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Yep, that's Ropers. It was JACO up until the late 70s or early 80s. Then it was Ropers. That had gas pumps at the part that sticks out, and Ropers was painted on the side of that covered area. When the old Exxon opened, Ropers stopped selling gas. Penningtons (Texaco) was on the other side and sold gas too, but his main business was repair work. He lived on down near the school in the brick house beside the big white house down near Dollar General. Now what I don't know, is if the last owners actually used the name Ropers, but it was still called that, and I'm pretty sure family was involved with it. Ill have to ask someone I know who knows the family.
Gray Court should enter a residential building boom in a few years. Its population would quickly increase from 1,000.
Fountain Inn will be growing as southern Simpsonville builds outs.
Not to mention the industrial business in Gray Court! ISO Polyfilms, ZF and Inteplast right up the road. If the county will step up, we may just get a McDonalds on day.
Yep, that's Ropers. It was JACO up until the late 70s or early 80s. Then it was Ropers. That had gas pumps at the part that sticks out, and Ropers was painted on the side of that covered area. When the old Exxon opened, Ropers stopped selling gas. Penningtons (Texaco) was on the other side and sold gas too, but his main business was repair work. He lived on down near the school in the brick house beside the big white house down near Dollar General. Now what I don't know, is if the last owners actually used the name Ropers, but it was still called that, and I'm pretty sure family was involved with it. Ill have to ask someone I know who knows the family.
BTW, that guy in the paraglider is cool!!
I asked a buddy who knows the family. Roper Felton sold it to John Fuller. Fuller sold it to Fred Wood (Fred Wood Oil Company) last year sometime, he couldn't remember.
That Walmart Express in Gray Court was very convenient for me. Whenever I would drive from my company's office in Greenville to Charleston, I would stop there and fill up and buy food.
Walmart gave up too quickly. It could have been a success, but they needed to call it something else and execute on the product assortment differently. Instead of trying to be a mini-Walmart, try to be a cross between a QT and a dollar store.
Not to mention the industrial business in Gray Court! ISO Polyfilms, ZF and Inteplast right up the road. If the county will step up, we may just get a McDonalds on day.
Laurens County is making the most of opportunities to lure industry along Interstate 385. More industry brings more residences.
Dollar General has a problem abandoning products that are $1.00. When a DiGiorno pizza costs $7.50 at Dollar General versus $5.00 at a supermarket, someone has an issue.
Laurens County is making the most of opportunities to lure industry along Interstate 385. More industry brings more residences.
The thing is.. I'm not sure all those businesses are bringing people to Laurens, or that the jobs are going to people who live in Laurens.
Laurens is still at a 5.6% unemployment, above the state average. And highest in the upstate (Ok, let's not have this argument again.. I will put out there that it is lower than Cherokee County, so.. )
They are bringing in good jobs, good companies. So.. Perhaps it just needs more time. Maybe, as people stay at these places, they might leave Greenville for Laurens.. Or, maybe it's the fact that most of the industry they're bringing is right along the border with Greenville County..
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Walmart gave up too quickly. It could have been a success, but they needed to call it something else and execute on the product assortment differently. Instead of trying to be a mini-Walmart, try to be a cross between a QT and a dollar store.
Walmart gave up on the entire concept. It had nothing to do with that store particularly. Had they re-evaluated and kept the strong performing "Express" stores.. Which is really what they should have done, IMO.. Gray Court would still be in operation.
Walmart gave up on the entire concept. It had nothing to do with that store particularly. Had they re-evaluated and kept the strong performing "Express" stores.. Which is really what they should have done, IMO.. Gray Court would still be in operation.
In my opinion, the problem wasn't any of the stores. The problem was the execution. Dollar General gets to try now, as well as 3 other grocery companies that bought up several former Walmart Expresses around the country.
The one in Pacolet is for sale, if anyone has $750,000 burning a hole in their pocket.
The thing is.. I'm not sure all those businesses are bringing people to Laurens, or that the jobs are going to people who live in Laurens.
Laurens is still at a 5.6% unemployment, above the state average. And highest in the upstate (Ok, let's not have this argument again.. I will put out there that it is lower than Cherokee County, so.. )
They are bringing in good jobs, good companies. So.. Perhaps it just needs more time. Maybe, as people stay at these places, they might leave Greenville for Laurens.. Or, maybe it's the fact that most of the industry they're bringing is right along the border with Greenville County.
How many in Laurens County's workforce are commuting from Greenville County?
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