State celebrates industry for 26th year
COLUMBIA, S.C. - As part of the 26th annual Industry Appreciation series, the S.C. Department of Commerce recognized its 2017 Industry Impact Award recipients during an event on Thursday, May 11 at The Hall at Senate's End in Columbia, S.C. Honoring businesses that have made significant contributions to their communities and state, the recipients were selected within a certain employment size and county development tier group.
"South Carolina continues to have one of the most pro-business climates in the world, and this couldn't be possible without the partnerships we've forged with companies both large and small. These local businesses -- and their leaders -- form the backbone of our state's economy, and I congratulate them on this deserved recognition," said Governor Henry McMaster.
Each year, S.C. Commerce joins local communities to thank businesses for their vital contributions to South Carolina's economy with an Industry Appreciation event. Nominees for this year's Industry Impact Awards were judged based on a number of factors, including capital investment, job creation, community engagement and environmental stewardship.
"The secret to South Carolina's economic success is its people, and we will always honor the fine work they do," said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt. "The state's Industry Appreciation events are a long-running tradition, and we're proud of this year's recipients."
In addition to presenting the 2017 Industry Impact Awards, the state also recognized three businesses with a South Carolina Export Achievement Award and one firm with a Recycling Industry Excellence award. S.C. Economics also recognized five students as Young Entrepreneurs of the Year.
For photos of the awards recipients, please visit S.C. Commerce's flickr page.
2017 Industry Impact Awards:
|
Small Companies |
Medium Companies |
Large Companies |
Tier 1 |
York County |
Richland County |
York County |
Tier 2 |
Greenwood County |
Greenwood County |
Spartanburg County |
Tier 3 |
Darlington County |
Darlington County |
Lancaster County |
Tier 4 |
Union County |
Union County |
Union County |
2017 Export Achievement Awards:
Company |
County |
Greenwood |
|
Bamberg |
|
Greenville |
2017 Recycling Industry Excellence Award:
Company |
County |
Edgefield |
2017 Young Entrepreneurs of the Year:
Name, Grade |
School |
Business Venture |
Grace Cromer, 12th Grade |
Anderson Five Career Campus |
Pennies 4 Preemies |
Landon Gray, 12th Grade |
Crescent High School |
BGFT Shoes & Apparel |
Ava Grace Long, 4th Grade* |
Prosperity-Rikard Elementary School |
Native Nativities of South Carolina |
Savannah McCants, 11th Grade* |
Wando High School |
McCanter Equestrian |
Justin Greer Mitchell, 11th Grade |
Blythewood High School |
Life As We Know It Teen Blog, TV and Radio Show |
*Recipients were not present at the time the awards were presented.