Gov. Haley says she believes bringing jobs to rural counties is the best way to improve education and healthcare. She made that comment while in Clarendon County yesterday to announce tat an Indian pharmaceutical plant was going to move there into the old Federal Mogul plant in Summerton across from Scott’s Branch High School.
When Federal Mogul closed a couple years ago, it took several hundred jobs from the struggling community. The new company plans to bring almost 300.

Here’s the press release from the Governor’s office:
——-
Spirit Pharmaceuticals establishing new facility in Clarendon County
More than $12.2 million investment expected to create 296 new jobs

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Spirit Pharmaceuticals, a maker of generic pharmaceuticals, today announced that it will locate its new facility in Clarendon County. The more than $12.2 million investment is expected to generate 296 new jobs.

“It’s an exciting time for our company. We are pleased to move forward with plans for our new facility in Clarendon County. South Carolina offers us an excellent business climate, a talented workforce and the infrastructure we need to be successful. We appreciate all the support we’ve received from state and local officials,” said Ajoy Joshi, CEO of Spirit Pharmaceuticals.

Spirit Pharmaceuticals will establish a new packaging and manufacturing facility in Summerton. The company produces a range of generic pharmaceuticals for retailers such as Walgreens, Dollar Tree and CVS.

“Spirit Pharmaceuticals’ decision to locate its new operation here in South Carolina is another big win for our state, and one of our rural areas in particular. We celebrate the company’s decision to invest $12.2 million and create 296 new jobs in Summerton. Announcements like this one show that South Carolina is increasingly becoming the ‘it’ state for business,” said Gov. Nikki Haley.

Since 2011, South Carolina has recruited more than 2,000 jobs and more than $400 million in capital investment in the life sciences industry, which includes secondary sectors such as medical and health IT.

“The life sciences industry continues to grow in South Carolina, and today’s announcement by Spirit Pharmaceuticals is another sign of that. Additionally, this investment creates jobs that will have an impact throughout Clarendon County and help keep Summerton and the surrounding communities sustainable,” said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt.

The company will occupy the former Federal Mogul building located at 9104 Alex Harvin Hwy. The new plant is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2014.

“We welcome Spirit Pharmaceuticals into Clarendon County. This business is significant in several ways.  First, it will occupy a landmark building. Most importantly, however, is that Spirit will bring a historical number of jobs and the quality of those jobs is unprecedented. The location of this business has been a team effort and the County Council would like to thank the Clarendon County Development Board and the state of South Carolina for their hard work and diligence,” said Clarendon County Council Chairman Dwight Stewart.

“Today is a historical day for Clarendon County,” said Blake Gibbons, Chairman of the Clarendon County Development Board.  Spirit Pharmaceuticals is a tremendous company and their impact here will be felt for many years to come.”

“Today’s announcement by Spirit Pharmaceuticals marks a new day in Clarendon County and the Central SC Region pharmaceutical industry recruiting efforts. We welcome these new jobs that are going into an existing manufacturing facility in Summerton. Global companies that are looking to make an initial investment in the U.S. are fast to understand our value proposition. Spirit joins WNS as the second company from India to locate in Central SC in the last year,” said Central SC Alliance Chairman Jim Apple.

Anyone interested in job opportunities with the company should contact Kunjal Joshi with Spirit Pharmaceuticals at 215-943-4000 or kunjal@spiritpharma.com.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits.

For more information about Spirit Pharmaceuticals, please visit www.spiritpharma.com.
-###-

Check this link out about the lack of equity in our public schools:

http://missionallendale.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/equality-is-not-equity/

SC Supreme Ct. Justice Kaye Hearn told a Riley Institute conference this weekend that the court’s decision on the 20-year-old case may come soon. The case, she said, “May be finally nearing an end.”

Met yesterday with the folks at the South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium, an MUSC based group that tries to promote improved healthcare in rural areas. They offer a limited number of $70,000 grants over three years to physicians who want to practice in rural or underserved areas.
Somehow $70,000 spread over three years does not seem like much in the world of physician income and expenses.
Also, despite the fact that rural South Carolinians face major healthcare problems, our state government has cut funding for this MUSC group by half since 2008. So much for the state’s focus on rural healthcare.

Here’s one of the ideas I’ve received for trying to help end some of SC’s disparities:

Recent Clemson study says 2006 property tax relief has hurt 16 poor school districts in SC. and left 24 others with less money per pupil.
The study is called “Act 388 Revisited” and the authors urge SC legislators to consider taking a comprehensive review of how the state funds schools.
The report also warns that the state’s lacking funds fro schools threatens to hurt the state’s ability to attract business and industry.”
“If South Carolina wishes to be competitive in attracting and retaining industry and to offer opportunities for all of its citizens, it is important that the state’s share of education funding be not only adequate but also distributed in an equitable manner among rich and poor districts, so that the quality of a child’s education is less dependent on the wealth of the school district in which he or she resides.”

Check out Brian Hicks column in The Post and Courier today, postandcourier.com, He places blame for the continued disparities in SC on a state government and legislature who do little about substantive issues facing teh state.

Interesting, the Governor’s office requested a bundle of Sunday’s Post and Courier newspapers containing the first day of my series “Forgotten South Carolina.” I’d like to know what she thinks of it and the deep disparities outlined in the series, including what it is about South Carolina today that perpetuates the disparities in education, health and economic opportunity.

We face similar issues in Appalachian Ohio. Regarding education, one thing that has helped our district is having an excellent, experienced grant writer who aggresively finds resources. Yes, this money has strings attached but it places funds in the district nonetheless. Recently a technology grant provided smart boards for the schools…an immediate and tangible difference. Our local community foundation has also made a small but postitive impact within the schools. Unfortunately, you can have beautiful new facilities (which we do) and programs in place but ultimately the change needs to occur at home. Parents talking with their children, reading to them and telling them that they are good enough. Last year I met a kindergartener who had already decided that he wouldn’t be going to college…heartbreaking.

Here’s a very interesting Kaiser Foundation study indicating that if SC and other states accept the extension of Medicaid to the uninsured, they will save money or spend relatively little:

http://www.kff.org/medicaid/upload/8384.pdf