Greenwood County looking to lure more retirees

December 27, 2005

By JACKIE R. BROACH
Index-Journal staff writer

When people think of Southeastern relocation destinations for retirees, it’s usually Florida that comes to mind. That might not be the case for long, however. In the future, it might be the quaint Southern charm of Greenwood County conjured up by thoughts of retirees. The Sunshine State still attracts about one out of every five retirees who relocate from their home state, but South Carolina is becoming increasingly popular among retirees. From 1990 to 2000, the Palmetto State jumped from 18th to 12th in a Census ranking of all states in retiree attraction. South Carolina is also drawing in a large number of “half-backs,” said John Lowery, marketing director for the Partnership for a Greater Greenwood County and Economic Alliance. The term is used to refer to people who retire to Florida, then move about halfway back to where they originally came from to escape high prices, congestion, hot weather, high crime rates and other issues. The retirement trend is something the Partnership Alliance is hoping to capitalize on. With the help of a consultant, Dan Owens, of Senior Living Associates in Charlotte, the group is working on a marketing plan to help promote the county to retirees. An influx of retirees would be highly beneficial for the county and its economy, Lowery said. “With more retirees demanding more services and shopping locations, it would aid the overall economy and attract more stores and service providers, benefiting everyone in the community,” Lowery said.

Why target retirees?
Statistically, a retiree has the spending power of 3.6 average workers, Lowery said. According to research collected by Owens, retirees “generally have higher disposable incomes, better education and put much less a burden on our streets, infrastructure and schools.” They also tend to be more active in the community, volunteering in schools and civic, cultural and religious organizations. The economic impact of retirees is so great, Owens stated in his report, that Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has created a taskforce to try to regain the ground it recently has lost to other states in terms of retiree relocation. Because there are so many benefits to marketing to retirees, the Partnership Alliance recently sponsored a program to inform the community of the trend and the economic development that can be reaped from encouraging retirees to migrate to Greenwood. “The idea we’re trying to convey is that retirement is a huge part of our future,” Lowery said. “We need to get together as a community with a coordinated effort and make sure that we take advantage of that.”

What is Greenwood doing?
Early next year, program participants who expressed an interest in getting involved in that effort will be contacted to form a committee, Lowery said, and a coordinated marketing plan will be conceived. It is uncertain, he said, how long it will take to see the results of that plan. In the meantime, Greenwood is already preparing for a stream of retirees the marketing plan will likely bring in, said Steve Brown, Greenwood city manager. “These folks will be buying homes, investing monies and purchasing goods,” Brown said. “Those are all positive things for our community. If we market ourselves to this group of people, however, we should not do so without also assuming a responsibility to meet the needs of this group.” Those needs, Brown said, include housing, well-maintained road systems, and cultural and educational programs. The area is already working to meet those demands with projects such as the plan for a new library, the Old Federal Building project, which includes the creation of a Visitors and Tourism Office, and the Center City Project, which includes revamping The Museum and the community theater. “We may have to change our schedule some, but these projects are already in place,” Brown said. “The key here is that this cannot be left to the city, county or the arts community. It’s all of our responsibility. It takes everybody’s commitment.” Officials at Wesley Commons, a continuing care retirement community in Greenwood, say they are prepared to help meet housing needs. The community already houses about 400 retirees, all ages 55 and up and there’s plenty of room for expansion, said Grant Reagin, marketing and sales director. In fact, expansion is something the community already has been looking for. Reagin said Wesley Commons is always preparing for the next stream of retirees to come into Greenwood. Wesley Commons is completely behind the county’s effort, Reagin said. “If that plan has the desired result, it would be one of the best things that could happen to Greenwood County,” he added.

Why retire to Greenwood?
With its quaint Southern charm and prime lakeside location away from the crowding, noise and pollution from the metropolitan areas, Greenwood is an ideal relocation destination for retirees, Lowery said. Another benefit the area has to offer is a “top-notch” regional hospital with a full range of services, Lowery said. Retirees, in general, use more medical services and have the means to pay for them. Retirees would benefit from having Self Regional Healthcare nearby and the hospital would benefit financially from an influx of retirees. Wesley Common also plays a part in attracting retirees to the area. It offers a full continuum of care. Residents of the community can choose independent or assisted living, and when the time comes can move into the Healthcare Center for full-time care. Residents can choose to live in a house, condo or apartment-like facility, where health care is just around the corner. It’s resort living for retirees, Reagin said. All landscaping, cleaning and repairs are taken care of for residents. “All they have to do is what they enjoy doing,” he said. An increasing number of retirees who come to South Carolina are moving to the inland area rather than the coast, where the cost of living is higher, hurricanes pose a danger for most of the year and certain areas have crowding problems. These assets only need to be properly promoted, Lowery said. Other counties in South Carolina, including Beaufort, Georgetown and McCormick counties, are already gaining attention as retirement destinations. McCormick County already has a burgeoning retirement population, thanks in part to the development of Savannah Lakes Village, a premier lakefront club community on Lake Thurmond that caters primarily to wealthy, active retirees and those going into their second careers. Earlier this year, McCormick was named top retirement town in the Carolinas by Retirement Lifestyles in the Carolinas Magazine. Owens recommends that Greenwood County work with McCormick County to develop a regional retiree attraction program.

What others had to say …
The consensus of those who attended the Partnership Alliance’s informational meeting was that marketing Greenwood to retirees is an excellent idea and one the entire county should get behind. By selecting that avenue, the county is less dependent on attracting new industry and manufacturing, said Bruce Lawrence, an area real estate agent who attended the meeting. The competition for new industries is tough and promoting Greenwood as a place to retire and enjoy life might be a better road to take. He added that an influx of retirees to the area would mean a new group of people volunteering, spending money and paying taxes in Greenwood County. “I just hope the county and area businesses will get behind this effort in a very positive fashion and move forward with it,” Lawrence said. Brown, for one, seems confident that will happen. “We are going to see some good things happen with this,” Brown said. “This is something that people will look back on years from now and say ‘it was the decisions made in 2005 and 2006 that really positioned the city for the future.’”

Jackie R. Broach covers general assignments in Greenwood and the Lakelands. She can be reached at 223-1811, ext. 3305, or: jbroach@indexjournal.com