Even in times of economic uncertainty, the City of Hartsville can boast of major institutions which keep our community strong. From Sonoco Products Company to Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center, Coker College and many others, Hartsville has invaluable assets found across quite a few economic sectors.
As with any successful city government, we dedicate ourselves to serving our businesses as well as our residents, striving for growth among existing and new enterprises. For these reasons, City Council approved a resolution last week declaring February 2013 as Cities Mean Business Month. This comes as part of a larger effort of the Municipal Association of South Carolina to raise awareness for the many ways in which cities support their own economies and the larger state economy.
For us, doing all we can for our businesses takes on many meanings. It means providing excellent services in law enforcement, fire protection, water, sewer and waste removal. It means zoning, code enforcement and beautification efforts to keep our commercial districts accommodating and attractive for businesses.
Many of the City’s most visible current projects come largely from our commitment to economic development. City Council recently completed the deal to provide land and incentives for a downtown Hampton Inn that will bring jobs and more visitor accommodations to Hartsville.
The City has also just provided downtown office space to the Duke Center for Innovation in Hartsville. This technology business incubator, driven by the Hartsville Community Development Foundation in collaboration with Clemson University’s Institute for Economic and Community Development, aims to provide the needed resources for tech businesses to grow up and thrive right here in Hartsville.
At City Hall, we also maintain a close working relationship with the Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce. This helps us to always be as attuned as possible to the needs and concerns of our resident and prospective businesses. Since the Chamber and Darlington County Tourism are also frequent partners for the production of special events, like the upcoming Thursdays on College concert series, or Hartsville Restaurant Month in April, these partnerships are an important part of the never-ending task of making Hartsville an enjoyable place for its residents and its businesses.
We always have so much going on in the city government, and it is always done with an eye for supporting Hartsville’s economic vibrancy. Everything done to make us business-friendly and competitive helps secure the future of our workforce, and of those who have made this place their home.
