Location

Georgetown County is located in northeastern South Carolina on the Atlantic Ocean, between Myrtle Beach and Charleston and surrounded by Berkley, Charleston, Marion, Horry and Williamsburg Counties. It offers a superior location for business. This is due to the county and states' exceptional economic climate that successfully holds down operating costs and increases the return on investment for business.

Incentives

Taxes
SouthCarolina ranks 6th nationally in the lowest per capita tax burden andthird lowest in workers compensation insurance rates. The state'scorporate income tax rate is the lowest in the Southeast at a modest 5percent.

South Carolina and Georgetown County have NO taxes onintangibles, inventory, value added or wholesale goods. South CarolinaDOES NOT impose a unitary tax on worldwide products. There is no stateproperty tax and no local property or sales tax on pollution-controlequipment, and no sales tax on manufacturing production equipment,repairs, parts, industrial fuels or materials that become part of amanufactured product.

Tax Credits
Job tax credit of $4,500 per jobper year for 5 years on any new job created. It takes a minimum of 10new created jobs to qualify. Job Development Credits (JDC) areavailable to companies that invest in Georgetown County. Qualifyingcompanies may use part of gross employee wages for the purchase andimprovement of real property, infrastructure, pollution-controlequipment and employee training through the JDC. This does notfinancially impact employees. Fee in Lieu of Tax is available inGeorgetown County to all companies that make an investment in plantand/or equipment in excess of $5,000,000. Other tax incentives areavailable depending on the circumstances and nature of the project.

Center for Accelerated Training
SouthCarolina's Center for Accelerated Training provides one of the state'smost powerful economic development incentives. It provides companiesmoving to, or expanding in South Carolina with well trained and highlymotivated employees. This is accomplished through recruiting, screeningand training employees at no cost to the company.

Population and Growth Projections

Population/Growth

The population of Georgetown County reached 55,797 in 2000 according tothe U.S. Department of the Census. The population of the Countyincreased by 9.5% between 1980 and 1990, and 20.5% between 1990 and2000. Current projections by the Waccamaw Regional Planning Councilanticipate that the County of Georgetown will increase its populationan additional 11% by the year 2010. From 2000 to 2025 it is expected toincrease an additional 25%.

Labor Force

Major Employers

Industrial Citizens

Some of the companies located in Georgetown county:
Agru/America, Inc., Coastal Wire Co. Inc., ISG., International Paper Co.- Pulp and Paper, Florian Greenhouses, Screen Tight, Southeastern Wire Fabricators, Inc., Pawleys Island Hammocks, Southeastern Fly Ash Company, Andrews Metal Works, Spiral Fittings, Amatec, Con-Serv, Low Country Forest Products, 3V Chemical, Inc.

Port Information

With open seas only 14 miles away, the Georgetown harbor has been at the center of international commerce for nearly two centuries. In the 1770s, it thrived on shipping indigo to European ports. By 1840, Georgetown was exporting more rice than any other seaport in the world. Today, the International Port of Georgetown handles more than 1.8 million tons of bulk cargo from Latin America, Europe and Asia every year. Charleston, just 60 miles south, is the second largest container port on the east coast and is easily accessible down U.S. 17. Forty steamship companies carry materials to 140 different countries around the world.

Motor-Freight Carriers

Number of carriers: 35
Delivery days to: Atlanta 1 - Chicago 3 - New York 3 - Dallas 3 - St. Louis 3 - Denver 4 - Los Angeles 5

Rail and Airport Information

Rail Service
Georgetown County is served by CSX Railroad, which offers direct rail access to the rest of the United States' extensive rail service.

Airports
Thirty minutes north of downtown Georgetown on U.S. Highway 17, the Myrtle Beach International Airport offers daily non-stop flights to New York, Chicago, Detroit and dozens of other cities.

Sixty miles to the south of Georgetown is the Charleston International Airport offering a full schedule of daily commercial flights, along with U.S. Customs services and protected Foreign Trade Zone areas.

Three miles south of Georgetown is the location of the GeorgetownCounty airport. This airport boasts a 5,000 foot runway. Aviation fuelsare available from the fixed base operator. The Andrews Airport in thewestern sector of the county gives private aircraft a non-congestedavenue for takeoffs and landings.

Small Business Development

Ready to See Your Business Grow? Check Out FastTrac® GrowthVenture™. Clemson University provides program to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses.

Georgetown Sustainable business growth doesn't happen by chance. Successful entrepreneurs plan for growth, and the FastTrac® GrowthVenture™ program provides the direction to do that. Clemson University's Institute for Economic and Community Development and the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce is offering FastTrac® GrowthVenture™ beginning September 9, 2008. This program offers established entrepreneurs the tools and resources to create and implement a plan for growth.

FastTrac® programs are designed to help entrepreneurs hone the skills needed to create, manage and/or grow successful businesses. FastTrac® is supported by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, the largest foundation fostering entrepreneurship in the nation. Experienced entrepreneurs present the programs and guest speakers supplement their knowledge.

"In addition to the top-notch knowledge provided by the FastTrac® GrowthVenture™ program, participants work shoulder-to-shoulder with other entrepreneurs, creating a valuable peer network," said Will Culler, Community Development Agent with Clemson University. "This interaction with peers and experienced entrepreneurs provides FastTrac® GrowthVenture™ participants a level of knowledge and support they could never get from a book or software."

The Clemson Institute for Community and Economic Development will offer the FastTrac® GrowthVenture™ program September 9, 6:00pm, at the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce. Interested entrepreneurs may sign up for the program by visiting FastTracSC.ORG or calling 803-206-9795.

The Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Development assists communities toward a livable, prosperous and sustainable future.

Interested in starting a business? Not sure how to get started or all the forms and taxes involved? This website is your South Carolina Business One Stop location:

Live in the Georgetown or Horry County area? Want to start a business or get help growing your already existing business: CCU Small Business Development Center or Small Business Resource

Have an idea for a technology based invention or intellectual property? Receive a possible grant or financial assistance with SCLaunch .

Want Free Small Business Confidential Counseling for your business? Want to attend specialized Small Business Workshops? Click on SCORE and find the nearest location to you.

Are you a female and have a business idea? Want to know how to get started and receive guidance? South Carolina Women's Business Center can help.