Fairfield Economic Development

"Our technology transfer efforts on behalf of the counties we represent have proven to be a tremendously successful initiative of the Economic Development Partnership. The relationships we’ve developed with the Savannah River National Laboratory, Toyota, Aiken Technical College, USCA-Aiken and others have helped position our region as a leader in hydrogen research and application," said John Troutman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Partnership. "It is now time for us to build upon that successful model in other areas of technology such as alternative fuels, bio-technology, and renewable energy," continued Troutman.

Ronnie Young, Chairman of Aiken County Council issued this statement: "Aiken County Council is pleased to see that Council’s efforts in support of jobs of the future have taken another step forward. Aiken County and the Partnership, together, have already advanced technology far beyond what we could have imagined when we first established the Savannah River Research Campus. The Applied Research Center adds one more dimension to an already strong technology transfer program."

"The new brand we’ve developed, Applied Research Center, or ARC for short, allows Aiken County and the Partnership to expand and encompass new and emerging technologies. The well-established Center for Hydrogen Research and its technology transfer efforts will be included under the new umbrella parent brand." said Fred Humes, Director of the Economic Development Partnership. Humes continued, "We are already actively engaged in many areas of technology transfer other than hydrogen, such as bio-technology, but did not have an all-encompassing brand or recognition for the efforts of the Partnership. The ARC brand will allow us to be more recognizable and focused on our efforts in this important aspect of economic development."

Ben Rex, principal and founder of Cyberwoven, unveiled the new positioning and identity of ARC at the Partnership’s Annual Meeting. "The Partnership has been both thoughtful and visionary in their approach to attracting advanced technology companies to this region and assisting existing companies in adoption of new technology. This branding allows the Partnership to fulfill its mission by leveraging the success of its hydrogen research."

The Economic Development Partnership is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote economic development within Aiken and Edgefield counties, both for existing businesses and for new members of the business community.

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