Gregg Robinson is ready to move Florence County forward | Local News

FLORENCE, S.C. – C. Gregory “Gregg” Robinson’s job as chief executive officer of the Florence County Economic Development Partnership involves recruiting new business and industry to Florence County.

The Florence County Economic Development Partnership is the lead agency in economic development for Florence County, he said. It is governed by a 34-member board of directors with the purpose of recruiting industry. There is a public and private sector. Receiving funding from the county in the private sector is Florence County Progress.

As a South Carolina certified economic developer, Robinson said, it is his job to lead industrial recruitment for the county.

Robinson, who has been on the job about two months, said the support for economic development in this county has been “very refreshing.” There is an eagerness for it.

“I have been most impressed with the medical commitment that we have from McLeod and MUSC and HopeHealth,” Robinson said. “It is amazing to see how many employees that we have in the medical field. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that McLeod has over 12,000 employees in the region. That is tremendous.”

“That is just fantastic the amount of medical presence that we have here,” he said.

Health care in general is something recruiters are always concerned about in working with industry. Good health care for employees is a top priority, he said.

With an aging population, it is important to make sure workers can be taken care of once they retire, he said.

He has also been impressed with the educational system in Florence County.

The attention to industry has been phenomenal, he said.

“I knew it was good. It’s exceeding my expectations,” he said.

The third thing that has impressed him the most is the hospitality of the people.

“Everybody has been so friendly,” he said.

Robinson said people have been very helpful in helping him to figure out the “lay of the land.” South Carolina is known for its hospitality in general. He puts Florence County at the top of the list in hospitality.

He said having the opportunity to lead in developing new industrial parks, engaging in a strategic planning process and working with Florence County to reach new economic success in years to come is compelling and what drew him to the position.

Everyone wants new industrial projects and wins are what everybody wants, he said

For that to happen, Robinson said, we need to provide the infrastructure, sites and buildings ready for development to attract those new projects.

His No. 1 priority is to support the County Council, and building industrial parks for the county. One such success story is the Pee Dee Commerce Center. Five new industrial parks are in the works and five existing industrial areas have been established, he said.

Robinson said the aim is to duplicate the success of Pee Dee Commerce Center in Florence County West (Timmonsville area) and Florence East (near Francis Marion University.)

To that end, Robinson said, the attention that the County Council has made with a $22 million industrial revenue bond, building Florence County East, working with their cooperatives on Pee Dee Commerce Center East and West, building an 117,000-square-foot speculative building that is expandable are critical steps in this process of winning the next project.

Developing products in the South — in Lake City and Scranton — and looking at properties in Pamplico also are important to make sure rural Florence County have the same opportunities as areas along the interstate system.

Development must target areas where you can be the most successful. There is a different target market for Florence than with the more rural areas of the county.

He said economic developers have to look where they have been successful in the past and find similar but not competitive businesses that create a cluster of businesses. Timber-related and food-related industries are good for this area, he said.

A key to this growth is infrastructure and utilities, he said.

Logistics is another factor to bringing industry in such as nearness to interstate travel and good secondary roads.

It is important to target the right industry, Robinson said.

Robinson said Florence County has the workforce needed for the businesses it is trying to attract.

“Not only are those industries recognizing what we have but it is the ability for those that are maybe undervalued in a job, underemployed in a position by bringing in a more developed industry – a household name – that has a stronger payroll allows for us to raise that standard of living for Florence County, he said.

It will also help to create a pipeline for that future worker.

“We don’t want those individuals leaving the county to find a job somewhere else,” he said.

He said with Florence Darlington Technical College and SiMT, along with Francis Marion University, the county is able to train the workforce as needed.

“The program that is in place is better than I expected,” Robinson said.

By creating the industrial base we have a need for that industrial job which then spins off into the community several times with small businesses and small business opportunity, entrepreneurship and all those things that support manufacturing and industry in this area. And that is why it is very important to work with our chamber and all those that serve that industrial base, he said.

He said we raise the standard of living and raise the per capita income by increasing the population, which ultimately leads to a stronger tax base. Most important is to keep future generations in Florence. People don’t want to see their children move away. We need to give them a reason to stay.

High schools play an important part in the economic development pipeline.

These will be the future workers who are going to fill these jobs. Robinson said schools need curriculums that involve STEM classes, He said we need to encourage students to attend technical schools and take college credits while still in high school. We need to support our future generations of workers.

Customer service is still a major focus in training our workforce. Robinson said we need to sharpen the engineering skills and human resource skills of students who will be going into these manufacturing jobs.

“We are creating a foundation for success and a business environment,” he said.

He said we also have to make sure we are taking care of the existing business environment.

I have been very pleased with project possibilities,” Robinson said. “We have some exciting things we can’t talk about yet. We have a real good shot at one.”

One thing hindering industrial growth is population density.

“We still need to grow,” Robinson said.

The lack of affordable housing is one thing keeping growth down. Florence County needs an inventory of available housing that will keep up with growth. Robinson said he doesn’t see this as a negative but a challenge that can be addressed.

If we stay true to the path and vision we will see more and more manufacturing/industry and raise the standard of living and grow the population and the cultural amenities, he said.

This is a wonderful town with a will to grow, he said. People are coming here from all over the United States.

Robinson said Florence County has created the environment to build on. Florence is the center point of the Pee Dee and as Florence continues to grow surrounding counties will continue to grow, too.

Robinson said his skill sets are working with rural communities and loving the state of South Carolina.

He also has a background is in economic development. Prior to this job, Robinson was the executive director of Orangeburg County Development Commission. He has nearly 30 years of experience in all areas of economic development including: international project management, infrastructure development, marketing, research and operations.