After IP mill closure, Georgetown County job fair draws dozens of employers and hundreds of job-seekers

Maya Morant, marketing director for Georgetown County economic development, said the county and partner organizations convened a two-day job fair to help workers displaced by the announced closure of the IP paper mill.

Morant said the event involved partners including SC Works, the regional council of governments (COG), the local school district, the Bunnell Foundation and the City of Georgetown. She reported about 78 employers registered for the first day and 76 for the second, with government employers and companies from neighboring counties taking part.

Attendance was about 300 people on day one and 250 on day two, Morant said. Employers conducted many follow-up and on-site interviews; Morant said some companies held on-the-spot interviews and hires. The host, Jackie Brooch, noted three people were hired on day one.

Morant described employers making commitments to follow up with candidates and emphasized that the county’s priority is helping displaced workers find new employment so families can remain in the community. She encouraged job-seekers to follow up on interviews and contact SC Works and county partners for additional resources.

The county framed the job fair as a collaborative, multi-jurisdictional response to a large private-sector layoff; organizers did not provide a comprehensive tally of eventual hires or placements on the broadcast and directed listeners to follow up with participating agencies for placement metrics.