DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU'RE AT. YOU NEED BASED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. THEY CALL IT WORK-BASED LEARNING. IT'S AN INTERNSHIP IF YOU'RE AN EMPLOYER THAT THESE PEOPLE NEED JOB OPPORTUNITY WHILE THEY'RE STILL IN SCHOOL, BEFORE THEY DISAPPEAR TO CREATE THAT CONNECTION. THEY WANT TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU. AND THIS IS WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING. THINK ABOUT HOW CAN YOU MAKE THIS WORK IF YOU'VE GOT A GREAT SCHOOL DISTRICT, MAKES IT SUPER EASY TO USE. LIKE MY BEST PRACTICE HERE IS LEXINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT ONE. THEY'VE GOT ONE SHEET OF PAPER, WE'LL MAKE IT WORK. THEY'VE STARTED A HEALTHCARE PARTNERSHIP WITH LEXINGTON MEDICAL THAT IS GET TO NONE GUARANTEED EMPLOYMENT AFTER YOU DO TWO YEARS IN YOUR CAREER TECHNOLOGY CENTER AND HIGH SCHOOL. THEN YOU HAVE A YEAR AT UM, MIDLANDS TECH AND YOU MAKE $60,000 A YEAR AS A RAD TECH OR AS A SURGICAL TECH. AND THEY'RE ALSO GETTING READY TO ADD RESPIRATORY THERAPY. A GROUP OF CONCERNED CITIZENS SAT AT THE TABLE AND IN LESS THAN SIX MONTHS CAME UP WITH THE CURRICULUM AND HOW TO DO THIS. YOU CAN TOO. SO THAT'S WHY I SHARE THESE STORIES. BUT THE INTERNSHIP IS CRITICAL. WHILE THEY'RE IN SCHOOL, THEY VISIT LEXINGTON MEDICAL CENTER. THEY DO WHAT JOBS THEY'RE ABLE TO DO. AND EVEN IF IT'S NOT NURSING, THEY'RE GETTING INTO A CAREER PATHWAY THAT CAN LEAD TO NURSING AND DOCTOR, IF THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT. YOU HAVE TO GET CREATIVE. THIS IS IT. IF YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT'S HARDER TO DEAL WITH, I DON'T KNOW, I HAVE NO CLUE. BUT IF THEY'RE HARDER, STILL DO IT ANYWAY. JUST GO AND DO IT. YOUR GROUP RE NURSE RETENTION PEOPLE JUST DID SOMETHING. STILL DO IT. AS AN EMPLOYER, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE'S PERMISSION TO HIRE SOMEBODY. JUST HIRE A YOUNG PERSON ANYWAY. YOU KNOW WHO THEY ARE. THEY'RE AT YOUR CHURCH, THEY'RE WAITING ON YOU AT FOOD LION. THEY'RE OUT THERE. THAT'S MY CHALLENGE FOR YOU TODAY. AND HIGH SCHOOL INTERNSHIPS ARE CRITICAL TO STOP THE 20% DISAPPEARANCE COLLEGE. THEY'RE LEAVING OUR STATE BECAUSE THEY DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING HERE. THAT NURSING [01:05:01] RETENTION PLAN IS KEEPING THEM HERE FOR TWO YEARS. AND THEY'RE, THE STATISTICS ARE POSITIVE THAT HE SHARED WITH ME. THAT IS AMAZING. AND THAT'S HUMAN BEINGS TAKING CARE OF HUMAN BEINGS BECAUSE OF CONCERN IN THEIR COMMUNITY. I WILL TELL YOU, 40% OF OUR HOSPITAL SCHOOL GRADUATES AND COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS ALL HAVE A PART-TIME JOB. AND MARSHALLS AND TJ MAXX, MY FAVORITE STORE IN THE WHOLE WORLD. THEY ARE PAYING $15 AN HOUR. SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOME MONEY BECAUSE THEY MIGHT NEED THAT MONEY TO PUT FOOD ON THEIR TABLE, HELP THEIR FAMILIES. I DON'T KNOW. BUT I GAVE A SPEECH TO COLLEGE STUDENTS LAST WEEK AT THE COLUMBIA CHAMBER, 130 STUDENTS FROM DIFFERENT COLLEGES ALL OVER ALLEN BENEDICT, USC, COLLEGE, UH, COLUMBIA INTERNATIONAL. I ASKED 130 KIDS, HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE A JOB? AND 120 RAISED THEIR HANDS. VERY FEW DID NOT RAISE THEIR HAND. SO THEY'RE ALL WORKING. SO THESE INTERNSHIPS NEED TO BE PAID. AND I SAY, WHATEVER YOU'RE SPENDING AND ADVERTISING ON, INDEED, PUT IT TOWARD AN INTERNSHIP. I THINK IT'S MONEY BETTER SPENT. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE TIME TO BUILD THAT SHIP, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE REALLY PERSONABLE AND GREAT LIKE ALL YOU ARE. AND THEY WANT TO KNOW HOW THEY'RE GONNA NETWORK AND GET TO KNOW YOU. AND THEY WANT SKILLS. AND THEY CAME, I SAID, WE'RE GONNA DO INTERNSHIPS AT THE BRIDGE COMPANY. OH GOD, FIRE UP THE COPIER. AND I WAS LIKE, NO, . THEY'RE STUFF. SO WE HAD THEM IN ESTIMATING MEETINGS. I HAD THEM DO SOME ESTIMATING. WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING THAT WOULD HURT A BRIDGE, BUT WE LET THEM DO THINGS TO SEE ALL THE DIFFERENT JOBS IN OUR COMPANY. I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT TO COME EITHER FROM UNC CHARLOTTE OR FROM YORK COUNTY SCHOOLS OR COUNTY SCHOOLS. THEY WANNA KNOW THAT. BE AWARE FROM STRATA. STRATA DID A STUDY AND THEY'RE GETTING READY TO DO ANOTHER ONE OF COLLEGE STUDENTS. THE MAIN PURPOSE OF TAKING AN INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE WITH SKILL ACQUISITION OR HELPING THEM PURSUE THEIR CAREER GOALS, THEY WANNA PUT IT ON THEIR RESUME, Y'ALL. SO MAKE IT WORTHWHILE. THE SMALLER COMPANIES HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO DO THIS. I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. BASICALLY YOUR ACTION PLAN. DO ONE, TWO OR ALL OF THESE THINGS, I DON'T CARE. JUST DO SOMETHING TODAY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY ARE DISAPPEARING EITHER INTO, INTO THE SYSTEM OR THEY'RE LEAVING OUR STATE. SO GO READ THE PERCEPTIONS REPORT THAT I SHARED SOME OF THE DATA WITH THIS MORNING. CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE, FUTURE SC AND GET TO KNOW YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. Y'ALL ARE DOING IT RIGHT HERE. THAT'S WHY I DECIDED Y'ALL ARE ALREADY IN THE ROOM. I DON'T HAVE TO SAY TALK. Y'ALL WERE TALKING GREAT. AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO, YOU KNOW, ASK THE QUESTION AND MAYBE YOU'RE STARTING, HOW DO WE GET INTERNSHIPS HAPPENING IN THIS AREA? HOW CAN WE DO THIS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS? AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR QUARTERLY MEETING WITH THE COORDINATING COUNCIL FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, ONE OF MY GOALS IS TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE. I DID NOT WANNA COME BE A PART OF GROWING BUREAUCRACY. I WANTED TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION. AND THAT SOLUTION IS TO A COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND THIS ENTITY. AND IT IS VERY HUMBLING AS A MEMBER OF THE THIS IN OUR MEETINGS AND TO KNOW IMPORTANT TO YOU. BUT JUST REMEMBER, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT. IF YOU DON'T DO IT, YOU KNOW, YOU AND I WILL BE HERE TO BACK YOU UP, SUPPORT YOU, GIVE YOU THE DATA YOU NEED. , THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, . OH, WE'LL HAVE TIME FOR TWO QUESTIONS. FIRST, I WANT TO, UH, THANK JUDY EVANS FOR BEING HERE. THAT'S REBECCA'S MOM, WHO IS A BEAUFORD COUNTY RESIDENT. SO THANK YOU. YEAH, . UH, BUT, UH, WE'LL JUMP INTO TWO QUESTIONS. UH, ONE HAS TO DO WITH, UH, THE USE OF AI. UH, UH, UH, IT, IT SAYS PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO USE AI WILL SUCCEED BEYOND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING REPLACED BY IT. UH, IT IT COULD ACTUALLY INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND EVERYONE COULD BE EMPLOYED AS WELL. ARE YOU SEEING A BEST PRACTICE OF WHERE THAT'S BEING USED AROUND THE STATE OR, OR TO YOUR POINT ABOUT SKILLS, SKILLS, SKILLS. MM-HMM . UH, AREAS THAT ARE, UH, UH, DOING A LOT IN THAT SPACE. WELL, AI IS THE BUZZWORD FOR EVERYBODY. AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT IT AT THE COLLEGE CONFERENCE LAST WEEK. AND THE OTHER THING I CAN SAY IS DON'T RUN FROM IT WILL TELL YOU THAT GENERATION Z IS VERY SUSPICIOUS OF IT. YOU KNOW, MY DAUGHTER'S LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE EATING AND OH MY GOSH, I DON'T WANT THEM TO BE MY DOCTOR. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF STUFF LIKE THAT. I, THEY'RE ALSO IN COLLEGE AND HAVEN'T SEEN LIFE. I FEEL LIKE THERE HAS TO BE A BALANCE. I AM SEEING OUR HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN OUR STATE AND SOME OF OUR SCHOOL [01:10:01] DISTRICTS TALKING ABOUT IT IN THE CLASSROOM, TALK ABOUT IT AND TALK ABOUT ITS ETHICAL USE, UM, AND HOW THAT BALANCE. BUT SCHOOLS ARE DOING VERY, SOME OF THEM ARE DOING A BETTER JOB THAN OTHERS ON CHECKING TO SEE CHEATING IS GOING ON. IT'S JUST A HUGE, UM, IT'S GONNA BE A PARADIGM CHANGE, SEEING MORE YOUNG PEOPLE TRYING TO FIND JOBS THAT DON'T, THAT AREN'T IMPACTED BY AI. SO FOR THOSE OF US THAT ARE IN CONSTRUCTION, THAT'S GOOD NEWS. I WOULD'VE KILLED FOR THIS NEWS 10 YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS AT UIG. UM, BUT I, I JUST THINK THAT YOU NEED TO GO AHEAD AND IMPROVE IT TO THE EXTENT THAT IT WORKS FOR YOUR COMPANY AND IT'S ETHICAL AND THAT YOU DOUBLE CHECK. 'CAUSE IT DOES COME BACK WITH WRONG ANSWERS. I WILL TELL YOU THAT. UM, BUT I'M A RESEARCHER, SO I'M ALWAYS OUT LOOKING. BUT I WILL SAY EDUCATION AND HIGHER ED IS TALKING ABOUT IT AND THEY ARE NOW TEACHING THEIR PROFESSORS HOW TO TEACH IT AND INTEGRATE IT. AND PROBABLY ONE OF MY BEST PRACTICES IS LANDER UNIVERSITY IN GREENWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA. THEY'RE JUST REALLY ON TOP OF THINGS. UM, RICHARD CONSTANTINO, DR. CONSTANTINO AND DR. AND, AND LLOYD WILLIS, WHO'S HIS DEAN OF TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS. THEY ARE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE THERE AND THEY WD OKAY, LOCALLY, THE DON RYAN CENTER'S DOING A LOT, UH, TO UNDERSTAND THE APPLICATIONS OF THAT. UH, SO DO LOOK INTO THAT. UH, LAST WOULD BE, WE'VE SEEN STATES AND LARGE ORGANIZATIONS DECLASSIFY CERTAIN JOBS AS NOT REQUIRING A FOUR YEAR DEGREE. THE QUESTION IS, UH, HOW, UH, WHAT WOULD BE THE STEPS SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED COMPANIES IN THIS REGION MIGHT TAKE TO AUDIT THEIR CURRENT JOB DESCRIPTIONS TO MAKE THE CHANGE? WELL, THAT WAS A LOT, LOT OF WHAT I DID IN MY CONSULTING COMPANY. I WAS HELPING SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED COMPANIES. AND I'D GO, LAST TIME YOU UPDATED YOUR JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND THEY'RE ALL, UH, AND SOME OF THEM COPIED IT OFF IN FROM A AND I MISTAKE Y'ALL, FIRST OF ALL, I READ ALL DESCRIPTIONS AND YOU CAN USE AI TO HELP YOU. AND THIS PORTAL WILL BE AI BASED. SO YOU CAN PUT I I, I'D LIKE TO MAKE THIS REAL FOR A GENERATION Z AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE DO AND LET THEM HELP YOU, BUT TWEAK IT. MAKE IT, YOU DON'T JUST, YOU KNOW, CUT AND PASTE THE NAME OFF, BUT IF YOU HAVEN'T UPDATED YOUR JOB DESCRIPTIONS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, AND I WOULD DO THINGS LIKE ALWAYS HAVE A LITTLE BLURB ABOUT YOU. UH, YOU KNOW, I'D SAY, HERE'S A LIST OF EXCITING THINGS YOU'LL DO. IT WAS YOUR TASK LIST, BUT YOU NEED KINDA A LITTLE EXCITING, HERE'S SOME THINGS WE NEED FROM YOU REPLACES EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, Y'ALL, WHAT TRULY ARE THE SKILLS THAT ARE NEEDED? AND I WAS KIND OF LECTURING SOME MY FAVORITE LITTLE BARISTAS AT MY STARBUCKS IN WEST COLUMBIA THE OTHER DAY. 'CAUSE THIS GUY JUST HAS THE BEST PERSONALITY. HE CALLS ME THE JACKET LADY. AND, UM, AND I'M LIKE, YOU UP IN SALES? I JUST KNOW IT . AND, UM, HE'S PRECIOUS AND HE'S LIKE, I'M JUST A BARISTA. AND I SAID, NEVER SAY YOU'RE JUST ANYTHING. YOU ARE WORKING AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE WORLD'S WORK HERE. BUT WHAT YOU LEARNED AS A BARISTA, WELL YOU'VE LEARNED GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE, YOU CAN SELL PRODUCT DISPLAY. I WAS LIKE, LITERALLY, THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU DO THAT BETTER BE ON YOUR RESUME. BUT ALSO IF YOU'RE HIRING FOR A BARISTA, PUT THOSE THINGS ON THERE. DON'T JUST SAY CUSTOMER SERVICE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? SO JUST BE AWARE THAT YOU'VE GOT TO PUT THE SKILLS. AND I WOULD HAVE SKILLS FIRST. AND I'M TELLING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY ON THEIR RESUMES, USUALLY YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE FIRST IF YOU'RE OLDER AND WISER LIKE ME. BUT IF RIGHT OUTTA COLLEGE, LIKE MY, YOU KNOW, PUT YOUR SKILLS FIRST, EDUCATION, THEN YOUR EXPERIENCE. 'CAUSE YOU WORKED FOR US. WE WERE SELF-EMPLOYED, FREE LABOR. I'D ONLY RECOMMEND IT FOR REAL EMPLOYERS, BUT I DID FOR MY KID. SO ANYWAY, BUT YEAH, I WOULD DEFINITELY BE UPDATING YOUR JOB DESCRIPTIONS TO MAKE THEM MORE APPEALING. HERE'S MY OTHER THING, MY OTHER BIG ASK FOR Y'ALL. IF YOU'RE USING AN APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE, EITHER TURN OFF THE FILTERS OR MAKE A POINT TO RESPOND TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON. I WORKED AT THE BRIDGE COMPANY AND WE HAD APPLICANT TRACKING, BUT IT WAS WEEDING OUT A LOT OF PEOPLE. AND I JUST SAID, TURN OFF THE FILTERS AND LET ME SEE WHAT I GET. 'CAUSE I WAS DESPERATE. AND IF THEY DIDN'T FIT THE BILL, MY GOAL WITH MY STAFF AND ME WAS THAT THEY WOULD GET A PHONE CALL WITHIN 24 HOURS TO LET THEM KNOW, WE WANT TO TAKE THIS TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND INTERVIEW YOU OR NOT WOULD, NOT AT THIS TIME, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THEY WERE, THEY KNEW THAT WE WERE KIND AND GAVE THEM A CALL. BUT, BUT DEFINITELY DOUBLE CHECK. AND IF YOU'VE GOT A RECRUITER THAT YOU THINK MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A LAZY STREAK, YOU MIGHT WANNA JUST DOUBLE CHECK BEHIND THEM TOO. I DON'T WANNA DEAL WITH THAT TODAY. GO CHECK THE TRASH CAN. I MEAN, I'M SERIOUS. YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THIS. BUT THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS OF THEY'RE NOT APPLYING AND THEY'RE SAYING, I'M APPLYING AND I DIDN'T, I JUST HIRED THIS AMAZING GUY AT DEW TO HEAD UP THE PORT, THE, AND HE'S A GENIUS. AND, BUT HE'S DOWN HOME FROM BETHUNE, SOUTH CAROLINA, [01:15:01] AND HE HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR A JOB SINCE APRIL OF LAST YEAR AND WE HIRED HIM IN DECEMBER. NOT ONE PERSON CALLED HIM EXCEPT FOR US. AND I DON'T SEE HOW THIS HAPPENED, BUT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I WAS LIKE, PLEASE LET IT BE SOMEBODY GOOD. IT WAS SO MAYBE IT WAS DIVINE INTERVENTION OR COINCIDENCE, I DON'T KNOW. BUT HOW COULD SOMEBODY WITH THAT SKILLSET NOT GET EVEN AN INTERVIEW IN EIGHT MONTHS? MIND BLOWING. SO CHECK YOUR FILTERS ON YOUR APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES, SIR. GIVE A ROUND OF HUG. OKAY. FOR DR. REBECCA BATTLE. BRYAN, THANK YOU. HELLO, I'M PAUL IRVIN T*****S, CEO OF THE DON RYAN CENTER HERE IN BLUFFTON AND THROUGHOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY. WE SHARE A POWERFUL BELIEF. ENTREPRENEURSHIP GROWS STRONGER WHEN WE GROW TOGETHER. FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, THE DON RYAN CENTER HAS HELPED INNOVATORS AND SMALL BUSINESSES TURN IDEAS INTO REALITY. WHETHER SOMEONE IS JUST GETTING STARTED OR SCALING AN ESTABLISHED COMPANY TO MEET INCREASING DEMAND, WE'RE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THE GUIDANCE, RESOURCES, AND NETWORKING THEY NEED TO THRIVE. TODAY I'M EXCITED TO HIGHLIGHT ONE OF OUR NEWEST AND MOST IMPACTFUL OFFERINGS. THE LANDING PAD AT THE COVE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR COMPANIES LOOKING TO EXPLORE BLUFFTON AS A POTENTIAL HOME. THE COVE IS MORE THAN JUST A BUILDING. IT STANDS FOR COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITY, VISION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP. IT'S A PLACE WHERE COMPANIES LOOKING TO LOCATE TO BEAUFORT COUNTY CAN ESTABLISH A PRESENCE WHILE THEY EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE REGION. HERE BUSINESSES GAIN ACCESS TO DEDICATED WORKSPACE, MEETING ROOMS, LOCAL CONNECTIONS, AND HANDS-ON SUPPORT FROM THE DON RYAN CENTER, AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERS LIKE BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AS THEY EVALUATE WHAT IT MEANS TO BUILD A LONG-TERM HOME IN SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY. FOR MANY ORGANIZATIONS, CHOOSING WHERE TO RELOCATE OR EXPAND IS A BIG DECISION. THE COVE MAKES THAT DECISION EASIER FROM PROVIDING SPACE FOR NEW BUSINESSES TO OPEN THEIR DOORS FOR THE FIRST TIME, TO NETWORKING WITH OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS AND CREATING A BRIDGE INTO OUR COMMUNITY, ASSISTING AT EVERY LEVEL OF NEED. THE DON RYAN CENTER CORE PROGRAMS OF STARTUP AND GROWTH ARE DESIGNED TO MEET ENTREPRENEURS' NEEDS. AT EACH STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT FOR EARLY STAGE NEW BUSINESSES, WE OFFER STRUCTURE ADVISING AND EXPERIENCED MENTORSHIP TO HELP THEM START STRONG AND THRIVE. FOR MORE ESTABLISHED COMPANIES, WE CAN HELP ACCELERATE GROWTH, REFINE STRATEGIES, AND CONNECT THEM WITH THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO SCALE SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR GROWING COMMUNITIES. ACROSS EVERY PROGRAM, ONE THEME REMAINS CONSTANT COLLABORATION. OUR MENTORS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND FELLOW ENTREPRENEURS INVEST IN EACH OTHER'S SUCCESS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT SHARED GROWTH CREATES A STRONGER, MORE RESILIENT REGIONAL ECONOMY. BEAUFORT COUNTY IS A PLACE WHERE INNOVATION AND QUALITY OF LIFE INTERSECT. AND AT THE DON RYAN CENTER, WE KNOW THAT NO ORGANIZATION BUILDS A THRIVING ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM ALONE. IT TAKES COLLABORATION. AND WE ARE FORTUNATE TO WORK ALONGSIDE INCREDIBLE PARTNERS WHO SHARE OUR VISION FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY'S FUTURE. FROM OUR LOCAL CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, ATTRACTING NEW INDUSTRIES AND ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE HISPANIC BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER, BEAUFORT DIGITAL CORRIDOR, AND MANY OTHERS. EACH PARTNER PLAYS A VITAL ROLE, EXPAND OPPORTUNITY, LIFT NEW BUSINESSES, AND ENSURE THAT ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN OUR REGION IS ACCESSIBLE AND COMMUNITY DRIVEN. TOGETHER THESE PARTNERSHIPS BUILD A STRONGER, MORE CONNECTED, MORE DIVERSE AND INNOVATIVE ECONOMY. WHETHER YOU'RE A STARTUP, A GROWING BUSINESS, OR A COMPANY EXPLORING WHAT BLUFFTON AND BEAUFORT COUNTY CAN OFFER, WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN THIS COLLABORATIVE NETWORK. BECAUSE WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER, WE DON'T JUST SUPPORT INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES, WE SHARE THE FUTURE OF OUR REGION. GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME BACK TO CONVERGE. I'M HERE TODAY AT HARDY BILL'S NEWEST INDUSTRY UNIFIED RESOURCES AND DISPLAY A PRODUCER OF DISPLAY CASES FOR RETAILERS AROUND THE COUNTRY. THEY HAVE RECENTLY JUST BEGUN OPERATIONS AND ALREADY HAVE 30 WORKERS ON THE JOB, AND THAT NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO RISE TO 100. IT IS A GREAT SHOWCASE, PARDON PUN, FOR WHAT THE PEOPLE OF OUR CITY, COUNTY, AND REGION CAN EXPECT FROM HARDY BILL'S GROWTH. NOW, WE'VE ALL HEARD THAT HARDY WILL HAS THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE POPULATION GROWTH RATE OF ANY MUNICIPALITY IN SOUTH CAROLINA, [01:20:01] BUT HARDY BILL IS SO MUCH MORE HARDY. BILL IS CREATING JOBS, JOBS THAT ARE BETTER PAYING THAN WHAT HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY AVAILABLE IN JASPER COUNTY. THIS PAST YEAR, TS CONDUCTORS ANNOUNCED THEIR OPENING OF A 300,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING THAT WILL HOUSE 462 JOBS. NOW NEW RESIDENTS NEED MORE DOCTORS, NURSES IN EVERY TRADE. THAT'S MORE JOBS. THE FAMILIES OF JASPER COUNTY WILL HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THEIR LIFE. AND THEIR CHILDREN CAN ASPIRE TO A RANGE OF CAREERS AND REMAIN IN THE HOMELAND OF THEIR BIRTH. THERE ARE MORE CHALLENGES THAN JUST BUILDING WAREHOUSES AND FACTORIES THAT NEED WORKERS. THE GOAL IS TO FILL THOSE JOBS FIRST WITH THE PEOPLE OF JASPER COUNTY. TO ACCOMPLISH THAT, WE NEED TO PREPARE OUR PEOPLE AND OUR STUDENTS WITH SKILLS NEEDED TO FILL THOSE JOBS. WE NEED TO EMPHASIZE TO OUR STUDENTS THAT THEY NEED A HIGH SCHOOL DEGREE. WE NEED TO LET ALL OUR SCHOOLS KNOW WHAT SKILLS ARE NEEDED. AND THAT INCLUDES TCL AND USCB TRAINING CENTERS LIKE THE C*****G, TCL WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTER CAN PLAY A HUGE ROLE. I'M VERY PROUD OF HARDY BILL'S INITIATIVE TO OPEN A TRAINING CENTER IN OUR PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING THAT PROVIDES CERTIFICATES IN WELDING, FORKLIFT DRIVING WAREHOUSE SAFETY, AND A COMMERCIAL DRIVING LICENSE PROGRAM. OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAMS, BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AND THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE CAN HELP COMMUNICATE THE JOB SKILLS NEEDED TO OUR TRAINING CENTERS BEFORE THE WALLS GO UP SO OUR RESIDENTS ARE READY TO APPLY. HARVILLE HAS ALREADY BEGUN TO TAKE AN ACTIVE WALL, COMPANIES LIKE UNIFIED AS OUR CITY MANAGER, JOSH GRUBE, TO CONNECT TO OUR HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL. AND I'VE HAD A PRELIMINARY CONVERSATION WITH PRINCIPAL RALLY ABOUT GETTING THESE MESSAGES TO OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. WE WANT OUR RESIDENTS TO BE FIRST IN LINE AT THE EMPLOYMENT OFFICES. NOW, RAPID GROWTH LIKE HARDY COMES WITH GREAT RESPONSIBILITY. OUR ROADS AND OUR UTILITIES MUST KEEP PACE WITH THE BUILDING. WE MUST PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS. THE PASSAGE OF THE 2024 SALES TAX REFERENDUM PROVIDES $376 MILLION FOR ROADS AND 94 MILLION FOR GREEN SPACE. TRUSTED PARTNERS LIKE HOYER INVESTMENT GROUP ARE HELPING BY COMMITTING $8 MILLION TO IMPROVE THE INTERSECTION OF 2 78 AND JOHN SMITH ROAD BEFORE BUILDING BEGINS ON THIS FAILING INTERSECTION NOW WITH 1200 NEW SINGLE FAMILY HOMES EACH YEAR, 3000 NEW APARTMENT UNITS STARTING TO BUILD AND MILLIONS OF SQUARE FEET OF WAREHOUSES GOING UP. HARVILLE NEEDS STAFF AND WE HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLED OUR NUMBERS IN THE PAST EIGHT YEARS. BUT HIRING IS THE EASY PART. BUILDING A TEAM THAT BELIEVES IN OUR DESTINY WITH ALL ROWING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. NOW THAT'S A CHALLENGE. I'M PROUD TO SAY WE ARE MEETING THAT CHALLENGE WITH A COHESIVE COUNCIL, A SEASONED MANAGEMENT TEAM, AND A STAFF WHO THINKS CREATIVELY THERE IS NO, WE ALWAYS DID IT THIS WAY. OUR MANTRA IS HOW CAN WE DO IT BETTER? GOOD MORNING. UH, OBVIOUSLY I'M NOT JASON, I'LL GET TO THAT IN A MOMENT. BUT AFTER THE, UH, UH, MAIN SPEAKER SPOKE, UH, JOHN ASKED ME TO STEP IN FOR THE NEXT 45 MINUTES TO TALK ABOUT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN THE UTILITY BUSINESS. UM, AND, UH, GO AHEAD AND AT LEAST TICK US UP A FEW PERCENTAGES. BUT, UM, NOW MY NAME IS TREY HUNTER WITH PALMETTO ELECTRIC. UH, IT'S AN HONOR, UH, TO BE ASKED TO INTRODUCE, UH, OUR NEXT SPEAKER, UM, BOTH FROM, UH, OUR, MY CAREER AT PALM ELECTRIC, UH, ALSO AS VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AT SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE. UM, IT IS 30 YEARS. UH, SCA HAS BEEN AROUND WORKING IN PARTNERING WITH COUNTIES, LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS AND MUNICIPALITIES TO BRING, UM, OUR AREA TO WHAT IT IS TODAY. UH, DANNY BLACK WAS GONNA SPEAK TO US THIS MORNING. UH, UNFORTUNATELY THE BAT PHONE RANG FROM COLUMBIA, UM, ON A PROJECT AND HE, UH, HAD TO HEAD THAT DIRECTION. UM, BUT WE HAD JASON WITH US THIS MORNING. AND, UH, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT JASON. I DON'T WANNA STEAL TOO MUCH OF HIS THUNDER. [01:25:01] UH, JASON IS THE DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE. ALLIANCE IS OVER SOUTHERN COUNTIES. UH, NUMEROUS MUNICIPALITIES, UH, JASON CUT HIS TEETH, UH, IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, ALONG CAREER IN NORTH CAROLINA. UH, CAME TO US, UH, LAST YEAR, UH, SO WE CAN TEACH HIM HOW WE DO IT CORRECTLY IN THE RIGHT CAROLINA. AND, UM, WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE HIM ON THE TEAM AT SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE. UM, AND HE'S A GOLFER, SO THAT MIGHT HAVE HAD SOMETHING TO DO, WHY HE CAME TO THE, THE NECK OF THE WOODS. BUT WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE JASON SIMPLE TO TALK ABOUT SCA. SINCE 1996, THE ORGANIZATION KNOWN AS SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE HAS BEEN LEADING OUR REGION IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. OVER 30 YEARS OF ESCALATING ACHIEVEMENT, THE ALLIANCE HAS BEEN DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN CREATING MORE THAN $4.14 BILLION IN PRIVATE CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND MORE THAN 14,000 JOBS IN A LARGELY RURAL AREA. THIS SOLID, CONSISTENT RECORD OF ACCOMPLISHMENT HAS BROUGHT MANY ACCOLADES AND EVEN SOME NATIONAL RECOGNITION, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT HAS ATTRACTED MORE INVESTMENT TO OUR REGION. OUR REGION IS POISED FOR UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESS AS WE ENTER OUR 30TH YEAR OF OPERATION FROM THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW EXIT THREE AND I 95 IN JASPER COUNTY, TO THE INCREDIBLE INVESTMENT BY PRIVATE DEVELOPERS AND PARTNERS ALONG THE US HIGHWAY 17 CORRIDOR. AT EXIT FIVE AND BEYOND, WE NOW HAVE MORE THAN 19 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF NEW FACILITIES IN CONSTRUCTION TO ATTRACT INVESTMENT FROM COMPANIES AROUND THE GLOBE. SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE IS PROUD THAT THIS DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN ACCOMPANIED BY ROBUST INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAREFUL PLANNING BY OUR PARTNERS AT THE LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVELS, PREPARING OUR REGION FOR PROSPERITY WHILE MAINTAINING OUR UNPARALLELED QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE MOST NATURALLY BEAUTIFUL AREA OF OUR COUNTRY. OUR SUCCESS HAS INCLUDED ATTRACTING INVESTMENT FROM TWO FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES ON THE I 95 CORRIDOR IN COTON AND JASPER COUNTIES IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. IN 2025, WE ALSO ANNOUNCED TS CONDUCTOR, A MANUFACTURER AND TECHNOLOGY LEADER FOR NEXT GENERATION ADVANCED CONDUCTORS, INVESTING $134 MILLION AND CREATING 462 NEW JOBS IN JASPER COUNTY, THE FIRST MANUFACTURER IN THE ADVANCED ENERGY SECTOR TO BE ANNOUNCED IN SOUTH CAROLINA. SINCE THE STATE WAS DESIGNATED AS A TECHNOLOGY HUB FOR ENERGY AND RESILIENCE, TS CONDUCTOR IS THE LARGEST SINGLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCEMENT IN JASPER COUNTY'S HISTORY. AND THE STATE'S JEWEL IN SOUTH CAROLINA'S NEXUS TECHNOLOGY HUB COMPANIES THAT HAVE INVESTED IN OUR REGION OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS INCLUDE LEADERS IN INNOVATION IN OTHER INDUSTRY SECTORS AS WELL, INCLUDING THE INTERNATIONALLY TOUTED AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS OR A TC LOCATED AT THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA INDUSTRIAL CAMPUS AND EXIT 38 IN HAMPTON COUNTY, WHERE THEY WILL USE STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY TO PRODUCE ORGANIC TOMATOES AND LEAFY GREENS YEAR ROUND WITH PACKAGING AND PROCESSING FACILITIES TO SERVE THE ENTIRE EAST COAST HARVEST HOUSE. THE LEADER IN AGRIBUSINESS INNOVATION IN THE NETHERLANDS WILL BE SPEARHEADING THIS TECHNOLOGY ACROSS FROM THE AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS. THE CRUSADE, THE RENOWNED INTERNATIONAL BRAND LEADER MANUFACTURING PREMIUM COOKWARE JUST COMPLETED THEIR 320,000 SQUARE FOOT EXPANSION AT THEIR NORTH AMERICAN DISTRIBUTION HEADQUARTERS AT THE LOW COUNTRY INDUSTRIAL PARK IN HAMPTON COUNTY. OUR REGION ALSO CONTINUES TO BE A LEADER IN THE SUSTAINABLE GREEN INDUSTRIES OF THE FOREST PRODUCT SECTOR, AS WE HAVE RECRUITED MORE THAN A BILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT AND HUNDREDS OF DIRECT JOBS IN RECENT YEARS. THE LATEST IS HAMPTON LUMBER COMPANY, A FAMILY-OWNED PRODUCER OF BUILDING PRODUCTS FROM OREGON THAT ANNOUNCED THEIR $225 BILLION INVESTMENT IN A STATE-OF-THE-ART SAWMILL IN ALLENDALE COUNTY, CREATING 125 DIRECT JOBS AND SUPPORTING HUNDREDS OF INDIRECT JOBS IN OUR REGION. IN 2025, THE ORGANIZATION BROUGHT PROSPECTS TO THE REGION THAT RESULTED IN AN ARRAY OF DIVERSE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT FROM OTHER SECTORS. IN BUFORT COUNTY, SCA RECRUITED CS INSTRUMENTS, A GERMAN MANUFACTURER OF AND GLOBAL LEADER IN PRECISION MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGY, THE COMPANY SELECTED BLUFFTON TO CONSTRUCT THEIR US HEADQUARTERS CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND WAREHOUSING CENTERS IN COLLETON COUNTY, SCA RECRUITED QMPA CALIFORNIA COMPANY LOCATING THEIR FIRST EAST COAST MANUFACTURING FACILITY FOR WATER FILTRATION SYSTEMS. CREATING 233 JOBS IN BAMBERG COUNTY, SCA RECRUITED BLACKHORSE STEELWORKS, A MANUFACTURER OF STRUCTURAL STEEL NOW HIRING HIGHLY SKILLED AND HIGHLY PAID WELDERS. ANOTHER WIN FOR BAMBERG COUNTY IN 2025 WITH CIRCULAR COMPOSITE SOLUTIONS, A MANUFACTURER OF SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRIAL SHIPPING OUTLET COMPONENTS, WHICH ANNOUNCED A $53.7 MILLION INVESTMENT, CREATING 70 NEW JOBS THROUGH A PROPRIETARY TECHNOLOGY THAT PROLONGS THE LIFE OF SHIPPING PRODUCTS WHILE RECYCLING AND REDUCING WOOD WASTE. IN BARNWELL COUNTY, SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE, BROUGHT IN BARNABLE TISSUE SOLUTIONS, CREATING 50 JOBS USING RECYCLED [01:30:01] PAPER, WHICH WILL BE CONVERTED INTO AWAY FROM HOME TISSUE PRODUCTS. THE COMPANY, ANOTHER GREAT SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURER IS ALREADY IN OPERATION. THESE DIVERSE PROJECTS, OR SOME OF THE 16 COMPANIES AT SCA WORKED IN 2025, CULMINATING IN OVER A HALF A BILLION DOLLARS IN PRIVATE CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND 1,144 DIRECT JOBS ANNOUNCED IN LAST YEAR ALONE. WHAT DO ALL THESE PROJECTS HAVE IN COMMON? THE USE OF NEW TECHNOLOGY, GLOBAL REACH, AND THE RIGHT WORKFORCE. COMPANIES LIKE THESE ARE CHOOSING THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE REGION REPEATEDLY AND MORE FREQUENTLY BECAUSE OUR REGIONAL COLLABORATION HAS RESULTED IN THE RIGHT PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, ASSETS AND INFRASTRUCTURE. SCA IS PROUD OF OUR ROLE IN BRINGING THESE CRITICAL ASSETS TOGETHER TO WIN PROJECTS LIKE THESE FOR THREE DECADES. IT IS EXCITING, 30 YEARS SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE, OUR LARGEST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION IN OUR REGION. UH, IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT, GREAT TIME, TIME FOR US TO SHINE. SO TOGETHER OUR SEVEN COUNTIES COMPROMISE ONE OF THE MOST, UH, DYNAMIC ALLIANCES ON THE EAST COAST. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH COUNTY WINS, WE ALL WIN. AND SO WORKING TOGETHER AS A GROUP, YOU'VE GOT A LOT MORE FIREPOWER THAN YOU DO WORKING AS AN INDIVIDUAL COUNTY. SO IT MEANS A LOT TO US. IT MEANS, UH, A GOOD QUALIFIED STAFF THAT EACH COUNTY COULD NOT AFFORD BY THEMSELVES. UH, WE'VE HAD, UH, A LOT OF SUCCESSES IN OUR REGION BECAUSE SCA IS WORKING OVER 30 YEARS. PALM ELECTRIC HAS BEEN PROUD TO PARTNER WITH SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE, NOT ONLY US OTHER COOPERATIVES, ESTO ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, COASTAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, AND MANY OTHER POWER PROVIDERS ALONG WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS AT THE POWER TEAM WORK TO BRING IN INDUSTRY AND IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THOSE WE SERVE. THAT'S A COOPERATIVE MODEL, BUT IS ALSO SCAS UNOFFICIAL MODEL. THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE WITH THE SEVEN COUNTY REGION HAS BEEN ABLE TO POOL ALL OF OUR RESOURCES TO NOT ONLY ATTRACT INDUSTRY HERE, UM, BUT TO ALSO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER ENTITIES TO TRAIN OUR WORKERS. UM, AND I HAVE BEEN EXCITED THAT SOUTHERN CAROLINA HAS SINCE 2020 BEEN ABLE TO CREATE INCOME FOR OUR AREA IN THE TUNE OF $2.2 BILLION, AND WE HAVE CREATED OVER 7,100 JOBS THAT'S KEEPING OUR FOLKS HERE IN THE REGION. WELL, IF, IF YOU LISTEN TO GOVERNOR MCMASTER, HE OFTEN SAYS THAT IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH CAROLINA BECAUSE YOU CAN COME IN, YOU CAN DO BUSINESS WITH JUST A HANDSHAKE, YOU CAN TRUST WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH. AND I THINK THAT'S SO IMPORTANT AND SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE UNDERSTANDS THAT IT'S THE RELATIONSHIPS AND GETTING PEOPLE COMFORTABLE WITH DOING BUSINESS HERE. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS AND ADVANTAGES OF HAVING A GOOD ALLIANCE TEAM WORKING FOR YOU BECAUSE THEY'RE THE FIRST POINT OF CONTACT TO ESTABLISH THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. AND THEY'VE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS DOING EXACTLY THAT THING. YEAH, I'VE BEEN IN SOUTH CAROLINA NOW FOR 41 YEARS, AND SO I'VE, I'VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD PERSPECTIVE ON, YOU KNOW, WHERE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND WHY, UM, 20 YEARS AGO, I MEAN GREENVILLE, SPARTANBURG CORRIDOR, THAT WAS THE, WHERE ALL THE BUZZ WAS. THE LAST 10 YEARS. YOU'VE SEEN INCREDIBLE GROWTH IN THE, UH, CHARLESTON AREA, BERKELEY, DORCHESTER, CHARLESTON COUNTIES. THE NEXT 10 YEARS, I'M CONVINCED, ARE GONNA BE THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA COUNTIES, SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE COUNTIES YEARS. UM, WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING IN PLACE. WE'VE GOT A GREAT DELEGATION UP THERE IN COLUMBIA. WE'VE GOT GREAT PRODUCT, WE'VE GOT ACCESS TO A PORT, WE'VE GOT ACCESS TO RAIL AND TO AN INTERSTATE SYSTEM AND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. WE HAVE ALL THE COMPONENTS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ITS TURN WITH THIS KIND OF SUCCESS, THE NEXT 30 YEARS LOOK EVEN BRIGHTER FOR THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA LIONS REGION. IT'S TRULY OUR TIME TO SHINE. GOOD MORNING, FOLKS. MORNING. ALL RIGHT, I'M GONNA MOVE THIS AROUND HERE. IT'S A PLEASURE TO JOIN YOU THIS MORNING. HAPPY TO SHARE SOME OF THE EXCITING THINGS YOU SAW. GOOD MANY OF THEM, AND I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE HERE IN JUST A SECOND. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE BEAUFORT EDC TEAM, UH, JOHN KELLY. BRIAN, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE COORDINATION IT TAKES TO PULL OFF THESE EVENTS AND FOR ALLOWING US TO SHARE SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING. AND WHILE THEY'RE GONNA BE SHARING SOME OF THE SPECIFIC BEAUFORT COUNTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND SOME OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, WE'RE HAPPY TO SHARE SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS GOING ON IN OUR OTHER SIX COUNTIES. BUT FIRST I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE SCA BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE TODAY, MANY FROM BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTIES AND OTHER FOLKS. IF YOU WILL, PLEASE STAND AND SMILE FOR THE AUDIENCE. PLEASE [01:35:01] RECOGNIZE A LOT, ALL MY BOSSES IN THE ROOM. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, DON'T BE SHY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. YES, THERE GOT US STR LEARN THE BACK. THANK YOU, UM, IN THE PREVIOUS VIDEO, AND THANK YOU TO GRACIE AND OUR MARKETING TEAM FOR PUTTING TOGETHER SUCH A GOOD PRESENTATION. I HEARD ABOUT SOME OF OUR ACHIEVEMENTS IN SCA, WHICH ARE INDEED IMPRESSIVE FOR A REGION THAT HAS A LOT OF RURAL AREAS. REMARKABLY, MORE THAN HALF OF THAT SUCCESS HAS BEEN SINCE 2020. THAT SUCCESS IS NOT JUST A HAPPY ACCIDENT. IT DID NOT HAPPEN ORGANICALLY. THERE IS A REASON THAT THE INVESTMENT IN JOB NUMBERS HAVE CLIMBED SO STEEPLY OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS. IT'S A DIRECT RESULT OF INTENTIONAL EFFORTS, INTENTION, A CULMINATION OF REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP, STATEWIDE COLLABORATION, AND CAREFUL PLANNING TO CRAFT A BETTER FUTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. AS TREY SAID, WE ARE CELEBRATING 30 YEARS, AGAIN, A LONG TIME AGO IN 1996 WHEN WE WERE CREATED TO HELP OUR STRUGGLING COMMUNITIES DIVERSIFY THEIR ECONOMIES. IN THE BEGINNING, OUR STRATEGY WAS TO RECRUIT A HIGH NUMBER OF SMALLER PROJECTS SO THAT OUR COMMUNITIES WERE NOT DEPENDENT UPON ONE MAJOR EMPLOYER. SO WE IMMEDIATELY FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING THE RIGHT INDUSTRIAL ASSETS TO ATTRACT THESE, THESE PROJECTS, PRODUCT, PRODUCT, PRODUCT. THOSE OF US, AND BEEN DOING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR A WHILE, KNOW THAT YOU MUST HAVE SUPERIOR PRODUCT TO BE IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GAME. AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR PRIVATE PUBLIC SECTOR PARTNERS, OUR RURAL REGION IS NOW KNOWN FOR DEVELOPING FIRST CLASS INDUSTRIAL PARKS AND BUILDINGS. AND WE HAVE DONE IT IN A DELIBERATE AND THOUGHTFUL WAY TO ATTRACT THE APPROPRIATE KIND OF INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT IN EACH OF OUR COMMUNITIES. THE FIRST PARK WE DEVELOPED WAS A SOUTH CAROLINA ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY PARK IN BARNWELL COUNTY, WHERE TODAY WE HAVE RECRUITED MORE THAN HALF A BILLION DOLLARS IN PRIVATE INVESTMENT, CREATED MORE THAN 500 JOBS CURRENTLY. WE HAVE SEVERAL TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS GOING ON FOR THIS PARK, A LOT OF WHICH I CAN'T TALK ABOUT AS Y'ALL KNOW, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT LATER THIS YEAR THAT WILL BRING SIGNIFICANT AND TRANSFORMATIVE INVESTMENT INTO THAT COMMUNITY. SINCE THE BEGINNING, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A MARKETED PARKS FOCUSED ON BOTH MANUFACTURING AND DISTRIBUTION TO ACCOMMODATE A DIVERSE RANGE OF INDUSTRIES, BOTH LARGE AND SMALL. AND IN ALL OF THE COUNTIES WHERE WE HAVE DIRECTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF SITES AND BUILDINGS, WE'VE SUCCESSFULLY ATTRACTED PRIVATE JOBS AND INVESTMENT. TODAY'S GLOBAL ECONOMY WILL DEMAND EVEN MORE OF SEA AND ITS PARTNERS, MANY OF WHOM ARE IN THIS ROOM TODAY. WE MUST APPLY INNOVATION AT EVERY TURN TO GET RESULTS DRIVEN PROGRESS. OF COURSE, A CRITICAL FACTOR IN RECRUITING COMPANIES TO OUR REGION IS WORKFORCE, WHICH WE HAVE HEARD REBECCA TALK A LOT ABOUT TODAY. IT'S CRITICAL IN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS, BOTH FOR RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION. AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE BEEN READING, LEADING A REGIONAL WORKFORCE COLLABORATIVE, THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE STATE, BRINGING TOGETHER PARTNERS AT THE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS TO TRAIN OUR WORKFORCE FOR CRITICAL JOBS IN OUR REGION. THIS PILOT PROGRAM PROVIDES A VARIETY OF TRAINING COURSES SUCH AS C-D-L-C-N-C, MACHINING AND WELDING. WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS AND CLASSES ARE DUE TO BEGIN ON MARCH 2ND, AND THIS WILL BE AT OUR FACILITY. WE'VE TAKEN THAT OLD BUILDING, REPURPOSED IT INTO, UH, A PLACE THAT WILL HOUSE THESE CLASSES IN ALLENDALE COUNTY. WE JUST TAKE THE SAME INNOVATIVE APPROACH THAT WE'VE APPLIED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF CURRENT AND FUTURE TECHNOLOGY, ENERGY, AND TRANSPORTATION DEMANDS. THAT'S WHY SEA IS A PARTNER IN THE SC NEXUS CONSORTIUM, SOUTH CAROLINA'S HUB FOR ENERGY, INNOVATION, RESILIENCE, AND SECURITY. WITH MORE THAN HALF OUR STATE'S ELECTRICITY SAFELY GENERATED BY NUCLEAR ENERGY, SOUTH CAROLINA HAS BOTH THE EXPERIENCE AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO LEAD AN ENERGY AND NUCLEAR RENAISSANCE TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT ENERGY FOR THE FUTURE. AND OUR REGION WILL BE LEADING THE WAY. I PLAN. UH, I APPLAUD SENATOR DAVIS'S EFFORTS TO ADDRESS OUR STATE AND NATION'S GROWING NEEDS FOR AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE POWER FOR RESIDENTS, INDUSTRIES, AND TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES. BY WORKING QUICKLY TO PUT APPROPRIATE POLICIES IN PLACE, WE'LL BE BETTER PREPARED TO ATTRACT INVESTMENT TO OUR STATE. AND AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, NEW POWER GENERATION PLANTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE ARE ALREADY AND WORKS THROUGHOUT OUR REGION. THE KENNEDY STATION IN DEN COUNTY IS A 2200 MEGAWATT $5 BILLION NATURAL GAS PLANT LED BY SAN SANTI COOPER AND DOMINION ENERGY PROPOSED 71 MILE NATURAL GAS PIPELINE WILL RUN FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA GEORGIA LINE [01:40:01] TO THE NEW PLANT IN COLLAGEN COUNTY, LARGELY FOLLOWING EXISTING FOOTPRINTS FOR UTILITY CORRIDORS. OUR GRID IS UNDER STRAIN FROM ALL OF THE GROWTH WE HAVE ATTRACTED IN SOUTH CAROLINA. WE ARE INDEED A VICTIM OF OUR OWN SUCCESS AND OUR OWN COMPETENCE. THE NEW POWER GENERATION INFRASTRUCTURE WILL BE CRITICAL FOR FUTURE PROGRESS. IN ADDITION TO ENERGY, SCA IS ALSO INVOLVED IN TRANSPORTATION. THE RESIDENTS OF FUSIA ISLAND REACHED OUT TO SCAA LITTLE WHILE AGO TO HELP FIND AN INNOVATIVE SOLUTION TO THE CHALLENGES OF THEIR ISLAND TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. THE PROJECT HAS INVOLVED TO INCLUDE OTHER PARTNERS, OF COURSE, BEAUFORT, D-D-C-S-C-D-O-T, AND MANY PARTNERS AT THE LOCAL AND STATE LEVELS. AS A RESULT, SEA IS NOW FUNDING AND LEADING THE SOUTH CAROLINA COASTAL MARINE TRANSPORTATION STUDY, WHICH EXAMINES A MARITIME TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FOR OUR ENTIRE REGION AND BEYOND, UTILIZING SOUTH CAROLINA'S COASTAL WATERWAYS TO TRANSPORT VISITORS, HOSPITALITY WORKERS, RESIDENTS AND CARGO IN AN AFFORDABLE, EFFICIENT WAY, LESSENING THE BURDEN ON OUR HIGHWAYS. ANOTHER 2026 INITIATIVE FOR US LOOKS TO AEROSPACE, WHICH HAS LONG BEEN PART OF OUR REGIONAL MARKETING EFFORTS, BUILDING ON THE WORK OF OUR BUFORT EDC PARTNERS AT THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA LANDING PAD IN BEAUFORT. WE HAVE EXPANDED OUR MARKETING PROGRAM TO INCLUDE THE EMERGING ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY SECTOR AS A TARGET FOR THE ENTIRE REGION FOR 2026. OUR ASSOCIATES WERE IN JAPAN LAST WEEK MEETING WITH PROSPECTIVE COMPANIES, AND WE EXPECT TO HAVE SOME ACTIVE PROJECTS IN THE REGION IN THE NEXT QUARTER. AND PERHAPS WITH, UH, THE GOLFING SEASON UPON US, THE HERITAGE IS UPON US. YOU MIGHT MEET SOME OF THEM AT THE RBC HERITAGE IN APRIL. INDEED, THE BEAUTY AND HOSPITALITY OF BEAUFORT COUNTY IS SOMETHING THAT WE TOUT WHEN WE ARE TALKING TO PROSPECTIVE COMPANIES. AS A FORMER NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENT HAVING JUST COME HERE, IT'S EASY FOR ME TO LAY OUTSIDE EYES ON THE COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE HERE. I'M A RESIDENT OF BLUFFTON AND INDEED BEAUFORT COUNTY IS A JEWEL, AND WE ARE HAPPY TO PROMOTE THAT AS A WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK. BUT WE'RE JUST MEETING NOT JUST DURING HERITAGE WEEK, BUT WE'RE MEETING WITH PROSPECTIVE COMPANIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND THROUGH OUR REGIONAL LEAD GENERATION PROGRAM, WE REACH OUT TO THOUSANDS OF COMPANIES EVERY YEAR. IN 2025, WE'VE MET WITH MORE THAN 200 RESULTING IN ANOTHER BANNER YEAR FOR OUR REGION, AND THE RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. OUR HARD WORK AT SCA AND COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL AND STATE PARTNERS HAS BROUGHT IN NEW COMPANIES ALL OVER OUR GEOGRAPHIC FOOTPRINT. 2025 SCA WAS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN ANNOUNCING MORE THAN HALF A BILLION DOLLARS OF PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN 1,144 JOBS. 2026 LOOKS EVEN MORE PROMISING. INNOVATION, ENERGY COLLABORATION. THESE ARE THE ELEMENTS REQUIRED TO CREATE SUCCESS IN THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMY. IT'S NOT EASY AND WE DON'T DO IT ALONE. IT TAKES A TEAM EFFORT AND A LOT OF THOSE PARTNERS ARE IN THIS ROOM TODAY. IT TAKES A TEAM EFFORT TO MAKE ALL OF THESE LIFE-CHANGING RESULTS HAPPEN IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU TO OUR SEA BOARD MEMBERS. THANK YOU TO THE BEAUFORT EDC STAFF. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING YOU MORE WITH YOU IN 2026. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING, AND I BELIEVE WE'RE TAKING QUESTIONS AT THE END. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO CONVERGE 2026. I'M MAYOR PHIL KROMER OF THE CITY OF BEAUFORT. AND IN KEEPING WITH THIS YEAR'S THEME OF PEOPLE FIRST PROGRESS TOGETHER, I BELIEVE THAT BUFORD'S GROWTH AND WORKFORCE FUTURE IS VERY BRIGHT BECAUSE OF THREE MAJOR STRENGTHS THAT WE HAVE. OUR PEOPLE ARE PARTNERSHIPS AND OUR QUALITY OF LIFE. WE HAVE A UNIQUE MIX OF MILITARY AND SMALL BUSINESSES THAT CREATES A STEADY PIPELINE OF SKILLED DISCIPLINE WORKERS SUCH AS OUR VETERANS, OUR TRANSITIONING SERVICE MEMBERS, AND THEIR MILITARY SPOUSES. WHILE WE'RE ALSO SUPPORTING THE CREATIVITY AND FLEXIBILITY OF OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THIS SHAPES A WORKFORCE STRATEGY THAT FOCUSES ON SKILLS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND PREPARING OUR RESIDENTS FOR BOTH TECHNICAL CAREERS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS. THE CITY ITSELF IS INVESTING IN ATTRACTING AND RETAINING TALENTED PUBLIC EMPLOYEES THROUGH IMPROVE RECRUITMENT, COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION, AND CLEAR CAREER PATHWAYS. AND AS TECHNOLOGY EVOLVES, WE'RE ENSURING OUR EMPLOYEES ARE TRAINED TO USE THESE NEW TOOLS CONFIDENTLY, WHICH STRENGTHENS OUR CITY SERVICES AND PREPARES THE ORGANIZATION FOR THE FUTURE. BUFORD'S. STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE CONTINUE TO DRAW PROFESSIONALS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY. [01:45:01] PEOPLE WANT TO BE HERE BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE HOME. OUR NATURAL BEAUTY, THE SHORT COMMUTE, AND A CULTURE THAT VALUES SERVICE AND CONNECTION. THAT LIFESTYLE ADVANTAGE IS ONE OF OUR MOST POWERFUL WORKFORCE TOOLS. WHAT GIVES US THE MOST OPTIMISM, THOUGH, IS THE MOMENTUM WE'RE BUILDING AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THE LOW COUNTRY, USC BEAUFORT, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, OUR LOCAL EMPLOYERS, THE SOUTH CAROLINA CYBER CENTER, AND THE BEAUFORT DIGITAL CORRIDOR, AMONG OTHERS. THIS COLLABORATION IS OPENING NEW CAREER PATHWAYS FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULTS. AND THE CONSISTENT POOL OF MILITARY TALENT CHOOSING TO MAKE BEAUFORT THEIR HOME AFTER SERVICE. IN SHORT, OUR WORKFORCE IS GROWING STRONGER BECAUSE WE'RE INVESTING IN PEOPLE, WE'RE EMBRACING INNOVATION, AND WE'RE PRESERVING OUR COMMUNITY WHERE FAMILIES WANT TO LIVE, WORK, AND SERVE. THAT COMBINATION, I BELIEVE, POSITIONS US EXTREMELY WELL FOR THE YEARS AHEAD. HERE'S TO A WONDERFUL CONVERGE. 2026. HI, I'M ALAN PERRY, MAYOR OF HILTON. AT ALLEN PEOPLE FIRST PROGRESS TOGETHER MEANS SEVERAL THINGS. IT'S RECOGNITION THAT OUR PAST MUST INFORM OUR FUTURE. AS A COMMUNITY WE MUST RESPECT AND BETTER UNDERSTAND WHERE WE CAME FROM TO MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER. PROGRESS DOESN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT PEOPLE AND PEOPLE HAVE LOTS OF VALID, WORTHY PERSPECTIVES TO CONSIDER IN THE NAME OF PROGRESS. PROGRESS ISN'T JUST FOR THE SAKE OF PROGRESS. WE MUST BE STRATEGIC, INTENTIONAL, RELEVANT, AND INNOVATIVE WITH PEOPLE AT THE CENTER OF EVERY DECISION WE MAKE. PEOPLE ARE THE BACKBONE OF OUR ISLAND ECONOMY, HOSPITALITY, SMALL BUSINESS, PUBLIC SAFETY, ENTREPRENEURS, AND EMERGING INDUSTRIES. WE MUST CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE TRANSPORTATION, COMPETITIVE WAGES, WORKFORCE, HOUSING, TRAINING, AND EDUCATION, AND MEASURE OUR SUCCESS BEYOND GROWTH IN THESE AREAS. OUR SUCCESS WILL ALSO DEPEND UPON IMPROVEMENTS WE CAN MAKE IN THE PROSPERITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR WORKFORCE. PEOPLE. FIRST IS ALSO REFLECTIVE OF OUR LONGTIME RESIDENTS, AND REMINDS US THAT WE MUST PRESERVE OUR HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE, PRESERVING CULTURAL CONTINUITY, OR CENTRAL TO OUR ISLANDS CHARACTER. LIKE MANY COASTAL COMMUNITIES, WE CONTINUOUSLY NAVIGATE A SET OF CHALLENGES AND INFLUENCE OUR LONG-TERM COMPETITIVENESS. COST OF LIVING CONTINUES TO OUTPACE LOCAL WAGES. MOST OF OUR LOCAL WORKFORCE, APPROXIMATELY 60%, DO NOT LIVE ON HILTON HOT ISLAND. AND LONG COMMUTES CAN HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON WORKFORCE RETENTION. WORKFORCE HOUSING ON OUR ISLAND REMAINS AN URGENT NEED FOR SUSTAINING HOSPITALITY, HEALTHCARE, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND OUR YEAR-ROUND INDUSTRIES. LIMITED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, SEASONAL CONGESTION, AND RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS POSE LONG-TERM THREATS TO WORKFORCE LIABILITY. AND WE ALSO HAVE A SHRINKING POOL OF A YOUNGER WORKFORCE. FOR THE PRIMARY INDUSTRIES HERE, WE KNOW IT TAKES A VILLAGE AND NO SINGLE ORGANIZATION TO SOLVE THIS CHALLENGE ALONE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY, BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, GULLAH GEECHEE, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, LOCAL NONPROFITS AND PRIVATE SECTOR COMMUNITY INVESTORS TO TACKLE SPECIFIC CHALLENGES. AND WE MUST STRENGTHEN OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH U-S-C-B-T-C-L AND WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS TO HELP OUR WORKFORCE PIPELINE. WE JUST SIGNED THE GROUND LEASE FOR NORTH POINT AT JARVIS CREEK, A NEW MULTI-FAMILY WORKFORCE HOUSING NEIGHBORHOOD OFFERING ACTIVITIES, PROGRAMS, AND AMENITIES DESIGNED TO HELP ITS RESIDENTS CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER WITH PROXIMITY TO THE ISLAND RECREATION CENTER, THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS TOWN PARKS AND PATHWAYS. LOW BREAK GROUND ON THIS EXCITING DEVELOPMENT IN FEBRUARY, 2026, AS PART OF THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, THE TOWN PROVIDED A 65 YEAR GROUND LEASE, $1 MILLION TO SUPPORT ELIGIBLE SITE WORK WITH CONTRIBUTIONS SECURED FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN. AFFORDABILITY COVENANTS TO MAINTAIN A WORKFORCE NEIGHBORHOOD IN PERPETUITY, ZONING ELEMENTS, LONG-TERM PROGRAMMING, SUPPORT, AND OVERALL VISION. ONE STREET RESIDENTIAL'S LLCS ROLE INVOLVES DESIGN PERMITTING, FINANCING, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, CONSTRUCTION, LEASE UP, LONG-TERM PROGRAMMING AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT. A LONGTIME SUPPORTER OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO THE ANNUAL RBC HERITAGE GOLF TOURNAMENT, SOUTH CAROLINA'S PREMIER PGA TOUR EVENT. THE RBC COMMUNITY INVESTMENT PROGRAM PROVIDES THE FINANCIAL TOOLS AND RESOURCES NECESSARY TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE MONTHS AHEAD. BASED ON BEAUFORT COUNTY'S 2025 A MIA FAMILY OF THREE COULD EARN BETWEEN 50,520 AND 148,800 ARE QUALIFIED TO LIVE AT NORTH POINT, ENJOY AMENITIES AND PROGRAMMINGS AND PRIORITIZE HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE. NORTH POINT IS UNIQUE AMONG WORKFORCE HOUSING RELATED DEVELOPMENTS NATIONWIDE BECAUSE IT WILL CONSIST ENTIRELY OF WORKFORCE HOUSING AND RESIDENTS MUST BE EMPLOYED ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND TO LIVE THERE. TEACHERS, FIRST RESPONDERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, [01:50:01] HOSPITALITY WORKERS, SKILLED TRADESMEN AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS FOR JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF WHO WILL LIVE THERE. THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA ENSURES ACCESSIBILITY FOR A WIDE RANGE OF ESSENTIAL WORKERS ON THE ISLAND. HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION ARE FOUNDATIONAL TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR FUTURE. UPDATING LAND MANAGEMENT POLICIES, EXPANDING PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, SUPPORTING PRIVATE SECTOR WORKFORCE HOUSING SOLUTIONS. CONTINUING TO ADVANCE WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY, GATEWAY CORRIDOR MASTER PLAN TO IMPROVE ON ISLAND AND OFF ISLAND MOBILITY. WE MUST ADVANCE THIS INITIATIVE TO BUILD THAT WORKFORCE FOR TOMORROW. WE MUST BUILD A STRONG COMMUNITY TODAY TO DELIVER EXCELLENT SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND REINFORCE THE CONNECTION, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, BELONGING AND WELLBEING, AND HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE THAT OUR ISLAND IS KNOWN FOR. IT IS TOWN COUNCIL'S RESPONSIBILITY TO SET A STRATEGIC DIRECTION THAT STAYS TRUE TO THE CORE VALUES AND MEETS THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT SERVANT LEADERSHIP AND TRUE COLLABORATION IS MODELED, NOT JUST TALKED ABOUT. WE ARE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT HILTON HEAD ISLAND'S RESILIENCE, OUR PEOPLE, OUR HISTORY, OUR CULTURE, OUR FUTURE IS BRIGHT. IF WE WORK TOGETHER AND REMAIN COMMITTED TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND. THERE'S A LOT TO BE PROUD OF AND A LOT TO WORK TOWARD. A NEW GENERATION OF TALENT IS EMERGING. STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS, LOCAL NONPROFITS. WE'RE ADDRESSING THE POLICY HURDLES. THIS COMMUNITY IS COMMITTED TO ITS FUTURE. WITH ALL OF THAT SAID, OUR TOWN COUNCIL, OUR TOWN STAFF, WE ALL KNOW THAT IT IS IMPERATIVE FOR HILTON HEAD ISLAND'S FUTURE THAT WE PAY ATTENTION TO OUR FUTURE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, OUR HOUSING NEEDS, AND OUR EMPLOYMENT NEEDS. HILTON HEAD ISLAND IS A SPECIAL PLACE, AND WE INVITE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT HILTON HEAD WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS. WE HAVE A LOT TO OFFER. THE QUALITY OF LIFE AS STATED BEFORE, IS NONE SECOND TO NONE TO ANY OTHERS. SO PLEASE LOOK AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND FOR YOUR FUTURE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEEDS. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU MAYORS. THANK YOU, UH, ALICE HOWARD FOR SHARING YOUR PERSPECTIVE AS WE, UH, HEAD INTO 2026. YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST, UH, SPOKE, PROBABLY AT OUR FIRST CONVERGE, UM, SEVEN YEARS AGO, UH, WE WERE TRYING TO CREATE A BRAND, UH, SIMPLE, SWIFT AND CERTAIN. NOW, BEING IN THE LOW COUNTRY HERE, SIMPLE, SWIFT AND CERTAIN ISN'T ALWAYS EASILY ACCOMPLISHED . SO, BUT, BUT WHAT IT REMINDS ME OF SOMETHING I HEARD THIS SUNDAY IS, IS THAT, UH, PERSEVERANCE IS A WONDERFUL VIRTUE. AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE STORY. UH, FOLLOWING CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR, WE CAME BACK INTO THE OFFICE AND, UM, WE WERE CONTACTED BY A COMPANY IN BUFORT. AND, AND THIS STORY COULD BE TOLD EVERYWHERE. SO, UH, UH, ABOUT PEOPLE GETTING UP, GETTING IN THE BATTER'S BOX AND HITTING THE BALL. UH, BUT, UM, SO WE COME BACK FROM CHRISTMAS BREAK THAT MONDAY AND, UM, UH, WE'RE CONTACTED BY AN OWNER OF A COMPANY INVESTING $35 MILLION IN THE CITY OF BEAUFORT. UH, NOW IT'S A CALAMITY OF ERRORS OF, UH, THE CURRENT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, UH, NOT PAYING ITS VENDORS LIENS, BEING ON THE PROPERTY, BUFORD, JASPER WATER AND SEWER, UH, UH, WAS LIKE, WELL, THOSE THINGS HAVE TO BE CLEARED UP BEFORE WE SET A METER. UH, A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON. SO I, I REACHED OUT TO THE, UH, CITY MANAGER, SCOTT MARSHALL. UH, HE, UH, GOT, UH, JOHN BADGE BADGET, UH, THE FIRE MARSHAL AND BRUCE SKIPPER INVOLVED. UH, WE REACHED OUT TO OUR OLD FRIEND, UH, YOUNG, BUT OLD, UH, CHARLIE, UH, STONE AT BUFORT JASPER. AND, UH, UH, IT, IT TURNED OUT ONE OF THE REAL HANGUPS TO GETTING THIS CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, WHICH THE OWNER WAS TELLING US IF THEY DIDN'T GET THAT CERTIFICATE AT OCCUPANCY, UH, BY MIDNIGHT, UM, YOU KNOW, NEW YEAR'S EVE, THAT THEY WOULD LOSE $7 MILLION MORE THAN $7 MILLION. SO WE WANT TO HELP THEM, BUT AT EVERY TURN SOMETHING'S MESSED UP. AND, UM, SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT WITH, UH, UH, UH, SCOTT MARSHALL STAFF. AND, UH, KELLY GOES, WELL, YOU KNOW, THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL LIVES IN MANNING, AND SO ALL ROADS WE FIND LEAD BACK TO MANNING, UH, WORKING WITH KELLY. UH, BUT, UH, SHE, SHE GOES, AND I KNOW, I KNOW THE FIRE MARSHAL'S FATHER, UH, UH, CARTER JONES, UH, I THINK I SPOKE TO HIM OUTSIDE OF, UH, CHURCH ON SUNDAY. UH, OR MET WITH HIM WHEN HE WAS DOWN HERE IN, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. IN ANY CASE, SHE CALLS HIM UP AND SAYS, CARTER, UH, I'VE MET YOU HERE. UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS YOUR SON'S THE FIRE MARSHAL. HE SAID, MY SON'S OUTTA STATE, BUT I'LL GIVE YOU THE CELL PHONE OF THE DEPUTY FIRE MARSHAL. AND SO WE, WE ARE WORKING ON THIS, BUT IT JUST, IT EVERY, EVERY DAY, EVERY TWO HOURS, SOME FACT CHANGES. AND WE'RE [01:55:01] HA, AND I HOPE I'M NOT INSULTING ANYONE IN THE ROOM, BUT I THINK SCOTT COULD, UH, UH, ATTEST THAT THIS IS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE. WE SAW IT, BUT WE COULDN'T GET, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING WAS JUST, UH, THERE, THERE WEREN'T THE RIGHT SIZE PIPES THERE, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING WAS A MESS. AND WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO BE SIMPLE, SWIFT, AND CERTAIN AND HELPFUL. AND, UH, IT GETS TO BE, UH, THAT, UH, AFTERNOON NEW YEAR'S EVE. AND, UH, STAFF WENT HOME AT NOON. THEY HAD A HALF DAY. UH, AND, UH, SCOTT GOES, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING. AND SCOTT'S CALLING ME HOURLY, UH, UH, AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING WE CAN. WE CAN'T GET IT DONE. THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY'S DRIVING BACK TO FLORIDA, UH, DEFEATED. AND, UH, UH, AT SIX 40, UH, SCOTT CALLS ME AND SAYS, UH, MIRACLES OF MIRACLES, THE METER'S BEEN SET. AND, UH, BRUCE SKIPPER HAS GIVEN THEM A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY AND A TEMPORARY CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY. BUT THIS IS A MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEE WHO WAS TOLD HE WAS FREE TO ENJOY HIS TIME WITH FAMILY. I IMAGINE. UH, SCOTT WAS HAVING, I THINK, DINNER WITH, UH, FRIENDS THAT NIGHT AND EVERYONE KEPT WORKING ON IT. AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS. I'M, I'M THANKFUL THAT KELLY, UH, HAS SUCH FAR REACHING, UM, UH, UH, UH, CONNECTIONS. UH, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, WE JUST STICK WITH IT. UH, WE WERE ON A PROJECT YESTERDAY WHERE IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S IN THE ASHES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS PERSEVERING AND DIGGING THAT, UH, UH, PRODUCT, UH, THAT PROJECT OUTTA THE ASHES AND MAKE SURE IT CONTINUES. AT THE END OF THE PROJECT, WE SAT IN THE, UH, UH, CITY ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE AND THE OWNER, UH, SAID, WELL, WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU? I THINK HE WAS THINKING, I WOULD SAY, GIVE MONEY TO THE SYMPHONY OR DONATE MONEY TO OUR ORGANIZATION. WE SAID, AND YOU WILL SEE NEXT YEAR, HE WILL BE OUR POSTER CHILD BECAUSE THE BEST PERSON TO TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE OF DOING BUSINESS IN THE AREA IS SOMEBODY WHO HAD A GOOD EXPERIENCE. SO, UH, I, I REALLY, UH, WHILE I'M TALKING ABOUT THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, I, I KNOW AS I LOOK AT HILTON HEAD OR I LOOK AT BLUFFTON OR, UH, PORT ROYAL OR YA, EMBASSY OR HARDY, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO, IT'S KIND OF CLICHE RIGHT NOW TO SAY, OH, NOBODY CARES. PEOPLE DO CARE AND THEY'RE WORKING INTO THEIR FAMILY TIME TO GET THINGS DONE. AND, UH, WE WERE VERY GRATEFUL FOR IT. UH, IF YOU DO SEE CHARLIE, LET HIM KNOW. I, I SPOKE FAVORABLY OF, UH, HIS EFFORTS. SO WITH THAT, UH, WE'LL JUMP INTO THIS AND OH MY GOSH, THE COUNTY COUNCIL IS HERE. EVERY TIME I'M BEFORE 'EM, I MESS UP WITH THE CLICKER. SO HERE'S TO OPEN. UH, UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO HERE, AND EVEN THROUGH THE YEARS, WE ARE REALLY GRATEFUL, UH, TO OUR SPONSORS. UH, IN PARTICULAR THE, UH, BEAUFORT REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND ITS AMBASSADORS. 'CAUSE WE'VE, UH, FOR MANY YEARS BEEN A STAFF OF TWO OR THREE. SO TO GET THIS DONE, WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO THEM. UH, MINE, FLINT, UH, MINE FLINT IS OUR COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY. UH, NATE CHUBB UP HERE IN THE FRONT, BUT HIS TEAM, JEN, MATTIE, AND ANN, UH, SK SIGNS. YOU SEE SEAN RUNNING AROUND WITH THE CAMERA. UH, BUT IT REALLY HELPS US, OUR, OUR, OUR FRIENDS WITH WHHI ARE HERE. AND, UH, WE'LL GET INTO THAT A LITTLE LATER. IT'S ALL GOOD. CATHERINE, UH, UH, THE COUNTY CHANNEL FOR BEING HERE AND GETTING OUR MESSAGE OUT TO OUR RESIDENTS WOULD LIKE, WHO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING? SUN CITY FOR BEING A, A GREAT HOST. THE DOWNTOWN DELI AND THE TEAM I GET TO WORK WITH ARE EXCELLENT. KELLY FROM MANNING, UH, UH, BRIAN WARNER AND, UH, LUKE. LUKE STOCKTON. WHERE IS LUKE? HE WAS GUARDING THE, UH, UH, PASTRIES LAST I SAW HIM. THERE HE IS. HE'S, HE MOVES AROUND. THANK YOU, LUKE. LUKE IS OUR INTERN AND WE'RE GRATEFUL TO HAVE HIM. WE HAVE A, A GREAT BOARD OF DIRECTORS. THEY'RE ENGAGED AND THOUGHTFUL. UH, IF YOU WENT TO OUR LAST MEETING, THERE WAS SPIRITED CONVERSATION, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO TELL YOU ABOUT IT AFTERWARDS. BUT WE BELIEVE THAT WITH THIS ENGAGEMENT, UH, THAT WE ARE A BETTER BOARD. I'M GONNA CALL OUT ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS, UH, GREG SHELTON, WHO IS OUR TREASURER, WHO PREPARED US FOR OUR FIRST AUDIT, AND, UH, REALLY HOLDS US TO TASK IN TERMS OF, UH, OF, UH, MAKING SURE THAT OUR OPERATIONS ARE TIGHT AND THAT WE HAVE PROCEDURES. AND THANK YOU, GREG. BUT THANKS TO OUR ENTIRE BOARD. NOW, WE, UH, HEARD FROM, UH, UH, REBECCA BATTLE BRYANT. I, I FELT BAD FOR JASON COMING RIGHT UP AFTER HER. 'CAUSE HE MIGHT HAVE LOOKED LIKE HE WAS LOW ENERGY. AND I HAVE THE SAME, HER ENERGY'S STILL IN THE ROOM, SO I MIGHT LOOK LIKE I'M IN A COMA. UH, BUT, UM, SHE BRINGS HOME A REALLY GOOD POINT. IT REALLY IS ABOUT THE PEOPLE. I I, I, YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY IT BEFORE, THAT IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND WHY WE TRY TO BE GOOD AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IT CHANGES THE LIVES [02:00:01] OF FAMILIES. AND, UH, THAT'S WHAT MOTIVATES US SOMETIMES TO PUT UP WITH THE AGITA AND THE AGGRAVATION. BECAUSE IF WE STAY FOCUSED ON, AS I THINK WE GET TO DO SOMETHING, UH, UH, VERY SPIRITUALLY RICH, IF YOU WILL, UH, MOTIVATING PEOPLE IS ESSENTIAL. UH, UH, CONSIDER THE COST WHEN YOU AS AN EMPLOYER OF, OF HAVING TO RE-HIRE SOMEBODY NEW VERSUS JUST HAVING THAT, THAT PIECE THAT REBECCA SPOKE ABOUT OF HAVING A REPUTATION OF TREATING PEOPLE WELL SO THAT YOU'RE A DESIRED EMPLOYER. PEOPLE WANT TO STAY WITH YOU. AND WHEN YOU BRING SOMEBODY ELSE ON, THERE'S A COST TO THAT. I'VE MENTIONED IT BEFORE, BUT I'LL, I'LL, I'LL SUGGEST YOU READ A BOOK BY JOHN STALLWORTH. UH, IT'S S-T-A-L-S-T-A-H-L, UH, HYPHEN WERT. BUT HE SPEAKS ABOUT THE SERVANT LEADER. UH, UH, MAYOR PERRY JUST MENTIONED IT, BUT YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT GENERATION, PEOPLE WANNA RUN TOWARDS GREAT PURPOSE. THEY DON'T WANT TO JUST SIT IN THE CUBICLE EIGHT HOURS AND GO HOME. SO MAKING SURE EVERYONE'S READ IN ON WHAT YOU'RE DOING, UPENDING THE PYRAMID AS LEADERS. UH, IT'S NOT, IT'S, I DON'T THINK IT'S THAT IMPORTANT FOR THE PRESIDENT OR WHATEVER TO HAVE THAT CLOSEST PARKING LOT. YOU REALLY, UH, PARKING SPACE. WHAT YOU REALLY WANT ARE THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR YOU AND WITH YOU TO FEEL LIKE YOU WOULD MOVE MOUNTAINS TO MAKE THEIR, UH, THEIR JOB. AND, AND YOU'RE NOT ABOVE, UH, GOING TO GET THE SANDWICHES OR WHATEVER. UH, RAISE THE BAR IS PART OF IT TOO. WHILE A LOT OF THIS IS, UM, SOFT AND, AND HUMAN, UH, AT THE SAME TIME AS LEADERS, WE HAVE TO RAISE THE BAR AND PERFORMANCE, UH, IF THERE ARE OBSTACLES, REMOVING OBSTACLES, AND BUILD ON STRENGTH. SO THERE USED TO BE A THING WHERE YOU DO THE REVIEW AND YOU'RE LIKE, THIS IS WRONG, THIS IS WRONG, AND THIS IS WRONG. UH, I, I USE THE BASKETBALL ANALOGY THAT YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO PUT A FIVE FOOT SEVEN GUY IN THE CENTER POSITION YOU WANT, YOU WANT THAT PERSON PROBABLY TO HANDLE THE BALL AND BE A SHOOTER ON THE OUTSIDE. SO PUTTING PEOPLE IN A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN SUCCEED. WHEN YOU LOOK AT BUFORT COUNTY AND YOU LOOK AT ALL THE ELECTIONS COMING UP THIS YEAR, UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF, UH, COMPETING FORCES AND, AND, UH, I'LL, I'LL ATTEMPT TO DESCRIBE WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR PROGRAM THERE. BUT YOU HAVE CONSERVATION, WHICH WE ALL CARE DEARLY ABOUT. YOU HAVE HOUSING, AND THAT'S MARKET RATE HOUSING, UH, UH, COMPETING FOR WHAT'S LEFT, UH, IN TERMS OF LAND. YOU HAVE COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL, UH, DEVELOPMENT. AND THEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WE CONSIDER THAT WHERE WE'RE CREATING JOBS AGAIN, WHERE PEOPLE CAN, IN A DIGNIFIED WAY, PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES. AND SO ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE COMPETING. UH, WE REMAIN, UH, STEADFAST ON OUR, OUR, OUR WHEEL, OUR BALANCE WHEEL HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY ENVIRONMENT, BEING THE MAIN SPOKE, UH, AT THE TOP, EDUCATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WORKFORCE, UH, HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION, UH, HAVE TO BE A FOCUS. SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD AS A COMMUNITY, NOT JUST OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, ALTHOUGH I THINK WITH SO MANY PEOPLE UP FOR ELECTION THIS YEAR, IT'LL BE IMPORTANT TO KIND OF, UH, COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS. AND I WOULD SAY THAT OUR LOCAL ELECTIONS ARE PROBABLY THE MORE IMPORTANT. WHILE WE ALL WATCH, UH, CABLE TV. I BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL IS THE MOST IMPORTANT. BUT WE HAVE TO BE INTENTIONAL AS A COMMUNITY HOW WE BALANCE THAT. AND, UH, EXAMPLE WOULD BE, UH, IN THE PAST YEAR, WE LOOKED AT PURCHASING 500 ACRES. WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE 500 ACRES, THEY WERE LARGELY WET. AND SO WE WALKED THROUGH THAT WHOLE PROCESS WITH THE, UH, OPEN LAND TRUST AND THE, UH, STATE LAND BANK. AND IN THE END, UH, WITH OUR DUE DILIGENCE, THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THE LAND FOR SIGNIFICANTLY LESS. WE DID AN EVENT SURVEY, UH, PRIOR TO TODAY, AND ASKED, UH, FOLKS, UH, WHAT THEY, UH, WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES WERE. AND, UH, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, UH, WE, WE HAD, UM, A SIGNIFICANT RESPONSE, NEARLY 20%, UH, OF, UM, THE 400, 470 REGISTERED, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, OBVIOUSLY, UH, WITH REBECCA BATTLE, BRYAN TIER, YOU PROBABLY SELF-SELECTED BECAUSE YOU WERE INTERESTED IN THE TOPIC. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS INTERESTING, UH, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SMALL BUSINESS, REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND REUSE, UH, SERVICES TO EXISTING BUSINESSES AND MARKETING AND ATTRACTION. WHAT I'LL DO TODAY IS TRY TO TIE THIS ALL TOGETHER. IF I DON'T TIE IT TOGETHER, I'LL STAY AROUND AND ANSWER QUESTION. YOU COULD SAY, WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THAT? BUT IT SHOULD BE PRETTY OBVIOUS IN TERMS OF THE SECTORS THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE HAVE, UH, HOLD THE MOST PROMISE. HEALTHCARE, UH, CYBER, UH, UH, BIO LIFE SCIENCES, [02:05:01] CYBER SECURITY, AND AEROSPACE. WE'RE AT THE TOP, I WOULD SAY, ON HEALTHCARE, UH, CYBER SECURITY AND AEROSPACE. UH, WE'RE GAINING A LOT OF TRACTION. THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AS WELL AS SCA, UH, ARE, UH, UH, ARE, UH, UH, GAINING A LIT, UH, UH, GETTING MORE INVOLVED IN THE BIO AND LIFE SCIENCES. AND IF YOU VISIT OUR WEBSITE, YOU'LL SEE INFORMATION ON THAT. UM, UH, THAT WAS ALSO HIGHLIGHTED BY, UH, GREG ROBINSON AT OUR EVENT IN PROSPERITY AND PRACTICE. HOW, FOR AN AREA THAT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, BIO AND LIFE SCIENCES CAN GIVE YOU, UH, GREAT IMPACT, UH, IN TERMS OF INVESTMENTS IN JOBS WITHOUT HAVING, UH, UH, DETRIMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. SO, WE'LL GET INTO THAT. THIS IS A MODEL OF E ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A, UH, UH, AN ELECTED OFFICIALS RETREAT ON MARCH 5TH TO REALLY DIG INTO WHAT IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, AND, UH, WHAT IT HAS BEEN AND WHAT IT SHOULD BE GOING FORWARD. UH, BUT THIS MODEL, UH, WAS, UH, DESIGNED BY, UH, DR. NED HILL AT THE OHIO STATE. UH, I KNOW FOOTBALL MATTERS A LOT HERE. HE, HE JUST TEACHES THERE. I, IT'S NO OFFENSE TO ANYBODY'S FAVORITE FOOTBALL PROGRAM, WHETHER YOU'RE A TIGER OR DOG OR WHATEVER. BUT, UM, UH, UH, THE KEY IS, UH, UH, WE REALLY FOCUS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MODEL, WHICH IS SALES GOODS AND SERVICES BY THE COMPANIES WE'RE DEALING WITH. AND ON THE, UH, LOWER, LOWER RIGHT WOULD BE JOBS, UH, TAXES, AND, UH, PEOPLE'S INCOME. AND THAT'S THE PEOPLE SIDE. THE POINT OF THIS MODEL IS TO REALLY FOCUS ON THESE OTHER ASPECTS WHEN YOU'RE NOT DOING DEALS. AND JASON KIND OF TOUCHED ON IT AS WELL, WHEN HE EMPHASIZED PRODUCTS. SO, AT, AT THE, UH, TOP HERE, YOU HAVE, UH, COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL REAL ESTATE, AND IN THAT SECTION, UH, SITE IDENTIFICATION AND INVENTORY. AND WE TRY TO DO THAT ON OUR WEBSITE, BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT. WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THAT, UH, IN LIKO, UH, GRANT INCENTIVE ALIGNMENT. AND, UH, THAT'S AN INTERESTING, UH, UH, POINT BECAUSE WE HAD JUST GONE THROUGH THAT IN THE LAST YEAR WITH COUNTY COUNCIL INFRASTRUCTURE COORDINATION, UH, IS IN THAT SECTOR. UH, SITE MARKETING AND PROMOTION, PROJECT FACILITATION, AND THEN BROKER AND DEVELOPER ENGAGEMENT. AND WE, UH, TRY TO WORK IN THOSE AREAS WHEN WE'RE NOT DOING DEALS. THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE INFILL AND REDEVELOPMENT, UH, WORKFORCE. WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, AND YOU HEARD A LOT ON THAT, IS, UH, INCREASE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, UPSKILL, RESKILL, AND UNDERSTAND EMPLOYERS NEEDS. UM, LET'S JUST SEE IN HOUSING, AND I'LL GET INTO THIS IN A FEW SLIDES, UH, BUT IS CLOSING THE GAP. AND AGAIN, UH, MAYOR PERRY IN THE LAST, UH, UH, UH, UH, VIDEO UNDERSCORED THAT. AND THEN ALSO IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT, UH, UH, ENTREPRENEURIAL PATHWAYS, THE DON RYAN CENTER, THE BEAUFORT DIGITAL CORRIDOR CORRIDOR, UH, E FOR ALL BLACKWOOD. THESE ARE GROUPS THAT ARE DOING A LOT IN THAT SPACE. SO WE'RE REALLY, UH, BLESSED TO, UH, HAVE, UM, HAVE SUCH GREAT PARTNERS IN THAT SPACE. UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, UH, WITHIN THE, UH, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION'S, ALSO KEY, UH, UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU TWO EXAMPLES. WE MET WITH A COMPANY ON HILTON HEAD, THE END, UH, UH, UH, FOURTH QUARTER. UH, AND, UM, UH, WE FOUND OUT THAT IN THREE QUARTERS, DUE TO THE TAR, ALL THE TAR, WE'LL CALL IT TARIFF AMBIGUITY, THIS COMPANY THAT HAD $8 MILLION IN SALES THE YEAR BEFORE HASN'T HAD A SALE IN THREE QUARTERS. NOW, WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THAT? WE CAN'T REALLY CHANGE FEDERAL POLICY, BUT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR CONGRESS PERSON, OUR GOVERNOR, UH, OUR US SENATORS KNOW THAT THIS COMPANY IS EXPERIENCING THAT. SO THAT'S KIND OF A DIFFICULT ONE. UH, ONE THAT, UH, BRIAN'S WORKING ON. KELLY'S WORKING. KELLY'S WORKING FROM THE HELICOPTER SIDE. BRIAN'S WORKING FROM THE MANUFACTURER SIDE. WE HAVE A PHILADELPHIA HELICOPTER COMPANY, UH, LOOKING TO LOCATE INTO THE REGION. AND, UH, THEY WOULD NEED SOME MANUFACTURING CAPACITY. BRIAN, UH, THROUGH HIS BR AND E EFFORTS, BUSINESS RECRUITMENT AND EXPANSION, UH, BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION. MY STAFF LIKE, UH, ROLLS THEIR EYES WHEN I MESS UP. WORDS, DON'T YOU DO IT. BUT, UM, UH, BUT, UH, BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION. UH, I FOUND OUT THAT THIS COMPANY, THEIR SALES ARE DOWN AND THEY HAVE MANUFACTURING CAPACITY IN THEIR FACILITY. SO WE'RE PUTTING THOSE TWO COMPANIES TOGETHER. SO, UH, THAT'S A LOT ON THAT. WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHERE WE ARE AS A REGION, BECAUSE [02:10:01] I THINK SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE LIKE, WELL, WHAT ARE WE DOING? AND ARE WE MAKING A DIFFERENCE? AND HOW DO WE STAND UP? SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UH, UH, SINCE 2020, ESSENTIALLY, UH, SINCE THE PANDEMIC, OUR JOB GROWTH OVER, OVER THOSE FIVE YEARS IS WELL ABOVE SOUTH CAROLINA IN THIS, UH, MSA, UH, WE'RE WELL ABOVE THE US AVERAGE. AND MOVING AHEAD, HOW DO WE STACK UP, UH, UH, AGAINST OTHER, OTHER MSAS IN SOUTH CAROLINA OVER THAT FIVE YEAR PERIOD? OBVIOUSLY, MYRTLE BEACH AND CHARLESTON, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND YOU CAN LOOK AT GROWTH TWO WAYS. IT CAN BE A METRIC FOR HOW YOU'RE DOING, AND IT, AND FOR PEOPLE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, IT ALSO CAN BE CONCERNING, UH, BECAUSE HOW THAT GROWTH MANIFESTS ITSELF, AND CAN THE INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT IT. GOING BACK TO OUR BALANCE WHEEL, DON'T FORGET ABOUT, WE'LL TALK ABOUT HOUSING SHORTLY, BUT DON'T FORGET ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, BECAUSE WE, UH, IF YOU CAME OVER ANYONE RIGHT OVER FROM BUFORD, UH, PORT ROYAL TODAY, RAISE YOUR HAND. UH, SOME CHALLENGES, SOME TRAFFIC CHALLENGES. YEAH. OKAY. REBECCA'S MOTHER SMILING AND SAYS, YES. THAT'S ALL WE NEED TO KNOW, . OKAY? BUT, UM, UH, AS YOU LOOK AT IT, OUR GROWTH, UH, IS BETTER THAN GREENVILLE, COLUMBIA, SPARTANBURG, FLORENCE, SUMTER. SO, UH, UH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE HAD GROWTH. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE YEAR WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, UH, WE HAVE SOME, UH, JUST UNDER $60 MILLION IN INVESTMENTS, 160 JOBS. AND, AND NOTE THE, UH, UH, AVERAGE INCOME IS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. AND I'LL, WE'LL GET INTO THAT IN A SECOND. WE ALSO, UH, OBVIOUSLY, UH, REAL ESTATE ABSORB, UH, BUT THE GRANTS, AND, UH, I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE GRANTS. 'CAUSE SOMETIMES, AND ON THE NEXT SLIDE, PEOPLE HAVE PALPITATIONS WHEN THEY SEE THE GRANTS WE'VE GOTTEN, UH, I'LL DESCRIBE THESE, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE, THE, UH, UH, NEXT SLIDE. BUT, UH, OF THE 305,000, UH, $305,000, UH, IN GRANTS THIS YEAR, 200,000 CAME FROM THE, UH, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, UH, FOR, UH, PAD DEVELOPMENT. AND 75,000 CAME FROM DOMINION ENERGY TO ASSIST WITH THAT PAD DEVELOPMENT. SO, UH, ESSENTIALLY, NO, I'M GONNA BE CHALLENGED WITH MY MATH, BUT, UH, UH, 30,000 WAS LOCAL GRANTS TO A COMPANY. SO NOW, WHEN PEOPLE, LET'S JUMP RIGHT BACK DOWN TO THE GRANTS. SO WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AT, UH, OUR, OUR SUCCESS OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, WE'RE INCHING UP ON A BILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENTS THAT PROJECTS, UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH SOME 3,200 JOBS. BUT LET'S JUMP DOWN. AS I SAID TO THE INCENTIVES, PEOPLE SEE 32 MILLION, AND THEY'LL ASK THEIR COUNTY COUNCIL PERSON, OH MY GOSH, THEY'VE GIVEN 32 MILLION. NO, ONLY 1.5 MILLION OVER THOSE, UH, SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS HAVE COME FROM COUNTY FUNDS. THE BALANCE, OUR INCENTIVES FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF, UH, AGRICULTURE, THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, AND SO ON, UH, AND, AND, UH, UH, UTCS FROM PALMETTO ELECTRIC OR DOMINION. SO, UH, UH, ALSO, UH, BUT WE'VE, PEOPLE SAY, WELL, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE BRINGING IN JOBS, BUT, UH, ARE THEY GOOD PAYING JOBS? SO WE ACTUALLY GRAFT, UH, THE JOBS OVER THIS FIVE YEAR PERIOD AND, UH, UH, SINCE, UH, OUR FISCAL YEAR, JUST SO YOU KNOW, UH, BEGINS IN JULY AND ENDS IN JUNE. UH, BUT, UH, FIVE YEARS AGO, WE WERE AT 46,000. TODAY WE'RE AT 87. NOW, THERE'LL PROBABLY BE JOBS THAT, UH, COME IN, IN THE BALANCING YEAR, AND WE'LL BRING THAT AVERAGE DOWN. YOU'LL SEE A SPIKE THERE IN 2025. A LOT OF THOSE WERE HEALTHCARE, BUT WE WANT TO BE, UH, REALLY TRANSPARENT. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THAT TREND, THE INCREASE IN COMPENSATION HAS GONE UP 90% OVER THOSE FIVE YEARS. SO I HOPE, UH, AS PEOPLE WHO COME TO CONVERGE AND WANT TO UNDERSTAND, UH, WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON, UH, THAT GIVES YOU SOME COMFORT. AND SO, UH, JUST TAKING, UH, THE NUMBER OF JOBS TIMES THE, UH, AVERAGE, UH, COMPENSATION WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, AT 167,000, UH, DOLLARS IN, IN COMPENSATION. SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S AN EXPRESSION. IT REALLY BELONGS TO RICHARD BLACKWELL. BUT HE SAYS THAT WHEN YOU DO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WELL, YOU CHANGE THE BRANCHES AND FAMILY TREES. AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE PERSISTENT ON A, ON A, UH, UH, NEW YEAR'S EVE OR EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR. UH, UH, JUST TO BRING YOU UP TO SPEED, UH, THIS IS A PROPERTY THAT WE BOUGHT IN JULY, UH, I'M SORRY, APRIL OF LAST YEAR. UM, THIS IS THE ONE THAT WE, UH, THE AUDIT SAID THAT, UH, WE CLASSIFIED AS AN ASSET, AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLASSIFIED AS A CONTINGENT ASSET, UH, CORRECTED IN SECONDS. UH, BUT THIS IS AN EXCELLENT SITE. ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE'S THERE, [02:15:01] UH, IT HAS, UH, UH, UH, ALL OF THE DUE DILIGENCE IS COMPLETE ON IT, RIGHT, BRIAN? OKAY, GOOD. AND, UH, AND THE PROXIMITY, UH, TO THE MARINE, UH, CORPS, AIR STATION, AND, UH, THE RECRUIT DEPOT, WHERE WE HAVE, UH, 900 TRANSITIONING MARINES A YEAR. MAKE IT AN IDEAL LOCATION. NEXT UP, UH, WE, UH, IN JULY, WE PURCHASED 117 ACRES. UH, WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF DOING DUE DILIGENCE. UH, THE NEXT CYCLE WITH THE EPA WILL BE APPLYING FOR SOME FUNDS THERE. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THERE, WE JUST MADE A TRIP. UH, WE'VE BEEN, UH, IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE WADDELL CULTURAL CENTER. UH, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, RECIRCULATED AQUATIC SYSTEMS, ESSENTIALLY, UH, INDOOR FISHERIES. UH, I, I MAY HAVE, UH, TOLD YOU THIS BEFORE, BUT THE WORLD NEEDS 58 MILLION TONS OF FISH PROTEIN BY 2030. UH, AND SO TO FEED THE WORLD, UH, UH, THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT. I DID MEET WITH, UH, CRAIG REEVES, UH, A FISHERMAN, AND HE, HE THOUGHT THIS MADE PERFECT SENSE. SO THAT WAS MY LITMUS TEST ON THIS PROJECT. UH, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING ON THIS CAMPUS. WE'VE TAGGED AT THE EN ENVIRO TRACK, UH, BECAUSE, UH, ANYTHING WE DO UP THERE, IT'S IN GERALD DAWSON'S DISTRICT. GERALD, ARE YOU STILL HERE? THERE YOU ARE. UH, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE ARE, UH, REALLY SENSITIVE TO, UH, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. BUT ONE THING WE'RE LOOKING AT ALSO, AND WE HAVE MEETINGS THIS AFTERNOON WITH A GROUP THAT HAS KNOWLEDGE ON, ON, UH, ON DEVELOPMENT OF MEAT PROCESSING AT THIS LOCATION AS WELL. BUT AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING FOR MINIMAL, UH, IMPACT. UH, WE HAVE A GROUP THAT'S STEPPED FORWARD, I BELIEVE, UH, THE GENTLEMAN'S STILL HERE. UH, BUT, UH, OUR BOARD APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE 72,000 SQUARE FOOT, UH, SPEC BUILDING. THIS WILL BE GOING TO THE, UH, CITY OF BEAUFORT COUNT, UH, UH, THE CITY OF BEAUFORT COUNCIL AND COUNTY COUNCIL IN THE COMING WEEKS. UH, AND IT'S A SIMILAR MODEL TO THE SPEC, BU FIRST SPEC BUILDING. AND THAT BUILDING WAS FULLY OCCUPIED WITHIN ONE YEAR OF BREAKING GROUND AND PRIOR TO ITS CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, ANOTHER PROJECT WE HAVE THERE, LETTER OF INTENT, UH, TO BUY PARCEL D IN THE, UH, BEAUFORT COMMERCE PARK. UH, THIS WOULD BE A, UH, $6.6 MILLION INVESTMENT. WE THINK THAT CAN GO UP BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY NOT HAPPY WITH THEIR MAIN FACILITY IN ALBANY, NEW YORK. UH, BUT AGAIN, UH, UH, GOOD JOBS, UH, IN AN INDUSTRY WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING TO BRING SOME OF THEIR CAPACITY BACK FROM MEXICO. UH, MOVING ALONG, THIS IS, THIS IS A, UH, AN INTERESTING PROJECT, PROJECT CUTTER, UM, COAST GUARD, UH, UH, PUT OUT A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. UH, IT'S A GREAT PROJECT BECAUSE IT'S REALLY A LOT OF PEOPLE COLLABORATING. AND, AND AS I STAND BEFORE YOU, AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WE BELIEVE PEOPLE WORK WITH US TIME AND TIME AGAIN, 'CAUSE WE HUMBLY PURSUE IT. UH, BRIAN WARNER ON OUR STAFF REALLY TOOK A LOT OF IMPACT FROM THE BEAUFORT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, FROM THE MILITARY ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE, FROM THE, OH GOODNESS, DON'T FAIL ME NOW. UH, FROM THE DEFENSE COMMUNITY, UH, UH, UH, PARTNERSHIP TASK FORCE, UH, AND TOOK ALL THAT INFORMATION AND PUT A REQUEST IN. NOW, WE KNEW AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROCESS THAT, UH, UH, A SITE IN ALABAMA WAS, UH, HAD THE INSIDE TRACK ON IT. WE'RE THINKING COAST GUARD, 250 MILES INLAND. WE MUST HAVE AN ARGUMENT TO BE MADE HERE. AND SO, UM, UH, WE, UH, GOT OUR, OUR SUBMISSION, UH, WARREN PARKER AND MEGAN, MEGAN MORRIS, UH, SECURED, UH, LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM HENRY MCMASTER, UH, SENATOR SCOTT, SENATOR, UH, GRAHAM, UH, REPRESENTATIVE MACE, TOM DAVIS, ALICE HOWARD, UH, ALL SUBMITTED, UH, UH, SUPPORT LETTERS. AND, AND TODAY WE KNOW WE'RE NOT REALLY, WE WE'RE NOT REALLY, WE SUPPOSED TO GET THIS PROJECT, BUT GO TO GOOGLE TODAY AND SAY, GOOGLE, WHERE SHOULD THE, UH, UH, COAST GUARD BUILD ITS NEXT TRAINING FACILITY? WE'RE BEATING THE ALGORITHMS. PLEASE DO THIS TODAY. I ASK GOOGLE . UH, BUT, UH, RIGHT NOW, GOOGLE WILL TELL, HOPEFULLY SOME BUREAUCRAT IN THE COAST GUARD OR HOMELAND SECURITY THAT THEY REALLY BELONG IN BEAUFORT. UH, WE DID AN ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THIS PROJECT. IT WOULD'VE A $300 MILLION, UH, A YEAR IMPACT, UH, CREATE, UH, OVER 2200, UH, DIRECT AND INDIRECT JOBS, UH, ACROSS ALL OF THOSE, UH, NEARLY 60,000 IN COMPENSATION. SO, UH, AND WHAT'S INTERESTING IS, YOU KNOW, UH, LATE LAST NIGHT, I, I, I GOT A, UH, EMAIL FROM MR. MCGEE, A BEAUFORT COUNTY RESIDENT WHO GIVES US [02:20:01] A LOT OF, UH, GREAT INPUT. UH, YESTERDAY AFTERNOON I SPOKE TO A, A RETIRED COAST GUARD ADMIRAL, WHO WOULD BE PART OF OUR PITCH. HE LIVES IN HILTON, HILTON HEAD PLANTATION, BUT HE WOULD BE PART OF OUR PITCH TEAM. AND WE, I SHOULD MENTION THAT WE GOT, WE RECEIVED LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM EVERY MAYOR, MAYOR IN THE COUNTY IN SUPPORT OF THAT PROJECT AS WELL. BY THE WAY, LAST NIGHT, I WAS WORKING IN MY OFFICE ON THIS PRESENTATION, AND MY WIFE, I CAME, I CAME INTO THE BEDROOM. MY WIFE GOES, WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO? I SAID, I WAS RUNNING THROUGH MY PRESENTATION, AND SHE SAID, DON'T BE BORING. SO, UH, I, I, I HOPE I'M, UH, UH, I'M, I'M FOLLOWING HER ADVICE, BUT YOU CAN TELL ME AFTERWARDS. LET'S, UH, UH, WE'LL RATTLE THROUGH A FEW MORE SLIDES, UH, UH, AND WE'LL HAVE YOU OUTTA HERE ON TIME. THE, UH, UH, COVE AT THE, UH, UH, WHICH IS AN EXTENSION OF THE DON RYAN CENTER, UH, IS A 14,000 SQUARE FOOT, UH, A 14 SEVEN, I THINK, PAUL 14 SEVEN, UH, SQUARE FOOT FACILITY. UH, TWO WEEKS AGO, BLACKWOOD AQUILA AIKENS HAD HER RIBBON CUTTING. SHE'S A GRADUATE OF THE BLACKWOOD PROGRAM. AND BOY, WE WERE REALLY PROUD TO SEE A GREAT PROJECT FROM THE TOWN, AND THE GREAT PROJECT FROM BLACKWOOD COME TOGETHER TO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WORKFORCE, IT'S, IT'S, THEY'LL TALK ABOUT CHILDCARE, BUT IT'S REALLY DEPENDENT CARE AS TIME GOES ON. AND FOR A KILLER TO SHINE LIKE THAT AND WALK THROUGH OUR FACILITY, UH, I WAS REALLY HAPPY AND PROUD. UH, PAUL, EVAN, KRISTEN, AND DAVID, THANKS FOR THE WORK YOU DO. UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR LANDING PADS, AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, UH, JASON TOUCHED ON THIS, UH, BUT WE, IN THE BEAUFORT LANDING PAD, WE HAVE A, UH, SKYDRIVE IS STILL OPERATING OUT OF THE, UH, LANDING PAD. WE HAVE THE LEAD GENERATOR THAT'S WORKING WITH SCA, UH, IN THE LANDING PAD THERE. WE HAVE A, UH, CUTTING EDGE AEROSPACE COMPANY. THE, THE, UH, THIRD AND FOURTH BULLETS ARE THE SAME COMPANY. THE COMPANY IS, UH, FROM THE WEST COAST. THEY HAVE THEIR SALES DIVISIONS GONNA BE LEASING SPACE IN THE COVE, UH, FROM THE, UH, DON RYAN CENTER. AND THE PROPULSION UNIT IS LEASING SPACE IN THE, UH, BEAUFORT LANDING PAD. AND, AND WHAT ARE THEY FINDING? WHILE THIS COMPANY, UH, HAS ANNOUNCED THAT IT'S REALLY GONNA GROW IN NORTH CAROLINA, WHAT THEY'RE FINDING IS, IS THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THESE CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE, AND THEY'RE FINDING THAT THEY CAN HIRE THE TALENT THEY NEED FROM BOEING AND GULFSTREAM. AND SO WE ARE, UH, UH, POSITIONED AS A COUNTY FOR THEM TO WAKE UP ONE DAY AND REALIZE THEY DON'T HAVE SEVEN OR 10 EMPLOYEES, BUT THEY HAVE 35 EMPLOYEES IN BEAUFORT. AND, UH, WE LOOK TO HAVE THEM, UH, UH, DO SOMETHING MORE SIGNIFICANT DOWN THE ROAD. BUT THE JOBS THAT WE ARE GETTING ARE GREAT JOBS ADJACENT TO THE COVE, TIM DOLNIK IS, UH, PUTTING UP 35,000 SQUARE FEET. UH, JASON TOUCHED ON THIS. WE'RE REALLY HAPPY. UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UH, UH, CS INSTRUMENTS AND SPARTINA, WE DO THINK OUR REGION, UH, IS, UH, GONNA BE IDEAL FOR HEADQUARTERS. UH, UH, WE, UH, WORKED, UH, UH, JUST IN A SUPPORT ROLE WITH THE, UH, TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, BUT WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO SEE, UH, NOVANT BUILDING 25,000 SQUARE FEET ON, ON THE FORMER CLASSIC MOTOR SITE. AND, UH, WITH A PLAN TO, UH, UH, POTENTIALLY ADD ANOTHER 15,000, UH, SQUARE FEET, $25 MILLION INVESTMENT, 50 GREAT PAYING JOBS. AND WHAT THE, UH, CLEMSON, UH, ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT SHOWED US WAS, IT WOULD BE ABOUT $8 MILLION A YEAR IN COMPENSATION. AND, UH, UH, BOTH INDIRECT, UH, DIRECT AND INDIRECT, AND, UH, AN OUTPUT OF, UH, NEARLY $20 MILLION IN OUR LOCAL ECONOMY, JUST AS ONE PROJECT. UH, WE APPLAUD THE, UH, TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, UH, AND ONE STREET AND ROYAL BANK OF, UH, RVC, I'LL CALL 'EM, UH, UH, IS IT ROYAL BANK OF CANADA AND THEIR COMMUNITY INVESTMENT DIVISION, THEY HAD A GREAT RIBBON CUTTING OUT THERE. UH, AND, UH, WE ALSO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, AS, UH, I THINK THE MAYOR OR BEN MENTIONED, UH, AT, UH, AT THE, UH, GROUNDBREAKING, THEY HAVE ANOTHER PROJECT AT 30 BRYANT ROAD THAT HAS A CLOSING FOR SUBMISSIONS ON APRIL 6TH, I BELIEVE. NOW, WHEN HE GETS TO WORKFORCE HOUSING, WE DID ASK CLAUDE. CLAUDE, YOU STILL HERE? OKAY, HOPE I GOTTA GET MY FACTS STRAIGHT. CLAUDE IS STILL HERE. UH, BUT CLAUDE AND JENNIFER AT THE BUFORD JASPER HOUSING TRUST ARE, ARE SHINING A LOT OF LIGHT ON WORKFORCE HOUSING AND THE SEVERITY OF THE, OF THE PROJECT. IF YOU LOOK AT IT, AND THINK BACK TO WHEN YOU GOT OUTTA COLLEGE OR WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG, THEY SAID, HEY, YOU PRETTY MUCH COULD AFFORD A, A, [02:25:01] A MONTHLY PAYMENT OF ABOUT 28%. NOWADAYS, IT'S, UH, THE GUIDELINE IS 30%. WHAT THIS GRAPH SHOWS IS THAT THERE HAVE ONLY BEEN TWO PERIODS OF TIME WHERE WE'VE HAD, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, OVER THE, IN THE LAST, UH, DECADE. UH, BUT WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS, IS THAT PEOPLE ARE SPENDING OVER 50% OF THEIR INCOME TO HAVE A ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS. THIS IS NOT SUSTAINABLE. UH, WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING ON THIS NEXT SLIDE IS THAT, UH, YOUR QUALIFIED INCOME HAS TO BE UP NEAR 169,000, YET THE, UH, UH, ACTUAL INCOME, UH, FOR THE FAMILY IS, UH, UH, SOUTH OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND. SO THERE'S A HUGE GAP, UH, THAT IT'S UNSUSTAINABLE. WHEN, WHEN REBECCA WAS SHOWING THE, THE JOBS IN THE REGION, UH, YOU HAD, UH, A ACCOMMODATIONS AND FOOD SERVICES. THE BLUE SHOWS YOU THE NUMBER OF JOBS, AND THEN IT SHOWS YOU THE AVERAGE COMPENSATION. KEEP THIS IN MIND WHEN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, BECAUSE WHAT IT'S SHOW TELLING YOU IS, IS THAT IF PEOPLE WERE IN THOSE DIFFERENT SECTORS, WOULD ONLY PAY 30% OF WHAT THEY WERE MAKING, UH, THE ACCOMMODATION, UH, AND FOOD SERVICE WORKER COULD AFFORD TO PAY JUST UNDER $800 A MONTH. THAT DOESN'T EXIST IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. UH, UH, THE RETAIL WORKER JUST UNDER A THOUSAND DOLLARS. IT, IT LARGELY DOESN'T EXIST. SO THERE'S A HUGE GAP HERE AS WE GO INTO THIS YEAR. UH, WE JUST ASK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT MODEL, THAT THE NED HILL MODEL, THAT WE DO HAVE TO, WE REALLY DO HAVE TO FOCUS ON THIS GAP IN WORKFORCE HOUSING. I WILL WRAP THIS UP PRETTY QUICKLY. OUR, OUR ONGOING, JUST GIVE YOU A LITTLE FLAVOR OF OUR ONGOING MARKETING EFFORTS. UH, WE, UH, ARE DOING A LOT. AND IF YOU PLEASE FOLLOW US ON, ON LINKEDIN AND, UH, FACEBOOK, UH, LARGELY WE'RE ALSO ON INSTAGRAM. UH, BUT, UH, WE HAVE THESE PROPERTY LISTINGS FEATURING, UH, UH, PRODUCT IN OUR REGION. UH, OUR MODEL'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN A LOT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUPS IN THAT OFTENTIMES WE'RE PROMOTING PRIVATE, PRIVATE REAL ESTATE, NOT, NOT, UH, NON-PROFIT OWNED REAL ESTATE. UH, THEN, UH, WE ALSO DO A LOT WITH, UH, WHHI, UH, AN EXTENSION OF THIS PROGRAM, UH, TO BRING NEWS AND MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC'S INFORMED ON WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON. UH, AND THEN LASTLY, UH, WE TRY TO FEATURE, UH, WHAT'S MADE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY TO KEEP PEOPLE APPRISED OF, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND SO WITH THAT, I WILL WRAP UP. UH, I'LL SAY THIS 'CAUSE I, I'M SEEING, UH, BO MOVE IN HIS SEAT. UH, BUT, UH, I'LL, UH, JASON AND I'LL STAY UP FRONT, UH, AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. WE THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US TODAY AND FOR YOUR ONGOING, UH, INTEREST AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON AND SUPPORT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THANK YOU. THANKS FOR WATCHING BC TV. * 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.