Project Update – August 8, 2025
The contract for the Varnville Cotton Gin Feasibility Study was officially awarded to Success Staging International (SSI) on July 25, 2025. A kick-off meeting was held, and the contract was officially signed, with Bill Jackson and Lee Wheatly representing SSI. Attendees also included Nat Shaffer and Faye Gooding on behalf of the Town of Varnville, and Kimberly Varn representing the Lowcountry Council of Governments (LCOG). Kimberly provided detailed meeting minutes following the session.
Since the kickoff, Lee and Bill have made the following progress on Phase 1 of the study:
- Toured the Colleton Commercial Kitchen, located in Walterboro, SC.
- Initiated the development of a project website to support community engagement and provide ongoing updates.
- Drafted a public survey to collect input from Varnville residents, town council members, and other stakeholders.
- Created a flyer that references both the survey and website to encourage broader participation.
- Began compiling contact-tracking spreadsheets to log communications with relevant individuals and organizations.
- Reached out via email, voicemail, and text message to all Varnville City Council members. (Note: Confirmation of receipt remains pending for four members, and follow-ups are ongoing.)
- Initiated analysis of educational gaps within the Town of Varnville and the broader Hampton County area.
- Coordinated a site visit to the Augusta, GA HUB facility, inviting all Varnville City Council members and the Mayor. As of this update, Faye Gooding is the only Council Member confirmed to attend the tour scheduled for Wednesday, August 14 at 2:00 PM.