Dewey Evans Keynotes Oconee Economic Alliance’s Annual Meeting
by Site Selection Group, on Mar 4, 2025 7:00:00 AM
The Oconee Economic Alliance (OEA) celebrated another year of economic success at its annual Keowee Key Event Center meeting, featuring a keynote address from Dewey Evans, Vice President at Site Selection Group. Evans provided valuable insights into national site selection trends and their implications for Oconee County’s economic growth.
Evans highlighted the evolution of site selection over the past few years, noting a period of heightened activity in 2022 and 2023, driven in part by businesses seeking federal funding. However, he predicted 2025 would bring a “reversion to the mean,” with a return to steady, sustainable investments.
“A healthy level of activity with what we would call more traditional projects,” Evans said. “So, $80 million of investment, 50 jobs, or $200 million investment, 150 jobs. Still really good quality singles and doubles in that kind of development. A lot of communities honestly prefer that versus the 2,000-job projects because of the workforce strain it puts on a community.”
Evans emphasized Oconee County’s strong position for continued economic development, praising the area’s well-prepared industrial sites. “Being familiar with the sites you all have here, you have a number of sites that are competitive today at different sizes, different scales,” he said. “While there are many communities that have had success, they don’t have those on the shelf, ready to go. So, the next couple of years, I think, there’s a lot of opportunity for Oconee County.”
Evans’ keynote underscored the significance of sustainable, strategic site development as a cornerstone of economic success. As Oconee County continues to attract and accommodate businesses, his insights reinforced the region’s strong foundation for growth in the coming years.
Read more about the OEA annual meeting here.
About Site Selection Group
Site Selection Group LLC is a leading independent location advisory, economic incentive, and corporate real estate firm providing solutions to corporations and communities across the world. Site Selection Group offers four core services to our customers: Location Advisory, Economic Incentive Services, Corporate Real Estate Services, and Economic Development Consulting. Site Selection Group's mission is to align the needs of corporations with the optimal locations in order to provide the absolute maximum economic benefit. For more information, visit www.siteselectiongroup.com.
