The Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce has announced that this year’s Intercity Visit will be May 19-21 in Greenville, South Carolina. The trip gives business and community leaders a chance to see what other cities are doing by examining community practices and lessons learned.
The trip to Greenville is both timely and relevant because community leaders are hopeful that what happened for Greenville over the past 15 years is on the horizon for Clarksville-Montgomery County. The announcement of a new BMW plant in 1992 and subsequent expansions have transformed Spartanburg County, South Carolina. The plant is at the center of growth in the “Upstate South Carolina” region. The initial investment of $2.2 billion has created over 23,000 jobs in the state. According to a study by the University of South Carolina, the plant generates more than $1.2 billion dollars in salaries each year. It’s estimated that for every job at the facility, another 4.3 jobs have been created. In addition, thousands more jobs have been formed because of the automotive parts suppliers and research facilities that have invested in the area.
“The similarities between Greenville and Clarksville, with the attraction of Hemlock Semiconductor, make this year’s trip a great community development opportunity,” says James Chavez, President & CEO of the Economic Development Council. “We’ll get to see how their city has planned for growth, recruited new business and changed their economic landscape. The information we gather will help us as we create a vision for Clarksville and our direction for the future.”
Aside from the BMW plant and a thriving economy, Greenville boasts a revitalized downtown, world-class healthcare, award-winning schools and universities, a flourishing arts scene and breathtaking options for nature and sports enthusiasts.
Participants will have the opportunity to hear from Greenville’s mayor and talk with city officials about their downtown revitalization, public/private partnerships, growth demands, and parks/greenways development. The cost of the trip is $1,000 per person and includes transportation, lodging and meals. To register or for more information, contact Melinda Shepard at (931) 245-4341 or melinda@clarksville.tn.us.
