January 3, 2018

New RiverPort facility to bring greener business and more jobs to Hardeeville

Story by Stassy Olmos
WSAV South Carolina News

HARDEEVILLE, Sc. (WSAV) – Driving on Highway 17 near i-95 in Hardeeville sits a big sign that reads “RiverPort.” While it’s nothing but trees and grass right now, it’s soon to be home to many industrial businesses, the first of which is expected to be up and running by early 2019.

“We have good companies, Fortune 500 companies, who are recognizing the ideal location that Hardeeville has for growth and bringing in industry and commerce to this area,” Hardeeville Mayor Harry Williams said.

The company, Waste Management, will be the first tenant in RiverPort off Highway 17-a 5,000 acre planned development district dating back to 2005.

With grants from the US Department of Energy, the company’s investing $23 million dollars to open the facility. It will create 53 jobs hosting waste management trucks that run on compressed natural gas instead of diesel fuel, they say ultimately reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 14 tons per year.

“Hardeeville has had so many good things happen in 2017,” Williams said, “Including the arrival of Margaritaville and the Argent planned residential district and now with Waste Management, we have a lot of new people coming to this area and that will attract new commercial development as well.”

In fact, RiverPort is just miles from the Savannah Port and the soon to be Jasper Ocean Terminal – which is also expected to bring thousands of jobs to the area.

Mayor Williams expects construction to start this spring – and you might not even notice it – because they plan to keep the trees here on 17 and build about a quarter of a mile in.