By Betsy Finklea
The road leading to landing Wyman-Gordon, the major manufacturing operation that announced it was coming to Dillon County last week, is paved with the vision, hard work, persistence, patience, and tough choices sometimes in the face of contrary public opinion by all of those who worked to bring an industry to the area.
It Started With A Penny
Back in 2002, the Dillon County Council at the time decided to hold a referendum to allow the public to vote on whether or not to collect a one percent sales tax for capital projects. A committee was formed to decide on the projects. The projects were presented to the people, and the voters passed the referendum in 2002 with collections of the tax beginning in 2003 and ending in 2008.
One of the projects under this tax was a frontage road off Highway 34 West in Dillon. The road was built, and over the years, the road had jokingly been called by some in the community as “the road to nowhere.”
“The planning by previous councils and this current council laid the groundwork,” said Dillon County Council Vice-Chairman Harold Moody, the senior member of council. Moody said the one cent sales tax was very important because it was this money that put in Caldwell Drive, the frontage road where Wyman-Gordon will locate. He said they worked with the City of Dillon to get the sewer to Highway 34 and under the interstate. A small pump station was installed in the area to serve Love’s Travel Center.
The council endured a great deal of criticism for the road, but the decision was an important one. “The road to nowhere,” Moody said, “has become the road to Wyman-Gordon.”
A Field Of Dreams
For years, the road sat empty surrounded by fields. Economic development officials worked to have the site certified. It seemed that nothing may ever happen in the area as companies passed on Dillon County despite assets such as I-95, access to rail, and proximity to ports.
Then in 2013, Marlboro Electric Coop came forward and offered the citizens of Dillon County a vision—a concept of improved economic development and a vision for the growth of jobs and improvements to the area. Marlboro Electric and its then President and CEO Bill Fleming proposed building a Class A building in a Class A industrial park on Caldwell Drive. The road to nowhere had a chance of becoming the road to somewhere if the Dillon County Council was willing to accept Marlboro Electric’s offer.
The package Marlboro Electric offered was straightforward. The building would be located in Marlboro Electric’s service territory because Marlboro Electric cannot invest the coop’s money without benefiting the coop members, thousands of whom are in Dillon County. They looked along I-95 for the largest, most visible tract of property and settled on the Rogers-Gaddy property. Marlboro Electric secured a 15 year option on all of the property necessary for the park after many months of negotiation.
The building would be constructed by M.B. Kahn, the largest industrial contractor in South Carolina, who had the lowest price on the building they wanted to construct. They got costs from a neighboring coop for a building identical to the one they wanted to build.
Despite rumors to the contrary, M.B. Kahn’s cost was 25 percent less than any other Pee Dee firm who bid on the facility.’
The costs for the spec building were: $2,000,000 for the building; $150,000 for the lands; and $350,000 for landscaping and irrigation, utilities, marketing the site, legal fees, engineering fees, project management, insurance, and park certification.
Marlboro Electric guaranteed the $2.5 million cost. Dillon County was to be responsible for the water and sewer costs as they would be at any site where they would locate a spec building.
The Mask
The process to accept Marlboro Electric’s vision was not an easy one. The council was divided and the council and Marlboro Electric faced a great deal of opposition.
Council meetings to discuss the issue were heated at times, and some council members who were in favor of the proposal said they received threats if they voted in favor of the proposal.
At the council meeting for the final approval for Marlboro Electric’s offer, the meeting became spirited to say the least. At one point, then Council Chairman Archie Scott put on a hose mask similar to that of a burglar and told his fellow council members that if they did not look at the presentations of Marlboro Electric and that of another group, who presented a package after Marlboro Electric had already revealed theirs and do a comparison that what they were doing was robbery. “If we do this today, this is robbery,” Scott said at that meeting. “Those who vote today to pass this are saying when they run for re-election: ‘I’m not the one, look for another.’”
Councilman Andrew Graves, who was outspoken in favor of the proposal and who was one of the councilmen who had received threats, said he would not back down from what he thought was the best decision for Dillon County. “If the decision I make causes me to lose the election, then I’ll just have to lose,” Graves said that day. “You have to be man enough to stand up for what you believe is right.”
When the final vote to accept the proposal was called, four councilmen voted to approve the ordinance authorizing the execution of an agreement and contract between Dillon County and Marlboro Development Team, Inc. providing for the construction of an industrial building. Voting to approve the ordinance were Councilmen Harold Moody, Joe Johnson, Buzzy Finklea, and Andrew Graves. Voting against the ordinance were Chairman Archie Scott and Councilman Randy Goings. Councilman Bobby Moody abstained from the vote.
Thanks to the four councilmen who voted in favor, the spec building and Northeastern Industrial Park would become a reality.
“We knew this was a history-making vote for Dillon County,” said District Four Councilman T.F. “Buzzy” Finklea. “We made a choice for progress and change, and it was not a decision that was made lightly.”
A Leap Of Faith
H. Moody said that the spec building was one of the most important things that the county has done and the location of the building was critical to attracting industry. The building was also the opening of the Northeastern Commerce Industrial Park. Moody, who campaigned on the field of dreams build it and they will come concept, said the council took “a blind leap of faith.”
The ribbon was cut on the new spec building on Monday, June 30, 2014. The mood was celebratory in what was called by many as a great day in Dillon County. The pieces were in place to create jobs and development.
Negotiations, Negotiations, Negotiations
Once the company expressed serious interest in Dillon County, the negotiations to bring the company to Dillon began.
The company was known to the citizens as Project WILMA. Many hours were dedicated to bringing the company to Dillon County, and the matter was brought up at several council meetings.
“County Administrator Clay Young spent countless hours and worked tirelessly to help bring this company to Dillon County,” Finklea said. “Marlboro Electric Cooperative and Marlboro Development Team were also instrumental in bringing the company,” Finklea said.
“With the construction of the new spec building, developing and certifying the industrial park, as well as marketing the facility, Wyman Gordon (a Fortune 500 Company and S&P 150 company) was able to visualize a long term commitment and the future potential of Dillon County very easily,” according to Marlboro Electric.
“Product development is the key to growth and prosperity if you want to become a successful industry leader in economic development,” said William Fleming president and CEO of MEC and MDT. “Our organization along with our partners on this project, Clay Young and the Dillon County Council, NESA, Lonnie Carter and his team at Santee Cooper, and many more, did what was necessary to recruit and finalize the deal. To effectively present them with the best option to meet their needs for a readily available site, we flew to Massachusetts and brought the project’s decision makers to Dillon County, as well as flew them around the site to show off the impressive area.”
On Monday, October 13, Dillon County Council unanimously approved the necessary ordinances to bring the company to the county.
On Tuesday, October 14, it was announced that Wyman-Gordon was coming to Dillon County bringing with it a $115 million investment and 400 jobs over a period of five years expected to pay $18-$20 an hour.
“Wyman-Gordon’s new facility will house multiple, post-forging operations ranging from heat treating to machining, delivering a more streamlined process with an improved level of service for customers,” according to the S.C. Department of Commerce. “The plant is expected to serve customers in the aerospace and power generation end markets in the United States, Europe and Asia.”
H. Moody said the council put a plan together years ago and the plan has worked. “I think this is a game-changer,” Moody said.
Dillon County Economic Development Director Tonny McNeil said the announcement was a result of patience, persistence, and teamwork. “We’ve said in the past that if you think small, you get small results. If you think big, you get big results,” said McNeil. “We’re thinking big. We know what we have, and we can compete.”
Progress Is Not Cheap
Progress is not cheap, and an agreement was developed between Dillon County and Wyman-Gordon to bring the company to the area.
Some of the details of the agreement include:
—Dillon County will give the spec building and the 15 acres where the spec building is located to the company. The value of this is $2.5 million for the building and the land.
—Dillon County will also give the company an additional 45 acres beside the building. This is being purchased by the county at a cost of $20,000 per acre.
—The county will give Wyman-Gordon a $200,000 cash grant.
—Marlboro Development Team will contribute $200,000 in RDA money.
—$750,000 will come from the Coordinating Council for Economic Development for company infrastructure.
—The State of South Carolina Department of Commerce is giving the county $250,000 to help purchase the land.
—The company will purchase gas directly from CGT (Carolina Gas Transmission). The gas line needed to do this will cost approximately $6.2 million. The State of South Carolina Department of Commerce will contribute $1 million for a gas line in December of this year. Dillon County will contribute a total of $3 million over three years in 2015, 2016, and 2017. The company will be responsible for the difference. The line is expected to be completed in November 2017. SCE&G will provide a temporary line to the company for three years.
—The company will receive a tax credit, and the county expects to get $300,000 per year in taxes over the life of the agreement even with the tax credit.
Impact
Dillon County Administrator Clay Young said that the company will be a tremendous asset to Dillon County.
He expects the company not only to be an anchor for the county’s economy but also the region’s economy for many years in the future.
“The impact of this project on Dillon County is even greater than yet realized,” Marlboro Electric CEO Fleming emphasizes. “Not only is the initial investment one of the largest in the state, but the amount of well-paying jobs committed will improve the quality of life for the entire county and region. The Northeastern Commerce Center is already being described by Wyman Gordon’s as their new “campus and showroom” for their entire organization and for their customers. This one announcement is just the beginning of opportunities and growth for the industrial park and for Dillon County.”
