Tesalon Felicien and Anna Lee
The Greenville News
Published 7:46 p.m. ET Feb. 16, 2017
“It’s a great day to be the mayor of the city of Mauldin,” said Dennis Raines Thursday as the city divulged one major announcement after another.
Mauldin announced two independent investments from BB&T Corp and Verizon Wireless worth $33.6 million and bringing 860 jobs to the city.
Early in the day, city and BB&T Corp officials gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of a 140,000-square-foot mortgage servicing center at 825 E. Butler Rd.
According to bank officials, the building will be the largest BB&T center in South Carolina and will house 600 associates working in administrative and support capacities. BB&T State President Michael Brennan said the development is a victory for everyone.
“This shows BB&T’s commitment to the Upstate and to South Carolina for us to build a facility like this,” said Brennan. “This is a real important event for both the city of Mauldin, state of South Carolina and for our 600 associates who are going to be relocating to a brand new more productive, more efficient facility.”
Currently, the mortgaging operations are located at the downtown office at 301 College St. in Greenville.
In the second notice of the day, South Carolina Department of Commerce officials announced Verizon is expanding its Mauldin-based customer service operations in a $3.5 million investment that will create 260 jobs.
Located at 700 Brookfield Parkway, the nation’s largest telecommunications provider plans to consolidate services in its customer service and telesales divisions, with hiring projected to begin immediately, according to a news release. Interested applicants should visit the company’s careers page online.
“This expansion announcement is a tremendous win for Greenville County, and it shows the world that South Carolina continues to be ‘Just right’ for business,” S.C. Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt said.
Greenville County Council Chairman Butch Kirven called Verizon a “world-class leader in wireless technology” and a good neighbor to the Mauldin community for 14 years.
“We congratulate their continued growth and appreciate their dedication to our community,” Kirven said.
In a statement, Christine Baron, Verizon Wireless’s customer care senior vice president, said the company is looking forward to expanding its presence in Greenville.
“As we work to streamline our national operations and improve the total customer experience, our center in Greenville has a proven track record of providing outstanding results,” Baron said.
The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved job development credits related to this project.
The two developments are among a number of investments the city has seen in recent years. Last August, Restaurant Depot opened its doors, resulting in a $5.3 million investment and 60 new jobs, while Esurance opened its call center last year with 450 employers.
Taft Matney, city council member and chairman of the Economic Planning and Development Committee, said the city’s proximity to major roadways provides a hub for corporate relocation.
“One of things that makes Mauldin so attractive is its location. The infrastructure that we have access to specifically with Butler Road, I-385, the proximity to I-85, rail access, makes Mauldin extremely attractive from a business development and investment standpoint,” Matney said.
“So much inventory of land has already been gobbled up and we’re a suburban community with an urban reach. It allows for corporate relocation, expansion and it also provides opportunity for locally owned mom and pop business to set up shop and expand at a much better price point than some of our municipal neighbors.”
Both Raines and Matney said they expect the projects to only add to the attractiveness of the area. Developer Jack Shaw, CEO of Shaw Resources, who was instrumental in the BB&T deal agreed. “We’re already getting calls about people participating. We’re talking to some hotels and restaurants.”
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