The McCormick County Administration and Economic & Community Development staff are business friendly and will go the extra mile to assist those looking to invest in the County. The links shown below take you to both the McCormick Chamber of Commerce Newcomer’s Guide and two webpages for the SC Department of Commerce.
McCormick County has broadband internet access across 90%+ of the county. Thanks go to WCTEL and their confidence in investing in Broadband infrastructure in the county. Broadband infrastructure is currently available to all but 200 addresses in the county. During the 2020 remote learning period, McCormick County K12 students did not suffer from lack of access to the internet. Of those 200 addresses not served only 10 addresses had students living there. These students were easily served with hotspots.
View Newcomer's Guide
While incentives may not be the most important component of a company’s interest in locating in a community, they remain a large piece of the puzzle. McCormick County’s primary incentive is a negotiated Fee in Lieu of Ad Velorem Property Taxes and Special Source Revenue Credits.
The State of South Carolina and other partners offers different incentives. Some are discretionary, some are statutory. Please refer to our partner’s websites and other links for more in depth information.
McCormick County’s industrial past is as diverse as gold mining to logging and lumber. Logging continues to be a significant industry. According to the SC Forestry Commission, forestry contributes $21.2 billion annually to the state’s economy, accounts for 98,000 jobs, and contributes $4.9billion in labor income. A SC Forestry Commission report published in 2011 shows McCormick County was the number one county in the state for percentage of forested land at 91.31%.
With 360 square miles of land and 34 square miles of water outdoor recreation is a significant portion of the county’s economy. Lake Strom Thurmond is one of the most visited US Army Corp of Engineers impoundments in the nation. Public lands account for more than 100,000 acres in McCormick County. Source, McCormick County Comprehensive Plan, 2015.
McCormick County’s industrial park is within a 40 mile drive of the majority of the Augusta, Ga. Labor Shed. The May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates show the Augusta-Richmond County Ga, SC MSA has total employment of over 222,000.