ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — The Town of Norway has signed a new agreement with the Orangeburg Regional Innovation Center as part of its plan to attract new businesses to the area.
“Our strategic plans for the Town of Norway in building economic development, trying to bring some new businesses, housing," said Mayor Tracie Clemons.
Since January, Mayor Tracie Clemons says the town has lost three local businesses. It is trying to make the town more attractive to new businesses while still retaining its current ones.
The center plans to work with the Town of Norway to place businesses in some of the town's available office spaces.
“There is a U.S. Highway that passes through Norway, and it provides a good bit of traffic. So, what we know is they will see tourism, they will see other travelers passing through their town so that provides an opportunity for them to do some things differently," said Orangeburg Regional Innovation Center executive director Gary Robinson.
Through this partnership, entrepreneurs in Norway would have access to the center's programs that include training and one-on-one consulting.
“We wanna help build businesses that help support whatever it is that helps bring businesses to town and so we are looking to find, what are those things that we can attach ourselves to that are already a part of Norway," said Robinson.
The next step in this partnership is for the town to meet with regional innovation center to come up with a strategic plan. Robinson says this plan would include feedback from the surrounding community about what businesses they would like to see.