Darlington County is the home of globally recognized companies and is always ready to showcase a business-friendly environment, low cost of doing business, and a world class workforce that those companies have enjoyed for years.
Located near the crossroads of Interstate 95 and Interstate 20, Darlington County is the center of its own impressive business universe. Sonoco, a world leader in packaging materials, has its international corporate headquarters here and is the only Fortune 1000 company to have its global headquarters in South Carolina. Other world-renowned operations that call Darlington County home include Nucor Steel, Duke Energy’s HB Robinson nuclear plant, Georgia-Pacific, PolyQuest, Barrier Reef Pools, North Industrial Machine and many others.
South Carolina is a right-to-work state, making Darlington County a union-free place to get work done. The county also has a host of incentives for new and expanding industries, including job development credits up to $20,250 per employee per year. In addition to a progressive business climate and an impressive blend of industries, Darlington County offers a variety of logistical infrastructure including access to two interstates and to 27 miles of short-line rail. Additionally, Inland Port Dillon is only 30 minutes away and has direct CSX Class-1 rail access to the deep-water Port of Charleston.
Education in Darlington County
Darlington County has in place a solid academic infrastructure for producing a skilled workforce, as well as ample educational opportunities for children of employees relocating to the area.
Coker University, Florence-Darlington Technical College and the South Carolina Governor’s School of Math and Science, one of only 12 residential high schools in the nation dedicated to the advanced study in STEM fields, offer the workforce continued opportunities to grow. Darlington County School District posted a 91.5% graduation rate in 2019 and is working on a coordinated effort between local industry and higher education with a renewed emphasis on internships and apprenticeships.
The Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SiMT) provides students with strategic training and manufacturing technology solutions that maximize workforce productivity in advanced manufacturing environments. The learning-centered environment gives potential employees the skills to be proactive in problem solving and enables them to help businesses make rapid improvements in quality, productivity and profitability.
For more information on Darlington County, South Carolina, contact Frank Willis, Executive Director at 843-413-3210 or visit www.dcedp.com.
