Amick Plant

BEN HARRISON

Amick Farms CEO Answers
Questions About New Plant

By BEN HARRISON
President and CEO
Amick Farms

  We at Amick Farms and 3D Corporate Solutions want to thank everyone who came out to the meeting at Saluda High to hear about our proposed facility. There were a lot of good comments and questions. I hope the information we provided helped everyone to better understand our need for this new pet food protein facility and our commitment to doing it the right way.
  I also am writing to relay some of the information about SC Pet Food Solutions to those of you who weren’t able to attend the meeting. I’m writing not only as the CEO of Amick Farms, but as a long-time resident of this community.
  People have asked me why we need to build this new plant. It’s simple: Amick Farms has to grow and invest to stay competitive in the poultry industry and healthy in Saluda County. That is why we’re partnering with 3D Corporate Solutions to enter the super-premium pet food proteins market; because there is more value in using our chicken co-products for pet food than for other animal feed.
  This is the reason we will invest more than $60 million into this new modern facility and create nearly 100 local jobs. We plan to recruit from places like the technical schools as well as local residents, and provide job training for our employees.
  We care about Saluda County, our neighbors, and the 200 local independent growers, 2200 employees and customers who depend upon us. We are listening to your questions and concerns, and we are working to answer each of them to the best of our ability.
  For example, we’re investing in the best technology available to prevent odors. We’re going to great lengths to make sure our treated water is sprayed well below the allowable limit of ¾ of an inch per week and typically spraying only \‡of an inch per week onto our hay crops. This is the same type of method used at Amick Farms.
  We are working with the county water authority to have a water line run to our plant site, which will provide half or more of our water. This means we will NOT dry up your wells, and neighbors will have the choice of connecting to the public water line, or they can continue to use their well water.
  In addition to the new jobs, the purchase of local goods and services, and the planned road improvements, SC Pet Food Solutions, once fully operational, will pay well over six figures per year in taxes and/or fees. Additionally, the community will benefit from an extended water line to the area and new access to internet service. Further, SC Pet Food Solutions will be a long-term corporate citizen who will invest in local schools and community groups.
  Most importantly, this new operation will allow Amick Farms to continue to be a viable business into the future, which is good for Saluda County and good for our employees, growers, and the many businesses that serve Amick Farms.
  I ask that you give us a chance to answer your questions, and to prove ourselves to be good neighbors. If you have any questions or comments, we’d be happy to answer them. Please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Thank you.

CAB Business Development
Center Officially Announced

  Saluda is getting a new business that will add many jobs downtown.
  At Monday’s County Council meeting, Chairman Don Hancock read the following announcement from a press release handed out by Development Director Ed Parler:
  “CAB Business Development Center, a Charleston-based call center specializing in cyber- security and breach response member services is bringing over 72 jobs to Saluda in 2017. Positioned as a 24/7 call center with flexible work schedules and opportunities, CAB is poised to become one of Saluda’s premier employers this year, creating long- lasting partnerships within the community and bringing a high level of visibility from prominent clients!”
  Council then proceeded to give third and final reading to an ordinance that will give CAB a place to operate.
  Under the terms of the ordinance Council will lease the building at 119 North Main Street (former Saluda Consignment Shop), purchased by the county on Jan. 10, to the Town of Saluda for ten years. The Town will have an option to purchase the building and will be responsible for the upkeep. Saluda will also reimburse the county for approximately $1800 in closing costs incurred by the county in purchasing the property.
  Council took care of 16 items on the agenda before going into Executive Session.
  A resolution recognizing retired Tax Assessor Josephine Young for her 28-years service to Saluda County was approved.
  First reading was given to an ordinance to execute a quit deed on the old Emory School. Saluda County attempted to deed the school to the Emory Community Club in 1979, but could not because the club was not incorporated. Emory School, Inc. is now a non-profit corporation, so a deed can be granted for a purchase price of $5.00.
  Council took as information a request from the Airport Commission to lower the lease rates on the T-Hangars at the airport. Commissioner Gerry Spragg said the commission felt by lowering the lease, they could attract renters for the four vacant hangers. If all the hangars are occupied, the airport will qualify for FAA funding. Spragg said the commissioners were confident the hangars could be rented at the lower rate, which will make the airport more competitive.
  County Emergency Management Director Josh Morton got two requests approved. One was for an update on a mutual aid agreement between all counties in the state for assistance in emergencies. The other request was to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the development of an improved radio system.
  An RFP was also approved for the County Emergency Medical Services for pre-employment health screening. Training and Infectious Control Officer James Cole said the screening would find any pre-existing health issues before applicants for EMS and the fire departments are hired or added to the volunteer staffs.
  At the recommendation of Hancock and Councilman Frank Daniel, Council approved  getting bids to replace the roofs at the County Annex and the County Agriculture Building. Councilman D.J. Miller asked if repair estimates could be included also in the bids, but withdrew his suggestion when he was told the roofs were beyond repair.
  Council voted to repair the Food Pass Doors at the Saluda County Detention Center. Councilwoman Gwen Shealy said she and Councilman Jones Butler had studied two options. One option would be replacing all the jail doors at a cost of $35,000. The other would be repairing the food pass doors for $8,000. Shealy and Butler recommended making the repairs..
  Four grant requests by grants coordinator Jill Warren for EMS,  EMD and the coroner were approved. None of the grants require any matching funds.
  The first grant from Homeland Security for Tactical Medical Training is for $5673. Cole said the grant is for training and equipment. EMS personnel will be trained to go in with SWAT squads in attempt to save more lives during mass shootings.
  Cole said it was estimated if EMS workers had gone in with SWAT members at Columbine or Sandy Oak, for instance, 30-40 percent of the lives of victims would have been saved.
  The second grant would provide a drone that could be used by EMD and law enforcement. The drone can  be used in emergency situations when roads are impassable, and the Sheriff’s Department can use the drone to search for lost individuals or suspects in the run. Morton said the drone includes a camera worth $7000. He assured Councilwoman Shealy that the drone is programmed to return to its base, and will not fly away. Total coast for the drone is $20,000.
  Approved for the Coroners office was a grant for $3000 that would supply 50 heavy-duty body bags, and filters for the evidence drying cabinet./
  Finally approved was a grant application for EMS  from Firehouse Subs for three Lucas Chest Compression Systems for $54,000. The system provides mechanical chest compressions, and has a much higher success rate than manual CPR.
  The Accommodations Tax Funds which are designed to go toward tourism projects, were distributed as follows: Capital City Lake Murray Country - $2000; Friends of Ridge Spring - $1500; Palmetto Tractor Club - $1200; Richland Creek Antique Power Association - $1800;  Ridge Spring Harvest Festival - $1500; Saluda County Historical Society - $1600; Saluda County Tourism Committee - $2900; Saluda Young Farmer & Agribusiness Assoc. - $2500.
  Butler’s nomination of Joan Hipp to be reappointed to the Library Board was approved.
  The following came out of Executive Session:
  1.  To authorize a temporary part-time Library Aide position for 15-20 hours per week, at minimum wage, for the months of June and July to be paid from funds in the Library budget, to advertise according to county policy, and adopt the updated part-time Library Aide job description.
  2. To authorize an Apprentice Appraiser position in the Tax Assessor’s office, Grade 18, to advertise according to county policy ,and adopt the updated Apprentice Appraiser job description.

New Water Plant

WATER TREATMENT PLANT GROUNDBREAKING - From Left to Right:  Julia McCusker CoBank, Jerry Strawbridge – SCWSA Chairman, Liz Rosinski – Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA), Michele Cardwell – USDA-RD – Acting State Director, Bob Nelson – SCWSA Board member, Jason Fell – SCWSA – General Manager, Al Stevens – SCWSA Board member, Jimmy Gillian – SCWSA Board member. (Standard-Sentinel photo)

Ground Broken On $21 Million
County Water Treatment Plant

  February 2, 2017, was a great day of thanksgiving for Saluda County Water and Sewer Authority (SCWSA). 
  SCWSA is now under construction for their transformational $21.1 Million Water Treatment Plant (WTP) will be built withdrawing water from Lake Murray.  SCWSA’s board first envisioned having their own WTP almost two decades ago. It is now under construction in 2017. SCWSA expects the WTP to be operating by early Summer in 2018.
  The WTP is largely financed through a $12,543,000 loan and a $7,133,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture-Rural Development (USDA-RD).  In addition, SCWSA received a $500,000 grant from South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) and SCWSA’s contribution of up to $1,000,000.  CoBank is providing the interim construction financing for the project.  The purpose of SCWSA’s WTP is to serve the needs of all citizens throughout the County, residential and industrial.
  Rural Saluda County’s need for water is not unique.  In 1970, South Carolina’s legislature saw that while it’s urban centers and county seats had established public water and sewer for its citizens, its rural citizens had been neglected.  That year, the South Carolina State Legislative Assembly passed a law establishing special purpose districts, creating numerous water and sewer authorities across South Carolina to serve an unmet need.  Specifically, it granted SCWSA the right to serve water and sewer for all of the rural and unincorporated areas of Saluda County.  This law planted a seed that took over two decades to germinate in Saluda County.
  In the early 1990’s, with the assistance of Amick Farms, SCWSA became a reality.  USDA-Rural Development provided the funding for SCWSA’s initial waterlines.  Which at that time, was the largest project funded in South Carolina and one of the largest in the nation.  Since then, SCWSA and USDA-Rural Development (USDA-RD) have been linked with a quick succession of projects that quickly established SCWSA’s presence.  This Water Treatment Plant project is not the end, but a remarkable watershed moment in the relationship between USDA-RD and SCWSA.

  The $21.1 Million in WTP project costs can be roughly divided among the three contracts as follows:  Water Treatment Plant $15.7 Million, Raw Water Intake $3.4 Million, and 1.4 miles of 20-inch Raw Waterlines and 0.5 miles of 10-inch Finished Waterlines and 2.7 miles of 20-inch Finished Waterlines totaling $2.0 Million.  With the $500,000 grant funding from RIA, SCWSA elected to increase its water storage capacity from 0.5 to 1 Million Gallons and elected to add chlorine dioxide feed system.
  The WTP will initially be able to produce 4 million gallons of water a day (MGD) with the ability to produce 6 MGD shortly after the WTP is operating.  SCWSA also planned for future growth with a permit through SCE&G to withdraw up to 15 MGD from Lake Murray.
  USDA-RD Rural Utilities Service is unique as a federal agency program.  It does not add to the national debt, providing grants to utilities in need from revenue it generates from it loans.  The key is that less than half of one percent ever default on an USDA-RD loan.  Paradoxically, it is the lender of last resort for rural utilities unable to find financing elsewhere.  Under USDA-RD Acting State Director Michele Cardwell’s leadership, USDA-RD has been able to fund an unprecedented sum of projects for rural South Carolina communities. Ms. Cardwell understood that it was necessary to provide the $7.1 Million in grant to SCWSA so that they could maintain reasonable rates for its rural customers.
  Correspondingly, SCWSA does not receive any revenue from taxes.  SCWSA is a non-profit, special purpose district, run solely on the revenue it receives from its customers.  SCWSA is governed by a five-member board of representatives within SCWSA’s service area.  They are appointed by the recommendation of our legislative delegation and approval of the governor.  Each has a fiduciary duty to protect SCWSA’s interests.  They have entrusted, Jason Fell, as General Manager, to run the day to day operations of SCWSA.
  SCWSA’s Board members are Jimmy Gillian, Bob Nelson, Al Stevens and Chairman Jerry Strawbridge.  This board’s mission is to the dignity of the customer and its employees, the responsibility to provide great water at a reasonable price and wherever financially sustainable, extend water service to those citizens of Saluda County in need.  This board had the vision and the resolve to stand its ground, because they knew their cause to be just and right.  It took SCWSA over 17 years to get this project to construction.  When there was a setback, they never looked backward for very long, they kept moving forward.  Specifically, Mr. Strawbridge’s leadership and tenacity were critical factors as to why this project is under construction.
  This Water Treatment Plant project is transformative for SCWSA.  This project is one of the larger projects ever funded by USDA-RD in South Carolina.  This project is remarkable.  It allows SCWSA the ability to provide its customers with exceptional water quality. It also provides SCWSA the capacity to offer water to all of Saluda County, to attract commercial and industrial customers, and offer water to all those in the Western Midlands.

  With the WTP project commencing, SCWSA is looking to USDA-RD this year for assistance in funding the Holley Ferry / Spann Road Project. It projects to provide water service to over 700 new customers in rural Saluda County.  Following the above map, the water lines will extend to the southern county line on Hwy 391 and waterlines around the Holley Ferry Road area.  It will also provide an arterial line from Hwy 391, across Corley Bridge Road, and down Spann Road creating a second waterline to Amick Farms and Western Saluda County.  This project will also create an interconnection with Ward on Spann Road.  The project will involve constructing two new elevated storage tanks one on the northern end of Spann Road and the other on the southern end of Spann Road along with a booster pump station creating two separate pressure zones.  The Holley Ferry / Spann Road Project will significantly advance SCWSA’s water system. 
  SCWSA appreciates the help and support of U.S. Senator Lindsay Graham’s office, U.S. Senator Tim Scott’s office, U.S. Representative Jeff Duncan’s office, SC Senator Shane Massey, SC Senator Floyd Nicholson, SC Senator Nikki Setzler, SC Representative Bill Clyburn, former SC Representative Ralph Kennedy and look forward to current SC Representative Cal Forrest’s support.  Additionally, SCWSA appreciates the help and support of Saluda County Council including Chairman Don Hancock, USDA-Rural Development Acting State Director Michele Cardwell, USDA-RD Area Director Debbie Turbeville, and RD Specialist Bryan Jordan, RIA Executive Director Bonnie Ammons and RIA Program Manager Liz Rosinski, RIA Director Bill Clyburn, CoBank Vice President Julia McCusker, former SCWSA Board member Tim Taylor, SCWSA’s Employees and everyone else that helped along the way.  SCWSA also thanks its Design Engineers, MBD Consulting Engineers, P.A. and Hulsey McCormick & Wallace.  SCWSA looks forward to a successful WTP project with its Contractors: Harper Corporation General Contractors (WTP), Republic Contracting (Raw Water Intake), and Chandler Construction (Waterlines).

Fatality

Fatality Ruled As
Natural Causes

  What appeared to be Saluda County’s second highway fatality of 2017 turned out to be a death by natural causes.
  According to Saluda County Coroner Keith Turner, an autopsy revealed Anthony William Venable, 56, died of natural causes rather than from injuries received from a one vehicle accident that took place at 6:10 p.m. on Sun., Jan. 29.
  According to L/Cpl  Gary Miller of the S.C. Highway Patrol, a 2004 GMC was traveling west on Price’s Bridge Road, near Holley Ferry, when it went off the right side of the road, then crossed to the left side of the road, where it overturned and hit a tree.
  Venable, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was entrapped in the vehicle and pronounced dead on the scene.
  The event took place only about a mile from the victim’s home on Nautical Shores Rd.
  At the scene, Turner said he had a suspicion Venable did not die from injuries from the wreck, and the autopsy proved him right.
  The accident will not count in the county’s number of highway fatalities.

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS - Left to right:  Dr. Arlene Puryear, CDR James Moore, Bill Eberz, Dr. Kathy Coleman; Front:  Christy Corley Nichols, Sharon Williams-Holloway, and James Holloway

Saluda County Schools celebrates

School Board Recognition Month

  Saluda County Schools celebrates School Board Recognition Month
Saluda County School District joined school districts throughout the state and nation to celebrate School Board Recognition Month at the January Board meeting held on January 24, 2017. 
  The theme “School Boards Stand up 4 SC Public Schools” recognizes the important roles school boards play in promoting and advocating for quality education.  School board members are elected by the people in their local communities to represent their voice and to ensure the success of schools and students.
  The efforts of school board members often go unrecognized.  Board Recognition Month in January is a time that we can honor the year-round commitment that school board members make to our district and community.
  In Saluda County School District, school board members develop policies and make tough decisions on complex educational and social issues impacting the entire community. 
  As a part of School Board Recognition Month, Saluda County Schools participated in an official signing of the South Carolina School Board Member Ethical Principles during their January school board meeting.  By signing the principles, school board members publicly vowed to uphold effective governance principles and pledged to improve public education in their community.

Titan Farms
Recognized

  First-generation farmers Chalmers and Lori Anne Carr of Titan Farms have been named the winners of the 2017 Top Producer of the Year award. The couple’s operation is one of the largest peach producers in the U.S. They also grow peppers and broccoli and recently diversified with a frozen-fruit facility for processing of peaches that are sold in bulk or pureed for use in yogurt, baby food and other products.
  “My husband and I are truly living a dream,” Lori Anne Carr told attendees of Top Producer’s annual awards banquet in Chicago before the winner was announced.
  “On the farm, we truly have a motto that nobody’s going to come up and pat you on the back, or nobody’s going to say, ‘Great job,’” Chalmers added. “We get our achievements and our personal goals set by going out and protecting the natural resources that we have, cultivating those into crops and producing staples and food for other people to eat. My personal joy comes from doing that day in and day out.”
  Sponsored by Bayer and Case IH, the Top Producer of the Year contest is in its 18th year and represents the best in the business of farming. In addition to the Carrs, finalists for this year’s award were John Pagel of Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy, a dairy and grain operation in Kewaunee, Wis., and brothers Richard and Roderick Gumz of Gumz Farms, a row crop and vegetable operation in Endeavor, Wis. Readers of AgWeb.com and Top Producer will learn more about each of the finalists in future news articles.
  Each of the finalists received a trip for two to attend the seminar and will receive sessions with a CEO coach. The winner will receive the opportunity to be enrolled for a year in the Top Producer Executive Network™ peer group program, courtesy of Bayer. Additionally, the winner will get to choose either a Steiger Rowtrac or a Magnum Rowtrac from Case IH for 150 hours of use, courtesy of Case IH.