The Colleton County Chamber of Commerce held the State of Colleton November 21st. The Walterboro Wildlife Center was filled with officials from the chamber, officials representing the county and the city, and chamber members.
Opening remarks were delivered by Chamber of Commerce Board Chair, Victoria Rizer Still and the prayer was delivered by Dr. Ephriam Stephens before the food was served catered by Rizer’s Pork and Produce.
Executive Director of the Colleton County Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Krista Massey spoke on the status of the Chamber. Dr. Massey was pleased to report that the Chamber saw an 8% increase in growth. She further relayed that she was very hopeful for the direction the county was moving in and was looking forward to the Chamber of Commerce being a part of that growth.
The next speaker was Colleton County Council Chairman Scott Biering. He thanked former councilmembers for their efforts, because it has laid the groundwork for what Biering calls the most cohesive council he has ever seen. He expounded on the current members commenting that while they may have different ideas, they come together to discuss them and make every effort to find what is for the good of the county out of these discussions. Biering’s hope is that Colleton County is turning the page to a new positive chapter.
Colleton County Administrator Thomas Higgs was the next to take the podium. Higgs has been at his position for seven months and thanked everyone for the warm welcome he has received. He asked for everyone present to paint a picture in their mind of what the future of Colleton County would look like. He acknowledged most of these pictures would portray Colleton County as it looked in the past. Truthfully, Higgs expressed no one knows exactly what the future will hold for Colleton County. “Growth is coming whether you like it or not,” he commented, “but the question is what does that growth look like?” Higgs’ passion is smart economic development. He invited those present to take advantage of his “open door” policy. Come in “have a cup of coffee and talk about the future” of Colleton County.
Executive Director of the Colleton County Economic Alliance (CCEA), Brantley Strickland spoke on the state of Colleton County next. He congratulated the Chamber on selling out the State of Colleton event calling it a “monumental night.” Strickland listed all the beneficial things that are already in Colleton County and what he hopes will come. He mentioned the Canadys Station conversion into a natural gas plant that will bring energy to the area, jobs, and revenue. The Colleton Mega Site off Exit 57 of I-95 is a project Strickland explained the council has been working on the last ten years to make the county attractive to businesses. The new sewer line coming through parts of Walterboro that will bring sewer services to the Mega Site will not only benefit the site, but residents also, as an added benefit. There is also the Colleton Industrial Campus ready to welcome large scale industries to Colleton County. Strickland stated the “number one way to get nothing is to do nothing” which is why the CCEA will continue its efforts to benefit the county by continuing to develop existing sites and support companies that are already in Colleton County. To accomplish goal, Stickland commented the “number one rule of sales is to make yourself easy to buy from.” Colleton County must make itself business friendly and by working on existing projects and businesses and looking toward the future, it can happen. Mr. Strickland contended Colleton County has what is needed to succeed in this area, but it must seize the opportunity.
Dr. April Cone, Dean at USC Salkehatchie (Allendale and Walterboro Campus) had the opportunity to speak on USC Salk and its place in Colleton County. The goal for USC Salk is to offer affordable and quality education options to Colleton County. Dr. Cone’s hope is that residents will view the campus as having the University of South Carolina in their back yard. Faculty members are fully vetted and qualified to teach at the Walterboro campus. “If they cannot teach in Columbia, they cannot teach here,” Cone assured. This year USC Salkehatchie looks to re-establish the BSN Nursing program with USC Beaufort. Cone further expounded on the educational opportunities from continuing education to free classes for 60 and older. The athletic department is broadening its horizons in their program promoting their sports teams and introducing this semester a livestreaming service (UEN) for viewing. Dr. Cone concluded saying USC Salkehatchie is here for the community and if it is the right fit they want local students to come to the USC Salkehatchie campus.
Concluding the presentations for the evening was Colin O’Sullivan, CEO of HCA Healthcare Colleton Medical Center. O’Sullivan has been in the position for 3 months and his goal is to be the first choice for care in Colleton County and for citizens do not have to leave the county for care. HCA has been with Colleton Medical Center since the 1940’s but wanted to combine with their sister hospitals. HCA Colleton this year has treated more than 66,000 patients with approximately 30,000 in the ER. They have also provided nine million dollars in charity care. Also, HCA Colleton has invested four million in capital improvements all using Colleton County contractors. The facility also added a PET Scanner (sees how organs and tissues work in the body) last year. They have received honors such as:
Leap Frog—A grade
Blue Designation in knee and hip replacement and labor and delivery.
Stroke certification in ER and In-Patient rehabilitation.
Mr. O’Sullivan thanked everyone for the warm welcome he received from the community and looked forward to being a positive influence on the community.
