GEORGETOWN, S.C. —  Mayor Jack Scoville says it was unfair for a nationwide newspaper to mention Georgetown in an article this week about places becoming ghost towns because of failing industries.

City Administrator Chris Eldridge said the only ghosts he knows about are the ones in some of the old houses in the area.

And County Administrator Sel Hemingway agreed, adding that “It’s very unfortunate that we were used in that context.”

What it’s about

In a story this week titled “New ghost towns: Industrial communities teetering on the edge,” USA Today wrote about Ravenswood, W.Va. where part of an aluminum plant closed after 55 years, and the rest is for sale.

The article mentions Georgetown as a place that could become a ghost town because of the closing of ArcelorMittal, the city’s steel-making facility, last year.

“USA Today did not do their homework. They should have called down here and done more inquiry,” Scoville said.

“We definitely are not becoming a ghost town and I resent that characterization,” Scoville said, noting International Paper shows no signs of closing and the area has a thriving tourist industry.

He is scheduled to talk about the topic with some other mayors from across the country Friday morning on The Takeaway, a national program broadcast on National Public Radio.

• City Administrator Chris Eldridge joked he thought the article was about the area’s haunted houses, which, he said, would have made more sense.

• Hemingway, the county administrator, said the article “doesn’t document anything the article is trying to convey about [Georgetown being on] the brink of disaster.

“While we’ve been a victim of the economy like the rest of the country, we’ve got some very good things here.”

He said the quality of life and natural resources make Georgetown County attractive.

• Annette Fisher, president of the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce, was out of her office and couldn’t be reached for comment.

Unemployment rates

The USA Today article quotes Coastal Carolina University economist Donald Schunk as saying, “Day to day, week to week, any manufacturing facility seems vulnerable. People don't know if they'll be there.”

The article states only International Paper is a major private employer locally.

While the unemployment rate was 14.9 per cent in December in Georgetown County, there are signs of hope.

That rate puts Georgetown at 21 of 46 counties in the state, or about in the middle of the state’s figures.

Hopeful signs

In recent months, building permits have steadied. That’s not growth, but at least it’s not decreasing, local officials say.

Boeing announced it would locate a plant to build the Dreamliner jet at North Charleston, with some 3,800 jobs.

Many local officials are working to bring suppliers to Georgetown County to provide some of the parts for the Boeing construction.

The Seattle Times reported that Jim Albaugh, chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, chose North Charleston because of South Carolina’s right-to-work labor laws.

Hemingway said that Wayne Gregory, the county’s economic development director, will be going to Washington state and Oregon soon to talk with Boeing and their suppliers as part of an industry recruiting effort with the North Eastern Strategic Alliance (NESA).

Green Coast

In addition, a companion effort is underway to market this area as the “Green Coast” with environmentally-friendly businesses such as Carolina Pacific, RWE (Renewed World Energies) and Envirosep, among others.

Industries like American Gypsum and SEFA (Southeastern Fly Ash) take waste products from Santee Cooper and turn them into usable products: drywall and a component for cement.

Other efforts convey a “green” image, such as studies about solar and wind power through Santee Cooper, RWE’s algae-producing work for nutriceuticals and others for biofuels.

Port of Georgetown

Winyah Bay and the Port of Georgetown need dredging so larger ships can call, but officials are taking steps to try to secure funding for the dredging.

Hemingway said that the State Ports Authority supports the area, saying, “The Port of Georgetown is a very important part of the future” of the agency.

Carolina Pacific, which makes wood briquettes for export to Europe as fuel, will load its first ship Friday and Saturday.

More reaction

Scoville said he feels it’s unfair the article makes it seem like International Paper is the only thing keeping the area afloat.

“We are not a one horse town,” Scoville said.

He said since the newspaper article was centered around a town that had only one industry, he does not understand how that compares to Georgetown.

“There is no talk of closing International Paper and our housing industry will pick up. People still want to live on the coast,” Scoville said.

Eldridge said Georgetown has “a lot more going for it” than other cities in the state and country.

“We sit on the Winyah Bay and are in between Charleston and Myrtle Beach. We are working hard on our port.

“We have a great quality of life,” Eldridge said. “Things could be a lot better but we are not becoming a ghost town.”

Hemingway said the USA Today idea of a ghost town just doesn’t fit.

“We’ve got a great number of stories to tell and a great number of reasons for people to want Georgetown to be their home,” he said.

“We’d like people to come here and visit.”

By Tommy Howard

and Scott Harper

Staff Writers