South Carolina Economic Developers' Association

10/29/2026

One takeaway we're still thinking about from SCEDA MidYear: Building public understanding of economic development starts with meeting people where they are.

During Economic Development and Your Community, Beth Land of Land Strategies and Danielle Besser of the Upstate SC Alliance shared how partnership helped lead to the creation of LandWise, a public-facing resource designed to make economic development easier to understand.

It was also a fitting example of this year's MidYear theme in action: Progress Through Partnerships.

10/28/2026

New project announcements may get the headlines, but economic development doesn't stop once a company opens its doors.

Helping existing businesses stay, grow and invest is a critical part of the work happening every day in communities across South Carolina.

10/27/2026

SCEDA MidYear attendees got a closer look at the launch of South Carolina’s Landing Pad Program and heard directly from local developers whose communities have benefited from it.

Moderated by Holly McCrary, the session featured Emily Eckert, Landing Pad Program Manager at the S.C. Department of Commerce , along with Kyle Sox of OneSpartanburg and Kelli Brunson of the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation, who shared their communities’ experiences with the program.

10/26/2026

ICYMI: John Truluck, SCCED, SCEDA board president, and Will Williams, SCCED, SCEDA board member, recently shared their perspectives on the relationship between data centers, energy infrastructure and the state’s continued economic competitiveness in an op-ed published by the Aiken Standard.

Read the full column:

You have no doubt heard that the rising cost of energy is being driven by data centers.

10/21/2026

💡 : Okonite, a cable and wire manufacturer, is expanding its Orangeburg County operations with a $400 million investment that will create 105 new jobs. The company will build a new, approximately 552,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Orangeburg to meet growing demand for its high-voltage electric cable products. This shows strong confidence in South Carolina's workforce and industrial climate.

10/19/2026

The Next Annual Emerging Leaders Closed Open: Kickball Battle Royale brought the energy! Thank you to everyone who came out to compete, cheer and connect with fellow young professionals in South Carolina's economic development community.

Thank you to title sponsor Terracon and sponsors Thomas & Hutton and McCrory Construction for supporting this year’s Closed Open.

10/06/2026

A career in economic development can leave an impact that lasts for generations.
SCEDA's Member Emeritus designation recognizes retired members whose leadership, service and commitment have made a meaningful contribution to the association and South Carolina's economic development community.

First announced at SCEDA MidYear 2026, this new initiative recognizes a lifetime of involvement, leadership and service to the profession and to the association.

Learn more about SCEDA's Members Emeritus: https://sceda.org/recognizing-a-lifetime-of-service-sceda-members-emeritus/

10/02/2026

Meet BJ Unthank, director of economic development for the City of West Columbia.

For BJ, economic development comes down to relationships, whether he’s working with businesses, brokers and builders or learning from fellow professionals across South Carolina.

He joined SCEDA in 2017 while still relatively new to the profession and describes the knowledge, connections and professional network he’s gained since then as “invaluable.”

09/25/2026

SCEDA MidYear is in full swing in Greenville!

Members kicked things off yesterday with outings across the Upstate before welcoming new members and gathering at the kickoff dinner for an evening of networking.

We’re back this morning for a full lineup of education sessions focused on the issues and partnerships shaping economic development across South Carolina.