By SCBIZ Staff

GREENVILLE -- The Greenville Area Development Corp. announced a banner 2006-2007 for job growth, tax revenue generation and private sector support at its annual Investor Appreciation luncheon Wednesday.

GADC President and CEO Jerry Howard reported that new jobs announced from the GADC assisting companies to locate new facilities or expand existing facilities in Greenville County reached a record level of 1,926 in 2006—the best year on record since GADC’s founding, and an increase of 71% over 2005 levels. New investment announced during 2006 totaled $298.58 million, and included some 20 announcements year-to-date.

Greenville County tax revenues generated by GADC-assisted companies obtaining fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements soared 65% to a record level of $4,365,682, a nearly 8-to-1 return on investment for tax dollars invested in the organization, which was created by Greenville County Council in 2001.

Additionally, Howard noted private sector support of the organization is at an all-time high, with 102 companies and organizations now contributing to the GADC’s success.

“Without you and all of our investor companies, our ability to produce such great returns for the people of Greenville County, in quality jobs, increasing tax revenues and a robust and vital economy, would be severely restricted,” Howard said. “Every penny our investors provide goes into marketing Greenville County to the world, and every penny you invest is working hard and producing documented results.”

Howard and board Chairman Jay Rogers also took time to honor three county and state officials who have played significant roles in major economic development successes of the past 12 months.

Receiving special citations from the GADC for their assistance in landing Cytec Industries’ announced $150 million multi-year expansion were John Hansley, Greenville County deputy administrator, and Mark Tollison, Greenville County attorney. 

Alan D. “Daniel” Young, managing director of grants and incentives at the S.C. Department of Commerce, was presented with the third annual W.D. Workman III Buffalo Hunter Award for his leadership role in locating the South Financial Group headquarters expansion in Greenville, a $100 million project that is expected to create more than 600 jobs at its 68-acre campus tract along Interstate 85. 

The award is named for former Greenville mayor and South Carolina economic development advocate Bill Workman, and has been presented annually since 2004 to an individual who is a champion of economic development and a standard bearer for public/private collaboration in marketing the Greenville community.

“These three individuals have gone far above and beyond the call of duty in helping ensure that these key expansions—and the hundreds of good jobs and millions of dollars in economic contribution and taxes that go with them—are situated right here in Greenville County,” Howard said.