Some
life-long residents of Edgefield County are losing faith in the community they
call "under productive."
"Personally,
if you want to know the truth, I think we're living in the last days, and I
think everything you're going to start seeing go down."
This is exactly
what Governor Nikki Haley is trying to prevent. Monday morning the governor
addressed dozens of South Carolina leaders at the 23rd annual Rural
Summit; re-igniting interest in advancing the state's rural counties.
"Now
we're starting to see this rebirth in rural areas to where they are going to be
the stars of South Carolina, and we are seeing companies that want to move
there," Governor Haley said.
In
order to attract large corporations to the Palmetto State, its rural communities
need to prove they're ready to work; boosting high school graduation rates, developing
worker skills and improving infrastructure; certification Barnwell County has
applied for through the state.
"These
certificates that these potential employees have will help me sell our county
on being work-ready," said Marty Martin, head of Barnwell County Economic Development.
Although
Aiken County isn't certified, they recently announced a recycling company will bring
200 jobs to Graniteville; less than two years after Bridgestone's manufacturing
facility created nearly 1,000 jobs in the area. It's these opportunities
Edgefield County residents want to see.
"I've
been unemployed for a long time," said Hardy Hicks, he lives on the border of Edgefield and Aiken Counties.
"We
hardly have no jobs." said Jo Poole. She's lived in Edgefield County her whole life. "It needs more businesses, we need more grocery stores."
Edgefield
County has not yet applied for "work-ready" certification, but with a passion
to enhance this community along with other rural areas, these county leaders are
working to make South Carolina thrive.
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