Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Sorry but I disagree. While Sumter will probably never be a first tier city, it's established itself as a permanent and growing 2nd tier city. While true, it's ties to Shaw AFB anchor the population. At the same time, Shaw is becoming an indispensible military outpost to multiple branches of the military and is in ZERO danger of closure. In fact, it only gets bigger. With the already established 9th Air Force and recent addition of the Third Army, Shaw is now home to two major military headquarters. What that does for Sumter is bring a constant flow of skilled and educated workers to the area via military spouses or military retired that choose to stay in the area. Also, the industrial corridor on Hwy 521 South has been expanded to 4 uninterupted lanes all the way to I-95 which is a short 11 miles down the road. Sumter is also the 3rd fastest growing city with workers with higher education. Population with degrees grew by 7% last year. Only trailing Charleston and HHI/Beaufort. Contenental Tire is continuously expanding and it's jobs are among the highest paying for skilled labor. Several new manufactures have announced new facilities including King Machine, Custom Fibers and Au'some Candy Manufacturing. Plus several announced existing manufacturers are expanding operations. Add to all of that a continuing revitalization of the downtown area plus the recent vote to lift the ban on Sunday liquor sales is about to create a boom of restaurant development.
Compare that to Orangeburg who is in an uproar because their state supported school is in danger of having its doors locked because of years of fiscal abuse. Don't know much about Greenwood except that it's 30 miles of 2 lane road to any interstate.
Sorry but I disagree. While Sumter will probably never be a first tier city, it's established itself as a permanent and growing 2nd tier city. While true, it's ties to Shaw AFB anchor the population. At the same time, Shaw is becoming an indispensible military outpost to multiple branches of the military and is in ZERO danger of closure. In fact, it only gets bigger. With the already established 9th Air Force and recent addition of the Third Army, Shaw is now home to two major military headquarters. What that does for Sumter is bring a constant flow of skilled and educated workers to the area via military spouses or military retired that choose to stay in the area. Also, the industrial corridor on Hwy 521 South has been expanded to 4 uninterupted lanes all the way to I-95 which is a short 11 miles down the road. Sumter is also the 3rd fastest growing city with workers with higher education. Population with degrees grew by 7% last year. Only trailing Charleston and HHI/Beaufort. Contenental Tire is continuously expanding and it's jobs are among the highest paying for skilled labor. Several new manufactures have announced new facilities including King Machine, Custom Fibers and Au'some Candy Manufacturing. Plus several announced existing manufacturers are expanding operations. Add to all of that a continuing revitalization of the downtown area plus the recent vote to lift the ban on Sunday liquor sales is about to create a boom of restaurant development.
Compare that to Orangeburg who is in an uproar because their state supported school is in danger of having its doors locked because of years of fiscal abuse. Don't know much about Greenwood except that it's 30 miles of 2 lane road to any interstate.
Highway 72 is 4 lane all the way to I26, so is highway 25 to 185 and I85 from Greenwood. For a place with no direct access to the interstate, it fairs well.
Highway 72 is 4 lane all the way to I26, so is highway 25 to 185 and I85 from Greenwood. For a place with no direct access to the interstate, it fairs well.
It may be 4 lane (My bad. Haven't been through in a while.) but it's still 30 miles to the closest interstate and you have to go through 3 or 4 towns to get there. It's not an easy shipping access for industry.
It may be 4 lane (My bad. Haven't been through in a while.) but it's still 30 miles to the closest interstate and you have to go through 3 or 4 towns to get there. It's not an easy shipping access for industry.
Only one real town to get down 26, Clinton and that's where you get on 26. Not really anything between Greenwood and Greenville to slow you until you hit the southern part of Greenville county. Not really bad rides, but an actual interstate through Greenwood would help. I understand what you're saying.
Sumter is also the 3rd fastest growing city with workers with higher education. Population with degrees grew by 7% last year. Only trailing Charleston and HHI/Beaufort.
Do you have a source for that? I'm not saying you are wrong but kind of hard to believe.
Regarding SC State, it isn't Orangeburg's school. It is a state school that had students from all over state and other states. I don't see how it is germane to Orangeburg growing or not. A university in your city doesn't matter if you aren't in college.
It would be good if the smaller towns get more stuff so the big 3 don't get overpopulated. I don't think Charleston can handle much more traffic.
Sorry but I disagree. While Sumter will probably never be a first tier city, it's established itself as a permanent and growing 2nd tier city. While true, it's ties to Shaw AFB anchor the population. At the same time, Shaw is becoming an indispensible military outpost to multiple branches of the military and is in ZERO danger of closure. In fact, it only gets bigger. With the already established 9th Air Force and recent addition of the Third Army, Shaw is now home to two major military headquarters. What that does for Sumter is bring a constant flow of skilled and educated workers to the area via military spouses or military retired that choose to stay in the area. Also, the industrial corridor on Hwy 521 South has been expanded to 4 uninterupted lanes all the way to I-95 which is a short 11 miles down the road. Sumter is also the 3rd fastest growing city with workers with higher education. Population with degrees grew by 7% last year. Only trailing Charleston and HHI/Beaufort. Contenental Tire is continuously expanding and it's jobs are among the highest paying for skilled labor. Several new manufactures have announced new facilities including King Machine, Custom Fibers and Au'some Candy Manufacturing. Plus several announced existing manufacturers are expanding operations. Add to all of that a continuing revitalization of the downtown area plus the recent vote to lift the ban on Sunday liquor sales is about to create a boom of restaurant development.
Compare that to Orangeburg who is in an uproar because their state supported school is in danger of having its doors locked because of years of fiscal abuse. Don't know much about Greenwood except that it's 30 miles of 2 lane road to any interstate.
You raised some good points.. and for the record.. I WANT Sumter to be successful and grow. I know the current leadership, atleast in the City of Sumter, seems to be progressive when it comes to the redevelopment of downtown, Swan Lake, the Tennis Complex, and such.. The County Im not so sure..but both need to be progressive governments in order for the area to grow. For years both had been at odds with one another over various political squabbles...and there were some yahoos on the County Council whose vision didnt go beyond their eyelids. They represented the rural areas and despised the City/urbanized areas...They would have moved the Court House and the County Seat to Pinewood if they had the opportunity and call it economic development .. Maybe now all of that has changed...
One question though.. What make you think that Shaw has zero chances of closing? Back when Strom and Fritz were around.. I would agee.. but now it seems like those types of decisions are strictly political as opposed to some rhym or reason.. It seems like the feds will invest millions in a facility one day and close it down the next..........
Sumter hasnt position itself well and continues to seem comfortable and sliding into third or fourth tier status.. The community seems content in being better than Manning, Pineville and Mayesville and the Center of its metro than competing with the likes of Spartanburg, Anderson, Florence and Rock Hill. The City had a shot at one time but has allowed its competative advantage slip away by placing all their eggs in the Shaw AFB and Industrial/Factory basket.. I read an article about how the City was expanding its water and sewer system to make it more competative for Industries.. I am like 'really?' Cooper Tires was a once in a lifetime deal for the area.. not sure it will strike the same place twice.. The City really needs to find a way to diversify its economy or its doomed. You can ride through the area and see vacant factories such as the old Sumter Cabinet that will never be reused.. Greenville was an industrial town that reinvented itself.. but it took decades, vision, and political committment. Greenville had some things going for it to work though more so than Sumter ..
I see Greenwood and Orangeburg going from third to second tier status with Sumter taking their place....
I think Greenville was always going to boom at some point, given proximity to mountains and the weather and relative low taxes to other places. It is still primarily a manufacturing / industrial town.
Sumter had a nice cross country course through some woods for their team at the high school. That is about all I remember about it.
One question though.. What make you think that Shaw has zero chances of closing? Back when Strom and Fritz were around.. I would agee.. but now it seems like those types of decisions are strictly political as opposed to some rhym or reason.. It seems like the feds will invest millions in a facility one day and close it down the next..........
Thanks largely to Fritz and Strom, Shaw AFB has been a beneficiary of all the consolidations and closing of bases over the last 20 years. Ninth Air Force is now headquartered here. It is basically the headquarters for the eastern 1/3 of all USAF Fighter squadrons in the US as well as 25 ANG and Reserve units. It's scope covers everything east of the Mississippi, south to the equator and all fighter operations in the middle east and Europe.
Within the last 5 years, the 3rd Army has moved it's headquarters to Shaw AFB as well. The 3rd Army is equal in scope to the Ninth Air Force with regard to Army operations and includes all Army operations and units in Asia and South East Asia.
So just between those 2 operations at Shaw, that facility is controlling nearly a third of all USAF and US Army operations throughout the world. It wouldn't be feasible to move or replicate the infrastructure already in place to another location.
Do you have a source for that? I'm not saying you are wrong but kind of hard to believe.
I pulled that stat off the Sumter Development Board's website.
Regarding SC State, it isn't Orangeburg's school. It is a state school that had students from all over state and other states. I don't see how it is germane to Orangeburg growing or not. A university in your city doesn't matter if you aren't in college.
"The GD Germans got nothing to do with it!" (movie reference......10 points to the first poster that can identify the movie.)
It would be good if the smaller towns get more stuff so the big 3 don't get overpopulated. I don't think Charleston can handle much more traffic.
Not sure why a company would care about a small college in town when considering a location for their business. They'll be looking at other things like cost of land, tax incentiies, utilities, workforce, and the like.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
.
