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Beaufort County EDC reports commerce-park activity, spec-building push and site-readiness work
Summary
The Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation described results from seven years of business attraction—more than $500 million in investment countywide—and said it is pursuing spec-building site work, a possible carve-out near Whale Branch, and marketing efforts to attract aerospace and manufacturing businesses.
John O’Toole, executive director of the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation, summarized seven years of EDC activity that the organization counts as more than $500 million in investments across the county and more than 2,100 jobs supported. He said the county and municipalities each fund the EDC (municipalities $40,000; county $375,000) and noted the county’s recent commitment of 1.3 mills for multi-year capital support of economic development projects.
O’Toole said the Commerce Park has new interest: Masters Corporation is constructing a site with a roughly $35 million investment; other prospects are competing for 302 Parker Drive and for potential spec-building space. He described the EDC’s conservative model (private developers preferred to construct spec buildings where possible) and current work to attract aerospace suppliers and to diversify the base of industrial prospects. He also said staff is pursuing an 11-acre city-owned site adjacent to a 134 Parker Drive parcel the EDC expects to acquire to create upland developable acreage for industrial use.
Why it matters: The EDC said better site readiness and a new spec building are the top levers to capture companies hunting for move-in-ready industrial and aerospace spaces; local governments’ ability to align utility and transportation readiness affects prospects’ decisions.
Quote (selected): "If we have product, it fills up" — John O’Toole, Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation (on spec sites in the commerce park).
Ending: The EDC asked municipal partners to continue coordinated marketing and to consider how local permitting, infrastructure and site-readiness investments can be sequenced to win prospects in a competitive Southeast market.
