Manufacturers Caring for Pickens County

Tom O’Hanlan, CEO of Sealevel Systems, Inc., is the Forum Chairman for Manufacturers Caring for Pickens County (MCPC). This newly formed group of business leaders has big goals to improve the economic development climate and attractiveness of Pickens County. The mission of MCPC is to reach out to our Pickens County community and to enhance, develop, and enrich our socioeconomic values and conditions to higher and higher levels.

MCPC recently sponsored an event that gathered together guidance counselors from all the Pickens County schools. This event educated the guidance counselors on what manufacturers are looking for in an employee and how they can instill the necessary skills in their students. Manufacturers want and need skilled and educated employees in their work force. Through various efforts in cooperation with the School District of Pickens County and Tri-County Technical College MCPC plans to raise the emphasis on STEM education. Better education not only leads to better employees, but better parents, families and higher quality of life.

An attractive work force will result in new companies expanding and moving to Pickens. More companies leads to more jobs and a larger tax base, resulting in increased budgets to be spent on education and social services. There are also intangible benefits that are driven by economic development within the county and MCPC is striving to make this happen by continuing to work with local companies and organizations.

TaylorMade Golf recently chose to build their golf ball manufacturing facility in Pickens County and that is a sign of good things to come.

MCPC member companies include Tri-Tech USA, Inc., Palmetto Plating Company, Inc., Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co., Inc., Cornell Dubilier, MST Concrete Products, Inc., Sealevel Systems, Inc., and St. Jude Medical.