Dubai-Based Company to Build in Orangeburg County

(Orangeburg County) - Pine trees, overgrown brush and dirt roads in rural Santee may soon be replaced with a multi-million dollar industrial park.

"I'm very excited about the potential for economic development in this small community," said Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter, (D - Orangeburg).

Last November, Cobb-Hunter ran for re-election on a platform that included bringing more businesses and jobs to her district. If Dubai-based company Jafza International follows through with plans to build a distribution center in Santee, Cobb-Hunter feels her district could get the economic boost it needs. "I know that if it happens, it'll turn things around," she said.

On Wednesday, advisors for Jafza International told News19 that the project is still in the early stages. However, they confirmed that 1,300 acres of land was purchased in Santee to build a $600 million dollar distribution center that would serve multiple companies. The facility is expected to create 8,000 to 10,000 jobs over a period of time.

"The bottom line is they have purchased the land, and that's a very important first step," said Cobb-Hunter. "I take that as a sign that it is really going to happen."

According to Cobb-Hunter, a Canadian company also announced plans to begin operating out of the Orangeburg City-County Industrial Park. "We are becoming an international corridor for companies," she said. "We are close to the interstate and close to the ports in both Savannah and Charleston."

Advisors for Jafza International said Orangeburg County provided an ideal location for operations. They would not say when the project would be complete.