ROCK HILL, S.C. — The city of Rock Hill and York County have approved an incentive deal for a new Octapharma development, bringing 1,500 high-paying jobs and a $1.5 billion investment to the city.
The biopharmaceutical company will establish its facility on the former Panthers practice site.
The agreement was reached after weeks of debate and disagreements between city and county leaders over tax breaks.
The new positions are expected to offer an average annual wage of more than $100,000, promising a multi-generational impact on the area.
Rock Hill Mayor John Gettys welcomed Octapharma to the city following the vote. Gettys emphasized the financial benefits for residents.
“The average wage of those jobs will be well over $100,000 a year, and it’ll be on property that we know will kickstart opportunities for us in the future,” Gettys said.
However, in-fighting between the city and York County nearly derailed the deal. In June, county leaders voted to have Rock Hill shoulder a greater share of the tax break for Octapharma, with the aim of directing more money to Rock Hill schools. The county council supported this plan, but the city rejected it, leading to a public dispute.
Rock Hill Council Member Sarah Vining expressed strong criticism regarding the earlier disagreements.
“The carelessness presented by these four and then five county council members through this avoidable debacle should make everyone question their integrity and ability to hold public office,” Vining said.
Another Rock Hill Council Member, Nikita Jackson, highlighted the need for improved communication between the governing bodies.
“I just hope moving forward we can all get together before things play out in public—for the public to see how ugly it can be and how ugly it did get,” Jackson said.
County leaders revised the deal this week, leading to the city’s vote today. Under the revised 40-year agreement, Rock Hill schools will receive $286.8 million in tax revenue.
The City of Rock Hill will receive $71.4 million, and York County will receive $50.8 million. This revised structure provides the district with an additional $65 million.
Rock Hill Schools acknowledged the efforts to support students. “As Octapharma Plasma becomes part of our community, Rock Hill Schools appreciates everyone’s commitment to supporting our students. We value partnerships that help create opportunities for student success and strengthen our community,” said representative Laurabree Monday.
Rock Hill resident Crystal Crockett also voiced her approval of the collaborative outcome. “I think it’s important that they collaborated together and were able to get a deal together. Education is important,” Crockett said.
Rock Hill School Board Member Jennifer Hutchinson released a statement regarding the decision, saying:
“I would like to thank the Rock Hill City Council for their vote today in approving the final agreement of Project Palmetto Rock. Octapharma Plasma will be a transformative opportunity for our community.
The students of Rock Hill will benefit for this in many ways, not only in revenue gained for our district but future opportunities for our students as this area grows.
Hearing the comments of our City Council members, I receive and agree that the school district must now be good stewards of this opportunity.
We should make the appropriate investments to ensure that our students have the competitive advantage in this ever-changing world.
I am hopeful that collaboration can happen and I look forward to working with the City of Rock Hill and York County Council as we move forward from this point ensuring we all work to keep our community growing.”
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