Lancaster County will be joining the South Carolina I-77 Alliance, the public-private partnership that promotes business and industrial opportunities in the corridor from Charlotte to Columbia.
“We were delighted to learn that we had been invited to join the S.C. I-77 Alliance. Accepting that invitation was an easy decision. It’s a win for us and for the other counties,” said Steve Harper, Lancaster County Council Chairman.
Effective July 1, Lancaster will join York, Chester, Fairfield and Richland counties as the fifth county in the S.C. I-77 Alliance.
“Adding Lancaster County to the Alliance is a great enhancement to our ability to promote and serve our region. We’re happy they’ve chosen to join us,” said Chester County Council Chairman Joe Branham, currently Chairman of the S.C. I-77 Alliance Board of Directors.
The I-77 Alliance helps identify and network with prospects and markets for corridor counties, as well as provides value-added products and services to local developers, such as strategic planning, workforce assessment, research services and data platforms.
“We’re already closely connected to our neighboring counties in every way, and formally joining the Alliance will help us take advantage of its ability to attract new employers and give those already here reasons to expand,” said Steve Willis, Lancaster County Administrator.
“Adding a new county is an important next step for the organization and more importantly, our members,” said Rich Fletcher, the Alliance President and CEO. “Lancaster County brings its own unique mix of businesses, communities, history, sites and potential, and we look forward to working even more closely together now with expanded regional synergy.”
Lancaster County’s decision is another example of the deep level of cooperation amongst local, county and state government and private and public developers that has helped South Carolina attract billions in investment and tens of thousands of new jobs in recent years.
“The biggest factor in South Carolina’s recent economic development success is our team-first approach,” said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt. “By joining the S.C. I-77 Alliance, Lancaster County is demonstrating the collaborative spirit that continues to bring jobs and opportunities to citizens in all corners of this state.”
For more information about the I-77 Alliance, contact Rich Fletcher at (803) 789-5010 or rich.fletcher@i77alliance.com
