The Oconee Economic Alliance has been recognized as a “Top Five” economic development organization for Metal Fabrication by Expansion Solutions Magazine in their 2015 Awards of Excellence. The “Top Five” Awards of Excellence designation recognizes economic development organizations that have shown exceptional progress in recruiting...
Read MoreOriginally appeared in the December 12 issue of The Seneca Journal. Oconee economic development boss Richard Blackwell has said, “If you build it, they will come,” so often since coming to the county in 2012 that the makers of the movie “Field of Dreams” might have...
Read MoreBy Glenn Buddin Pick an economic development measurable and its likely Oconee County excelled at it in 2015. Oconee is blessed to be experiencing record levels of its citizens working, per capita income numbers rising, and the county employment rate has dropped from 6.2 percent to 5.3...
Read MoreBy Richard K. Blackwell The holiday season may seem like a slow time from an economic development standpoint, but the reality is this is the time of year that can really make a difference in Oconee County’s growth. The reason may surprise many because the answer is...
Read MoreBy Richard K. Blackwell October is National Manufacturing Month. It’s important to take time to celebrate our industries this month, because many people don’t think about how any given product on a store shelf is actually many smaller products put together to create the larger end...
Read More“Made In Oconee” is a coordinated marketing initiative established by the Oconee Economic Alliance to enrich the relationship between local manufacturers and the school district of Oconee County. This multi-tiered campaign highlights the products made in Oconee County and the people who make them. The first...
Read MoreBy Richard K. Blackwell Recently, many area residents may have heard that Oconee has created a “tourism/destination marketing strategy” with the purpose to not only showcase the natural assets of our county, but to build upon them. Numerous one-on-one interviews, committee meetings and public presentations were conducted...
Read MoreOn Thursday, August 6, the Oconee Economic Alliance (OEA) hosted their annual Birdies & BBQ Industry Appreciation Golf Tournament at Cross Creek Plantation in Seneca. Cross Creek Plantation is a superb championship 18-hole golf course designed by nationally-known golf course designer P.B. Dye. “Cross Creek has...
Read MoreBy Richard K. Blackwell Benjamin Franklin once said that an investment in knowledge pays the best kind of interest. That thinking is why representatives from the Oconee Economic Alliance, School District of Oconee County, the Hamilton Career Center and Apprenticeship Carolina have joined forces to create a...
Read MoreCOLUMBIA, S.C. – US Building Innovations, Inc. (USBI), a company that specializes in the production of advanced coatings, is expanding its Upstate South Carolina operations with a new facility in Oconee County. The $1 million investment is expected to generate 31 new jobs in Seneca,...
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