Greenville has proved resilient once again.
The county saw another strong year for economic development, thanks to a record $631 million in new capital investment and an additional 1,422 new jobs, even as COVID-19-related shutdowns have skimmed the profits off businesses large and small alike.
The positive economic figures were announced on Feb. 1 by the Greenville Area Development Corporation (GADC), the nonprofit organization that has been promoting and enhancing growth and development in the county for the last two decades.
What began as a bullish year on the heels of 2019, one of Greenville’s best years ever for economic development, quickly hit a wall as pandemic-related shutdowns spread nationwide.
“When COVID hit in March, all bets were off,” said Mark Farris, president and CEO of the GADC. “We were concerned about a major slowdown, but it’s frankly been a rewarding and remarkable year for Greenville County by virtually any metric.”
The hundreds of millions of dollars in capital investment came primarily from 25 organizations that announced expansions or relocations in the county. The organizations are both domestic and foreign; 17 are in core manufacturing and distribution industries, while eight are in information technology, office, headquarters or other segments, according to GADC.
