Located in the fast-growing Southern Lowcountry and along Interstate 95, Hardeeville has historically hosted a tourism-focused and travel-driven economy. City leaders sought higher-paying jobs for its growing population with the Hardeeville Commerce Park, a 170-acre facility on Exit 5. 

The project began with the gift of 130 acres to the city in 2012, and the city acquired the remaining 40 acres at low prices. For water and sewer infrastructure development, the city obtained $850,000 in grants from the SC Rural Infrastructure Authority and $480,000 from the Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority. The park’s access road, Prosper Parkway, received $1.9 million from the SC Economic Development Administration — made possible through federal Opportunity Zone and Promise Zone designations — and $1.65 million from Jasper County’s local option sales tax. SC Dominion provided $70,000 to expand broadband development, and total grant funds secured amounted to $4.6 million.  

With the commerce park established, 10 landowners purchased all of its available parcels, and are now developing it with hundreds of millions of investment dollars. Once construction is complete, the park will add at least 250 high-paying jobs in logistics, commercial shipping and light industrial professions.  

The sale of the park parcels made $4.6 million for the city, which has established an Economic Development Fund to help it purchase and develop further properties along U.S. Highway 17 between exits 5 and 8. Hardeeville will also use its workforce training program for residents to gain the skills the new industries need, such as welding, forklift and Occupational Safety and Health Administration certification, as well as commercial driver’s licenses.  

Contact Michael Czymbor at mczymbor@herdeevillesc.gov or 843.784.2231.