Mauldin Achieves Critical Industrial Site Certification

A Mauldin industrial site has cleared a critical hurdle that will greatly boost its ability to recruit new industries and jobs to the area, the city announced.

The South Carolina Department of Commerce has completed review of a 40-acre parcel located at 1400 Old Stage Road in Mauldin, and awarded it the designation of South Carolina Certified Site.  

The certified site is one of only two in Greenville County, officials said. 

A certified site is guaranteed to meet or exceed established criteria in demand by industries seeking a site for immediate development, and is a key requirement by many organizations looking for a new location, said Mauldin City Administrator Trey Eubanks.

The Old Stage Road site was previously evaluated by Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood, Inc., a regional engineering firm, as part of Duke Energy’s Site Readiness Program, which identified “significant potential for industrial investment” in part due to its coveted rail access and readily available utility infrastructure, according to Eubanks.

Final certification was conveyed by McCallum Sweeney Consulting as part of the South Carolina Department of Commerce’s site certification program.

“Mauldin is committed to growing and attracting quality businesses, and we understand the attractiveness that having this certified site — providing speed to occupancy and reduced risk – provides a potential tenant,” said Mauldin Mayor Dennis Raines.  

“Companies considering Greenville County as a possible site for operations gain credibility, speed in decision making and reduced risk from a certified site, and this certification is a valuable step towards increasing our base of quality corporate citizens here in the city of Mauldin,” the mayor added.

To be certified, a site must pass a rigorous evaluation where more than 100 types of site information are reviewed, Eubanks said. The site must be free of ownership or use issues, free of environmental issues, and meet or exceed all infrastructure requirements of typical industrial projects. 

Currently, there are fewer than 60 certified sites in South Carolina that are certified as having completely met all criteria, according to Eubanks. 

Certification provides prospective users with comprehensive site data and ensures that a significant amount of information is available about the location, while shortening evaluation time that an organization would perform in considering the site, enhancing appeal to prospects, officials said.

With 28 developable acres, the Old Stage Road site features easy road and rail access, excellent utility infrastructure, and is free of issues that could adversely impact development, officials said.

Certification also assists the community in determining the marketability and optimal industrial development targeting for the site. 

“Site certification conveys to the market that this Mauldin location meets key site readiness criteria for potential businesses,” said H.G. “Butch” Kirven, director of the Greenville Area Development Corporation and chairman of Greenville County Council.  

“Site certification gives Greenville County an advantage in competing for new businesses and the investment and jobs they bring," Kirven added. 
Eubanks noted that the certification effort had been a collaborative effort involving city, county and state leaders. 

“From the beginning, we all worked together to get this site certified with the end goal of helping make this site highly marketable, and to create more quality jobs and an even brighter future for the citizens of Mauldin and Greenville County,” Eubanks said.