Listed were the 29 top industrial parks in the Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson, S.C., area. My reason for giving you this list was so you could see what we re up against. Grant is heading a small committee of the Economic Development Commission that is working with chamber staff to try to identify potential new industrial sites. It involves a tedious process of checking global information system maps and other sources to find what look like potential sites on paper, then visiting them in person to see if they are feasible for industry. Finding relatively flat land with good access and utilities is a real challenge, and then there s the human factor.
Some people have other plans for developing their land for residential, retail or other uses.
Developer Jerry Sternberg made a point of saving the former Quaker Oats building for industrial jobs, holding it until Eaton Cutler-Hammer bought it to expand local production. Sternberg could have sold or leased the building as a warehouse or distribution center much sooner but knew it was in his interest and the community s to seek the best use for the building. The Economic Development Commission is hoping it can identify some new sites that are not currently being marketed for industry, thus adding to the inventory they can show companies that consider locating here. Nearly everyone has a pony in this race as good-paying industrial jobs have a ripple effect throughout a region s economy, helping generate other jobs and increasing tax revenues. Jim Daniels of Daniels Graphics said that Buncombe County has lost some manufacturing jobs in recent years but has not been hit nearly as hard as some other communities thanks to its economic diversity.