Task Force Provides Insights, Support and Resources for Rebuilding

The Greenville Area Development Corporation, along with the City of Greenville, Greenville County and the Greenville Chamber, launched a Business Recovery Task Force today to listen, guide and support as our community begins to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The action-oriented alliance is comprised of eighteen members representing a variety of industry, business, nonprofit, education and financial sectors. The mission is to promote an environment that supports Greenville’s business community and its employees and provide a platform that offers information and access to local, state, federal resources.

The first meeting held virtually this morning addressed the following:

• Insights from local business, medical professionals and community leaders
• Resources to assist with local business recovery
• Guidance from trade and professional associations
• Support for small and minority-owned businesses
• Takeaways, lessons learned and opportunities for innovation
• Long-term changes and impacts

Greenville Mayor Knox White opened by thanking the group for their participation saying, “The last few months have been extremely difficult for our nation, state, and local community. As a leader in your respective industry, your insights and experience will help us identify how to best support local businesses, industries, and organizations as we transition from the pandemic emergency and focus on the path forward. We have a great tradition of creativity, perseverance and strong public-private partnerships in Greenville.”

Current Efforts to Provide Relief and Recovery

Greenville Area Development Corporation

• Assist existing employers within established industry sectors to sustain and recover their workforce, and to source or provide essential supplies needed due to the COVID pandemic
• Approach potential new businesses in manufacturing, distribution, and offices with added emphasis on healthcare, IT and software, pharma, food processing, and bioengineering
• Provide specialized support to businesses with federal and state programs during the economic recovery
• Review the County’s economic development policy to see if adjustments may be needed during the economic recovery phase.
• Assist launch and promotion of statewide SC COVID-19 Emergency Supply Sourcing & Manufacturing resource to connect those needing essential medical supplies with those who can provide or manufacture it (https://sccovid19.org/)

City of Greenville

• ATAX/HTAX late payment relief
• Continuing payments to City vendors ($1.2M last week)
• Continuing to provide services to the development community – approving hundreds of permits and sharing resources and information with local businesses
• Market Connect – connecting TD Saturday Market vendors directly with customers

Greenville Chamber

• Formal outreach calls to investors to check pulse, gauge impact, direct to resources, and offer encouragement
• Online Employer Resource Guide delivering updated information on state government messaging, federal assistance (CARES Act), and know-how to manage through the pandemic
• Community Matters live webcast 2x weekly connecting participants to business and community leaders who share timely and vital information
• Business Impact Survey partnership with City of Greenville and GADC to gauge impact of COVID-19 on area businesses

Task Force Leadership: Greenville City Manager John McDonough, Greenville Chamber CEO Carlos Phillips, Greenville County Administrator Joe Kernell, Greenville Area Development Corporation CEO Mark Farris.

 Task Force Members:  Mark O’Halla of Prisma Health, Rebecca Leach of the SC Retailers Association, Carl Sobocinski of Table 301, Fabian Unterzaucher of Poinsett Hotel, David Feild of Colliers International, Lynn Harton of UCB, Rick Davis of Elliott Davis LLC, Dr. Keith Miller of Greenville Technical College, Meghan Barp of United Way, Julie Brown of Godshall Staffing, George Acker of SC Department of Commerce, Liz Seman of Furman University, John DeWorken of Sunnie & DeWorken, Mike Bauer of ScanSource, Adela Mendoza of the Hispanic Alliance, Chris Stone of VisitGreenvilleSC and Rich Hagins of US&S Services.

The Business Recovery Task Force will meet weekly to determine responsible strategies to guide the Greenville business community’s recovery and safely get people back to work.