John Truluck, SCCED
Director of Economic Development
We are often asked, “what exactly is economic development?” That’s a good question because the definition and process vary greatly from state to state, county to county, and town to town.
Economic development has been defined as:
- The process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region or local community are improved.
- A process of creating and utilizing physical, human, financial, and social assets to generate improved and broadly shared economic well-being and quality of life for a community or region.
- Broadly based and sustainable increase in the overall standard of living for individuals within a community.
In Dorchester County, our economic development mission is to create an environment that supports new business growth and retention to provide the opportunity for our citizens to grow and prosper in the County. Simply put, we seek to diversify our tax base by recruiting and retaining industries with high-quality, high-paying jobs.
Economic development is a team sport and we have an all-star squad working together to forward our mission. Without the support of our County administration and elected officials, Board of Directors and investors, and our regional allies, success wouldn’t be possible.
In 2018 we established a non-profit fundraising initiative, Advance Dorchester. Today we have more than 90 business leaders who have invested in this campaign. Those funds are directed towards enhanced marketing campaigns, workforce development programs, as well as product and prospect development. These four pillars are essential to attracting the right industries to Dorchester County and ensuring we have the talent and products available to successfully compete for their business.
We work diligently to tell our story in a compelling and strategic way, ready our workforce and infrastructure, so that when opportunity comes along we are best positioned to capitalize on it. We are convinced that with thoughtful planning and preparation, Dorchester County’s best days are ahead of us.
