Patrick addresses Partnership board
July 29, 2011
By Chris Trainor - Index Journal
Collaboration, state branding and industrial recruitment were among the topics of conversation Thursday evening as S.C. Deputy Secretary of Commerce George Patrick addressed the Partnership Alliance board.
Patrick, who had a decorated career in the Air Force and who also has a background in small business, works under Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt.
Hitt initially was scheduled to speak at Thursday’s Partnership meeting, but declined in order to handle an economic development recruiting matter.
Upstate Alliance CEO Hal Johnson also spoke at the gathering, attended by members of the Partnership board as well as members of the Greenwood Chamber board and local political leaders such as state Rep. Anne Parks, state Rep. Gene Pinson and state Sen. Billy O’Dell.
Patrick said he and Hitt have been working to let business and political leaders across the state know the Department of Commerce is open to collaborative efforts in furthering economic development.
“We are a small state,” Patrick said. “Bobby (Hitt) has worked very hard - and he’s kept me on the road doing the same thing - to take a message out to the counties, to the alliances and to consultants: Anybody who wants to further economic development in this state we consider an ally and a partner. We have invested a fair amount of time and effort to carry that message forward.”
Patrick said the continued addition and expansion of manufacturing jobs will be critical in furthering the state economically. He noted South Carolina has done a decent job of adding manufacturing positions.
“Manufacturing is key,” Patrick said. “Manufacturing creates true wealth, as does agriculture and some other endeavors. We have seen - and statistics back this up - a turnaround in manufacturing in South Carolina over the last couple of years. I think it was in December that we saw the first year-to-year increase in manufacturing jobs in South Carolina in a long time.
“(Hitt) would tell you he’s declared we have finally dug our way out of the textile recession, for lack of a better word, and we are now seeing year-to-year increases-significant increases- in manufacturing jobs in the state.”
Patrick said the Department of Commerce wants to work with the state’s various economic alliances to establish a unified message and branding for South Carolina.
“(Hitt) has laid it out as probably a three-year campaign,” Patrick said. “We want to work the parks, recreation and tourism folks. …We want to come up with a focused branding of who we are in South Carolina so that, when you see the symbol, you don’t hear people who come here, and they’ve been here two or three days, and they go, ‘Wow, this place is not at all what I thought it was.’ And usually it is in a very positive way.
“We want them to have that anticipation before they get here. We want that to help drive companies to South Carolina as a place they look to first, not second or third or last.”
CPW honored for safe water
July 29, 2011
By Chris Trainor - Index Journal
Greenwood CPW recently was honored by a national agency for its continued excellence in providing safe, clean water.
The agency was honored with the Partnership for Safe Water Five-year Phase IV Excellence in Water Treatment Award. The honor was in recognition of CPW’s commitment to superior water quality by maintaining the Partnership for Safe Water Excellence in Water Treatment Award for five consecutive years.
The Partnership for Safe Water is part of American Water Works Association. The AWWA is an international nonprofit educational association dedicated to safe water. Founded in 1881 as a forum for water professionals to share information and learn from each other for the common good, AWWA is considered the authoritative resource for information and advocacy for improving the quality and supply of water in North America.
