DILLON COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — Dillon County continues to see economic development growth due to the inland port, according to officials.
Restaurants, gas stations and some specialty shops are popping up along Radford Boulevard in Dillon County.
Many signs outside the businesses read “Now Hiring.”
Some people said they’re glad to see that more jobs are coming to the county.
“I am happy about it. We need jobs here. The more we get the better off that we’ll be with everything. Because God knows there are a lot of people that would love to have good jobs. And it got bad at one time. But looks like it’s picking up,” said Connie Roberts.
“We sure need them. I can think of a better place. You know everybody is hurting and suffering right now. But it was going to pick up some better now than later,” said Billy Pratt.
County leaders tell us since the Dillon Inland Port opened in April of 2018, more than 1,000 jobs have come to the county through plant expansions and new companies.
The S.C. Dept. of Commerce’s website list the following companies that have either expanded or opened in Dillon County since April of 2018:
- Wyman Gordon
- Arclin
- Harbor Freight
- Perdue
- American Scrappers
- Container Maintenance
- Spectrum Quartz
County leaders said there working on a few projects that could bring another 1,200 to 1,500 jobs to Dillon County.
Dillon County Councilman Jamal Campbell said the inland port is helping steer economic development, but he believes the county needs to do more to market the port.
“We have not maximized our full potential. We have not taken full advantage of the inland port. Our county doesn’t even have an economic developer to draw industry into the county. We have four major entrances and exits to I-95. We have a major railway that runs through here. We sit on flat land. As well, as the inland port. Because of that, I feel like our county should be thriving with a whole lot more frontage roads and things of that nature,” said Campbell.
Kevin Drawhorne of Latta said all the new restaurants, industry expansions, hotels and other businesses are wonderful and he’s excited about the boom.
However, Drawhorne said more jobs are needed that pay higher wages.
“We need about five to 10 good more plants like Harbor Freight around here, and we can start servicing the public to where they can provide for their family,” said Drawhorne.
The U.S Census Bureau statistics show between 2015 and 2019 the average household income for Dillon County was around $30,812 with 22% of the population in poverty.
A county official said he understands the need for higher-paying jobs.
He added some industries are paying between $17 and $18 per hour.
He said you can make even more depending on how long you’ve worked at the company.
Some community members believe better-paying jobs are sure to come, just like they did in larger counties like Spartanburg, Greenville and Charleston, but they just need to be more patient in Dillon County.