Two multimillion-dollar developments and electric car charging research were among the agenda items at the monthly board meeting
The South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center (also referred to as the Donaldson Center) held its monthly board meeting this week, covering everything from credit ratings to ongoing research projects with major players in the wireless electric car charging space.
Administration
Credit rating firm Moody’s maintained the center’s existing Baa2 outlook, and the organization’s unrestricted reserves rose from $600,000 in 2007 to $2.3 million last year. The board noted an improvement in diversification in 2007, as the portion attributed to Lockheed Martin dropped from 90 percent to 67 percent over that same period.
Property management
Two major developments are underway: the $21 million joint venture for a 95,000-square-foot, three-story facility that will house the South Carolina Army National Guard Readiness Center and facilities for Greenville Technical College’s aircraft maintenance technology and truck driver training programs and a $20 million planned Greenville Field Maintenance Shop that will include 45,000 square feet on 12 acres.
Economic development
The center is working with two potential new tenants, including an aviation company that might occupy a building and another (Project Airborne) interested in establishing a presence in the area. There were also four items in the works for existing tenants, including a potential new construction project and expansions with fiberglass company Vetroresina, an unnamed Project Seven and 3M. Staff noted that Michelin – a landowner, not a tenant – plans to construct a new building on Perimeter Road. The $12 million project will be used for research and development, such as small-scale manufacturing.
International transportation innovation center
Located on the SCTAC campus, ITIC is a research-based testing facility that recently made headlines when it announced its wireless electric car charging capabilities. Recently appointed chief technology officer Joachim Taiber plans to launch a newsletter on related technologies called “Automotive Innovations” in the near future. The center also signed a memorandum of understanding with Norway-based ZapTec to mutually work on smart charging technology solutions for electric vehicles. Staff are also preparing for a transportation workshop to discuss a mobility study and innovative solutions for South Walton, Fla.
Negotiations are underway to pilot technology for a major OEM, which could lead to other OEM adoptions. The center has also received a request to collaborate with Clemson University on a Department of Energy grant for smart charging.
