Greenwood, South Carolina: Partnering for Effective Economic Development

Abstract

A small community with no interstates or major metro area to draw from, Greenwood has been able to attract such companies as Fuji Photo Film, B.F. Goodrich, Kaiser Aluminum, Eaton Corp., and Warner-Lambert. The Greenwood County Economic Alliance, Inc. attributes this success to public and private partnerships. These partnerships have allowed Greenwood to respond quickly to ever-changing economic development demands, ranging from recruiting large-scale operations to launching a biotechnology initiative. The community recently raised $4.7 million from local sources for a four-year economic development and workforce development initiative. Good leadership has translated into extensive public and private partnerships in Greenwood and these partnerships have translated into the can-do spirit that has enabled this small community to compete quite well on the economic development front.