Lowcountry Economic Network - Beaufort, South Carolina

CareCore expansion will be a boon for our region

The following was published in the March 9 edition of the Neighbors section of The Beaufort Gazette

If you happened to drive through Buckwalter Place in Bluffton the afternoon of March 1 the sight of backhoes and dump trucks moving around an open dirt field probably didn’t seem too out of the ordinary.

“Likely another store going in,” you probably thought to yourself; or another building awaiting a tenant in what’s still a slow market.

The reality is that only hours earlier a group of local officials and business leaders stood together to mark the groundbreaking of what will be an economic boon for our region. CareCore National, one of the nation’s leaders in specialty benefit healthcare management, began the expansion of its presence in the Lowcountry.

Already with 400 employees housed at its Buckwalter Place facility, CareCore’s second building will lead to at least 150 additional area jobs, including the relocation of 40 headquarters employees.  CareCore’s second building will be about 31,000 square feet and is expected to achieve LEED certification, the industry standard for environmentally friendly projects.

Construction is expected to be complete by November. Led by Bluffton-based Fraser Construction, more than 90 percent of the value of the CareCore contract will go to contractors and sub-contractors in Beaufort and Jasper counties, including civil engineers Ward Edwards.

Not only does CareCore’s expanding presence in the Lowcountry mean additional jobs for our residents, it also establishes our region and Buckwalter Place as a hub for technology, knowledge-intensive and healthcare-based firms.

CareCore will serve as an industry anchor while it offers support for emerging tech businesses and those that need space, support and guidance.

A portion of CareCore’s second building – about 8,000-10,000 square feet – will be set aside for prospects in the technology, healthcare and knowledge-intensive sectors. This space is intended for new companies that need startup space and assistance with certain everyday technology or human resources issues, with support given by CareCore.

Occupying space so close to CareCore and within Buckwalter Place, an emerging high-tech hub, will create a synergy that could lead to the relocation of additional tech and healthcare businesses that want to be around likeminded companies and professionals.

So as you can see CareCore’s expansion is about more than jobs. It’s about setting a tone for Buckwalter Place and the region. The expansion and the future support CareCore will offer to emerging tech companies already is putting Beaufort County on the map with the knowledge-intensive sector.

As I’ve said time and time again, we already have the quality of life part down. People want to be here. Some want to retire here. Others want to live, work and play here. Now we’re starting to be able to offer the business side. We can offer business opportunities and that connection to likeminded people.

It’s all about creating and fostering that energy.

Thank you for your support, and as always, help us spread the word.

Kim Statler is executive director of the Lowcountry Economic Network, a public-private nonprofit that serves as the economic development arm of Beaufort County. Read Kim’s blog online at http://www.lowcountrynet.org/sc-economic-blog