Anderson: Boeing could mean up to 1,500 local jobs
S.C. Rep. Carl Anderson said the announcement from Boeing that it will build a new manufacturing plant in the Lowcountry could mean at least 1,200 jobs for Georgetown County residents.
Boeing announced Wednesday a 787 aircraft assembly plant will be built at Charleston International Airport and local leaders say it's also good news locally.
While no one is yet in a position to guess with confidence the impact having the huge plane-building plant in the vicinity will have on Georgetown County, some are predicting it could be big.
"I say we are looking at 1,200-1,500 jobs when you look at everything as a whole," S.C. Rep. Carl Anderson -- D-Georgetown -- said.
Anderson bases his feeling not only on the number of Georgetown County
residents who will be hired by the company but also on the hires that will be made if the local port gets extra business and people who will be needed in the area of transport and producing supplies.
County Economic Director Wayne Gregory wasn't ready to make that much of a leap bust said he easily sees at least "a couple of hundred jobs" for locals.
Gregory predicts many will apply to work on the construction of the 584,000-square-foot expansion to Boeing's existing site in North Charleston.
Once complete is 2011, it will be the new Boeing 787 aircraft assembly plant after South Carolina edged out Washington State for the facility.
As part of a $450 million incentive package created by state lawmakers, Boeing has promised to create at least 3,800 jobs and invest more than $750 million within seven years. Anderson is a member of the Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee and helped draft the package.
Port dredging critical
State Rep. Vida Miller -- D-Litchfield -- said if needed dredging takes place, the Port of Georgetown should be one of the benefactors once the plant is up and running.
"We are very hopeful this will be an incentive to the port. The vitality of that port is a key concern in Georgetown," Miller said. "We will definitely be looking for ways to tap into that new industry."
Gregory agreed, saying there will be little hope of the port attracting any of the business without the dredging.
Earlier this month, the State Ports Authority board approved a strategic plan, which sets four primary initiatives: taking advantage of market opportunities; developing infrastructure to support growth; improving stakeholder relations; and sustaining itself financially.
As part of the plan, the board decided to seek funding to dredge the Georgetown terminal which remains 21 feet deep, or six feet short of what it needs to secure new business.
Board member Harry Butler, who heads up a special committee on Georgetown, said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers -- which requests dredge money from the federal government -- will work with the SPA if it finds money beyond what the Corps secures.
Butler said the federal agency stands to receive about $1.5 million for the project this year, when the necessary dredging would require about $12 million over the next two years. SPA officials did not discuss a possible means for getting the difference, but officials will consider tapping unused stimulus funds.
Anderson and Miller said the local Legislative Delegation will be pushing to expedite the dredging.
"The Delegation will write a letter to the SPA telling them we need this taken care of immediately," Anderson said.
Other anticipation
Gregory said the county is in the process of building another spec building at the Industrial Park which he hopes will benefit from businesses that offshoot from the Boeing plant.
"We hope they look at our industrial park. We are within an hour of the plant," he said.
Anderson agreed, saying the Andrews Industrial Park could also be a winner in the upcoming years because of its proximity to North Charleston.
"For the last umpteen years, everything has gone to the Upstate. I am glad to see us get a break," Anderson said.