Bringing in the green: The Upstate is a big draw for businesses both small and large

Monday, 23 June 2008

Page 3 of 3 Places Reno Deaton, executive director of the Greer Development Corp., asserts that the availability of great buildings is as important as work force and quality of life. “We have a real tangible advantage with so many locations in close proximity to BMW,” he explains. A Grubb & Ellis Research study for the first quarter of 2008 found that engineering is driving growth in the region’s industrial real estate market. Banking is also helping the market, the report added. “Nationally, the financial services industry is facing severe challenges, but local banks Carolina First and Palmetto Bank are busy constructing new headquarter facilities... several other smaller local banks are expanding or establishing their market presence,” the document said. Things But beyond work force, office space and ease of local government processes, the quality of life is that tangible and intangible piece that Whitworth was chewing on at the Food for Thought conference. Health care is one of the components that can make or break quality of life. “I would stack (Greenville’s health care) up against any health care anywhere in the nation,” Mary Hassett, senior vice president for Strategic Initiatives for the Bon Secour St. Francis Health System in Greenville says. Hassett cites readily available advanced technology such as digital mammography, robotics and minimally invasive surgery. Later this year, St. Francis will introduce a third campus, this one being planned at the Millennium/CU-ICAR development.  St. Francis CEO Valinda Rutledge anticipates that traditional health services and innovative wellness concepts will complement each other in a unique mix on the Millennium campus.   Additionally, Hassett points out, the health systems in the Upstate collaborate with one another to provide an ever-greater level of care for the community. The arts are another important component of a dynamic quality of life. The Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg and the Anderson County Arts Center provide local and international artists a place to exhibit and perform. And while the arts feed the soul and inspire the mind, they have an economic impact, too. The Metropolitan Arts Council distributed more than $125,000 to area arts groups and artists touching almost 400,000 residents in and around Greenville County. During 2005-2006, the arts and cultural industry in Greenville County accounted for more than $19 million in direct economic impact with an ancillary impact of $92 million, according to data compiled by MAC. MAC’s Alan Ethridge states, “The main mission of the Metropolitan Arts Council’s five-year strategic plan is for Greenville to be recognized as one of the top 25 small-city arts destinations in the country.” Nancy Whitworth looks over at the Reedy River’s opposite bank where a clutch of artists’ studios are part of a new mixed-development project. The doors are flung open, inviting browsers and buyers. She says simply, “This is a good place to be.” << Start < Prev 1 2 3 Next > End >>