“Resiliency”

Maya Angelou once said, “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.” When I think about Fairfield County and its proud citizens, the word that comes to mind is resilient. In the late 80’s and early 90’s, Fairfield County was a thriving industrial hub for companies that wanted to do business in a great location near the state’s capital city with easy access to the shipping port in Charleston. Between having a brand-new high school and having abundant job opportunities, the lifestyle in Fairfield was very appealing in this rural county.

As time passed, this once thriving community, saw a shift in the economic climate. Companies moved their operations out of Fairfield and left nothing in their wake. The impact that this outflow of industry had on Fairfield would leave most communities feeling defeated and unable to see a bright future. But not this community; not the citizens of Fairfield County. As challenges and struggles mounted, this community showed its strength and displayed resiliency that has led to a resurgence of this great midland’s county.

When Walmart left, a few business- es, such as IGA and Hibbett’s Sports, came in to fill the needs of these citizens. All around Fairfield County, you see development and revitalization.

Infrastructure that has long been viewed as a disadvantage, is becoming an asset. A school district that was struggling has become a great molder of young scholars. Dominion Energy has stepped in to take over the troubled SCE&G facility and turn that negative into a big positive that will benefit the workforce as well as the overall community. What was once the largest empty manufacturing facility in the state, will soon be used for production again, with plans to expand. The SC Department of Commerce has invested millions of dollars in the development of the I-77 Megasite, that will bring thousands of jobs to Fairfield. These are just a few examples of the great revitalization that is taking place in Fairfield County.

It is said that to truly understand the joy of victory, one must go through the agony of defeat. The citizens of Fairfield County have long experienced defeat, but they did not allow themselves to be defeated. Even in the midst of this turmoil, they knew there was prosperity on the horizon. As a citizen of Fairfield County for the past 8 years, I am extremely proud to say that I will be here to witness this revitalization and I applaud the resiliency of Fairfield County and its citizens.