SouthernCarolina Alliance, the regional economic development organization representing Bamberg County, has announced that a new industrial building will be constructed at CrossRhodes Industrial Park, located on US Highway 301 in Bamberg. A photo opportunity event to celebrate the groundbreaking was held on Thursday, June 18, at the construction site with representatives of Edisto Electric Cooperative, Santee Cooper, Bamberg Board of Public Works, Bamberg County Council, S.C. Department of Commerce, SouthernCarolina Alliance and other economic development partners.

According to SouthernCarolina Alliance Chairman Johnny Williamson, “The new industrial building will serve as a marketing tool to show industrial prospects interested in manufacturing, distribution, or commercial opportunities in the region. It’s a project that we have been working on with our economic development partners for some time now, and we’re excited for the construction to be under way.”

Site preparation at the construction site began on Memorial Day for the 30,000 sq. ft. expandable industrial building, often referred to as a "spec building" or a "promotional building. The building is designed to be finished and tailored to the client’s needs once the prospect has committed to the industrial project.

“We have already talked with several existing industries and prospective industrial clients interested in the building,” said SouthernCarolina Alliance project manager Kell Anderson, who handles Bamberg County. “We have plans to bring another company in for a site visit in the coming weeks.”

“The construction of this building is exciting for Bamberg County because it provides a draw for locating an industry here,” said Williamson. “The promotional building will help a prospective company save startup time and cost, hopefully giving us an edge over some of the other locations the company may be considering.”

According to Anderson, the construction of the building at CrossRhodes provides an additional incentive to prospective industries because of the multi-county status of the industrial park.

“Not only do the four counties in the alliance benefit from the multi-county tax revenue sharing agreement, the company locating here will receive additional tax incentives for locating in a multi-county park,” said Anderson.

The CrossRhodes Industrial Park and promotional building are marketed and owned by SouthernCarolina Alliance, the non-profit regional economic development organization representing Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell and Hampton Counties.