Thinking out loud about the chances for Michelin

The next few weeks are likely to dictate the fate for Michelin’s purchase-option arrangement with Oconee’s Golden Corner Commerce Park at Fair Play.  The purchase-option expires in a few weeks, and county officials expect to hear—one way or the other—whether the Michelin company will follow through with a commitment to build a distribution center. Richard Blackwell, chief economic recruiter for Oconee, says, “I check in weekly with the company and as of my last discussion, there has been no update on timelines associated with exercising the purchase option agreement that has been in place since August 2014.” Meantime, there’s talk about an alternate plan if Michelin decides against coming to Oconee.  Oconee planning commissioner and Fair Play resident Ryan Honea has a couple of ideas about what could be the holdup.  One is money.  Another is the potential that Oconee could be competing with another suitor at the eleventh hour.  “You’ve got Anderson, and it looks like they would like to lure it down to Anderson on property they bought across from Michelin on the Clemson Boulevard.”