SeamonWhiteside Expands into the Industrial Sector as Demand in S.C. for Manufacturing & Warehousing Space Hits New Highs
CHARLESTON, S.C. – SeamonWhiteside (SW+), a full-service land design firm with offices throughout the Carolinas, is projected to design and build nearly 30 million square feet of industrial buildings this year alone. The firm’s expansion into the industrial sector comes when the demand for right-shoring — relocating a business’s manufacturing and production operations to the company’s original country — is seeing exponential growth.
Five years ago, SeamonWhiteside began chasing opportunities to expand its industrial sector and anticipated the growing need for relocating warehousing and manufacturing back to the United States as the demand for next-day delivery became today’s standard. This need grew exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic when people relied on next-day delivery as a means of life. As the trend of right-shoring exploded, SeamonWhiteside was ahead of the curve and was prepared with staffing and institutional knowledge to take on these projects.
“In previous years, SeamonWhiteside was developing 100,000 square feet per year in industrial projects. Now we are projecting almost 30 million square feet in 2022; this is not only a change for SeamonWhiteside but a change for South Carolina as a whole,” says William O’Neal, PE, Vice President of SeamonWhiteside. “We have never seen this volume of industrial projects in our state. It is through the innovative nature of this company and our desire to expand and diversify business sectors that we were privy to this trend. This allowed us to anticipate and prepare for these industrial projects before they even came to fruition and be invested in this sector by the time the demand for it rose.”
Industrial projects differ greatly from other designs and require a different skill set, relying heavily on civil engineering and less on landscape architecture. They also need larger capital investments and staffing. Since most industrial projects are in rural areas, there is less government involvement and shorter approval time frames, so the team begins the execution of plans almost immediately after conception.
SeamonWhiteside is proud to expand its industrial sector and is looking forward to witnessing the overall impact these projects will have on the entire state. To date, the majority of industrial projects come from their Mount Pleasant and Greenville offices including Coastal Crossroads, Ladson Industrial Park, Port 95 Business Park, Camp Hall Campus 4, and Palmetto Logistics. SeamonWhiteside has already started the industrial initiative to its Charlotte office as the trend of right-shoring continues to grow.
To learn more about SeamonWhiteside, visit www.seamonwhiteside.com.
About SeamonWhiteside
SeamonWhiteside (SW+) is a full-service land design firm providing master planning, civil
engineering, landscape architecture, urban design, land development management services
and permit coordination to public and private clients throughout the Carolinas. SW+ believes that crafting great places is achieved by blending a deep understanding of the client’s vision, strong relationships, collaborative design, and a passionate team. This approach results in innovative spaces that enrich lives and leave a lasting legacy for future generations. Headquartered in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, SeamonWhiteside also has offices in Summerville, Greenville, Spartanburg and Charlotte, North Carolina. For more information on SW+, visit www.seamonwhiteside.com.
