The city of Greenville’s economic development corporation has outlined its goals for the next three years.
Formed in 2023, the Greenville City Economic Development Corp. facilitates and drives economic growth within the city. The nonprofit corporation specifically focuses on business recruitment, real estate development and small business growth, among other initiatives.
Sam Konduros, president and CEO of GCEDC, presented the corporation’s future goals during the Greenville City Council’s annual retreat on Feb. 13. These goals were determined during the development process of the corporation’s new business plan.
Business recruitment, expansion
GCEDC works to recruit new businesses in targeted industries to the city of Greenville. Konduros said the corporation’s recruitment efforts are expected to generate $100 million in new investment and create over 1,000 new jobs over the next five years.
In the next three years, GCEDC specifically aims to recruit:
- Three new headquarters or office operations, adding approximately 500 new jobs
- Eight new life science businesses, adding approximately 100 new jobs
- Five new technology and digital solutions firms, adding approximately 75 new jobs
- Five new advanced manufacturing firms, adding approximately 150 new jobs
- 10 new international companies, creating approximately 200 new jobs
The corporation also intends to secure at least five major national retail brands, and eight regional or local retail brands, to set up shop in downtown Greenville.
In addition to recruitment, Konduros said the corporation plans to support the expansion of 10 or more existing businesses in Greenville over the next three years. GCEDC also aims to help grow and retain at least 25 minority- and women-owned businesses by 2028.
Real estate development
GCEDC also assists real estate developers with getting transformational projects off the ground within the city. The corporation specializes in coordinating public and private partnerships, identifying prime real estate and advancing projects that strengthen the city of Greenville.
“We have a lot of developers saying, ‘We think there is a need in Greenville and we want to seize it and we’re looking for a partnership with the city to do next generation, transcending projects,’” Konduros said.
Konduros and his team believe there will be at least four major mixed-use development projects completed in the city by 2028. In addition, GCEDC aims to help advance development agreements for at least three additional real estate projects in the next three years.
GCEDC will also support the future renovation of Greenville City Hall. In coordination with the city, the corporation plans to complete a feasibility assessment to evaluate the opportunity to convert the top four floors of the building into Class A office space for select partners.
Read more about the planned Greenville City Hall renovation
Konduros said the corporation will also support the creation of a conference center in downtown Greenville. The city released a request for information in February 2025 to seek new ideas for a downtown conference center with an adjacent or connected high-end hotel. Three proposals were submitted by developers before the April 18 deadline. The city has provided no further updates on the project.
Innovation and partnerships
Konduros and his team also support Greenville’s emerging innovation ecosystem. By 2028, GCEDC hopes to secure the city’s status as a regional innovation hub by:
- Supporting 20 new innovation-based firms
- Attracting $40 million in venture capital in partnership with NexGen
- Developing three new research and development partnerships with universities and industries
GCEDC also plans to continue strengthening its partnerships with the other economic development corporations located in Upstate South Carolina. These organizations include VisitGreenvilleSC, the Greenville Chamber, the Upstate SC Alliance and Greenville Area Development Corp.
“We are passionate. We’re committed, and I think this tree you’ve planted is going to bear a lot of fruit over the next five years,” Konduros said.
Greenville economic development opportunities
The Greenville City Economic Development Corp.’s pipeline includes 130 active economic development opportunities, including:
- 56 leads
- 16 prospects
- 25 projects
- 14 special projects
- 19 real estate marketing initiatives
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Revenue generation
The Greenville City Economic Development Corp. aims to secure private revenue through its Founders Circle Membership Platform. The corporation hopes to generate at least $250,000 in annual private revenue by 2028.
To start, the corporation’s initial goal is to raise $150,000 by the end of 2026. Sam Konduros, president and CEO of GCEDC, said they did a soft launch and raised $150,000 in verbal commitments last month.
“The community seems to believe in this kind of activity and what it takes to help elevate the city and take it to the next level,” Konduros said.
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Fast facts
Greenville City Council approved the creation of the Greenville City Economic Development Corp. in the summer of 2023. Sam Konduros was hired as the corporation’s president and CEO in 2024.
