By JIM FAILE

DARLINGTON - The chairman of the Darlington County Economic Development Partnership Board of Directors defended the organization’s track record on economic development Monday.

Roger Schrum told Darlington County Council that since September of 2008, the partnership has assisted in bringing more than $247.2 million in announced capital investment to Darlington County that has or will create about 252 jobs. Factoring out Sonoco’s Peregrine Energy project, which is on hold pending federal and state regulatory issues, the overall investment still comes to $112.2 million and 222 jobs, according to an economic development update prepared by the partnership and presented to council during Monday’s meeting.

By comparison, from 2000 to 2008, the county averaged only $44 million in capital investment for 141 new jobs, according to the update.

“I want to thank this commission for its support of business,” said Schrum, who works as vice president for investor relations for Sonoco.

Schrum’s remarks and presentation came two weeks after state Sen. Gerald Malloy appeared before council and called for a restructuring of the public –private partnership, saying the organization has failed to live up to its full potential in the nearly two and a half years of its existence. Malloy, D-Hartsville, was joined by Councilwoman Mozella “Pennie” Nicholson of Hartsville, who also said the partnership needs to be overhauled because it is not bringing needed jobs to the county.

Malloy said he wants to see a system with more accountability and one that includes measurable benchmarks for success. He said the partnership concept has not developed as he had envisioned when he first proposed it to council in 2007.

“I can tell you from personal experience, things are improving,” Schrum told council members Monday.

Several other members of the partnership board also attended the meeting.

Since September 2008, when the partnership hired Robert Long as its executive director, the organization has assisted in 54 projects considering Darlington County, 15 of which remain active and 13 of which were self-generated, according to the partnership update.

At that time, Schrum pointed out, the nation was on the brink of the worst economic recession since the Great Depression. “Clearly, the recession has made a difference,” he said.

Also at that time, according to the update report, Darlington County was one of the few counties in the state with no certified industrial sites. Now, certification of the I-20 Industrial Park is complete, making it the county’s first such site, according to the update. The partnership managed to secure a $42,000 grant from Santee Cooper that paid for the certification, according to the update.

As recently as April 20, the partnership assisted with submission of an Economic Development Administration Trade Adjustment Act grant for more than $1.1 million to provide financial assistance for 90 percent of the anticipated cost for road, water and sewer extension for the new park, according to the update.

In addition, work is under way to obtain certification of the Tech Foundation Park near the Florence-Darlington Technical College campus, according to the update with help from a $25,000 grant from Progress Energy and a $20,000 grant from the North Eastern Strategic Alliance (NESA).

That park is being expanded from 60 acres to 160 acres to give it access to rail service, the update.

The group is also working to secure a $100,000 set-aside grant for site development in support of the recently announced $8 million PolyQuest expansion project in Darlington, according to the update.

Schrum said that two fundraising campaigns by Darlington County Progress, a private group of 59 investors supporting the partnership, have raised more than $280,000 in private funding to support the partnership, though he conceded the recession has hampered private fundraising efforts. “Clearly, there is more to be done,” he said.

By comparison, Forward Darlington County, a predecessor of Darlington County Progress, raised just $9,250 in private funding in 2007, according to the update.

Darlington County Progress will be able to reduce Darlington County’s financial commitment to the partnership from about $255,000 in fiscal 2008-2009 to $140,000 in the current fiscal year, saving the county $115,000 this fiscal year, according to the update.

The partnership has also undertaken marketing efforts for industrial facilities in the county, including working with International Process Plants (IPP), which purchased the former Wellman Inc. Palmetto Plant in Darlington out of bankruptcy, according to the update. Wellman closed the facility in November of 2008, putting nearly 550 people out of work.

Despite the upbeat report, Nicholson remained unconvinced. “I really think we should look at restructuring the partnership,” she said again.

Nicholson sought to delay a final vote by council on the partnership’s proposed $626,730 budget for the upcoming fiscal year, but her motion failed to pick up the necessary second. She cast the only vote against the budget, which council approved 6-1. Councilman Alex “Buz” Shaw had to leave the meeting early and was not present for the vote.