Lee Bailey, City Manager, City of Woodruff

Invest: spoke with Lee Bailey, city manager for Woodruff, about the community’s growth trajectory, the importance of partnerships, and the investments positioning the city for its next phase of development. “When you combine that location with the growth already happening here, it puts Woodruff in a strong position within the broader upstate region,” Bailey said.

How would you describe Woodruff’s growth, and how has that evolved over the past year?

Woodruff is in a unique position in its 150-year history. Our community has a lot of opportunities in front of it, and those opportunities are coming from rooftops that are coming to the community, alongside commercial, industrial, and educational opportunities. It is a good time to be in Woodruff, and it is something that our community is proud of.

What specific development types or investments are you seeing, and how are they shaping your priorities?

Right now, we have 7,000 permitted rooftops that are coming to our community. The driving force behind that triggers a lot of things. It triggers industries looking to come here because we have available land, and it triggers more commercial growth, which is something the city is really targeting. It also starts to trigger more demand for government services, such as recreation.

That is why the city has invested in the River Bend Athletic Complex. It is a $35 million recreation project across 102 acres. That is a major investment for us, and it is part of how we are preparing for the community’s growth while also building quality-of-life amenities that support residents and attract additional investment.

What are you hearing from companies and industries looking at Woodruff, particularly around quality of life and workforce?

Workforce is a huge factor in site selection, and a diverse workforce is a huge factor in companies choosing a location. With our growth and the growth in the surrounding areas, that makes Woodruff attractive to potential prospects looking to come in.

When you have BMW in your community, and when AIRSYS has made an investment in the community and established a global headquarters for high-technology products, that is attractive to people. Those kinds of employers reinforce that this is a place where businesses can succeed and where a strong workforce can continue to develop.

For someone who may not be as familiar with the region, what makes Woodruff distinctive and competitive?

Woodruff is geographically located in a prime area. We are right between Greenville and Spartanburg counties and close to two major cities, Spartanburg and Greenville. It is an easy drive, it is located close to an airport, and the interstates are accessible.

That makes it attractive both to industries and to commercial prospects. When you combine that location with the growth already happening here, it puts Woodruff in a strong position within the broader upstate region.

How prepared is the city in terms of land, infrastructure, and utilities to continue supporting upcoming projects?

All of our infrastructure has either expanded or is expanding. We do not have any issues or restrictions when it comes to infrastructure for our utilities. That is an important advantage for Woodruff because it allows us to respond to growth without being held back by capacity issues.

Being prepared on infrastructure is essential if you want to compete for new projects and maintain momentum. We have worked to make sure that expansion is happening alongside growth rather than behind it.

What are developers and investors asking for most today, and how have their expectations shifted?

One thing we are seeing is that developers need help with time. From the city’s perspective, if we are able to help cut down the time it takes to get through permitting and building plan review, that is a huge benefit to developers.

That is a trend we are seeing more of. Developers want to cut time on jobs and move through the process more efficiently. If we can help make that happen, that becomes a real advantage for Woodruff and makes us a better partner for development.

How has population growth affected housing demand, and how are you balancing new development with affordability and community character?

The culture and character of Woodruff are key. Having a strong culture is what makes the community attractive to people who come in. They feel our local hospitality, and they enjoy it. They accept that hospitality, and that sense of welcome is important.

I think that culture is what makes Woodruff strong. It is a proactive culture, and that is what makes us a good partner. As we grow, keeping that identity matters. Growth is important, but what makes people want to be here in the first place is the character of the community.

How are you working with the county, surrounding cities, utilities, and the state to position Woodruff for long-term success?

That is 100% key. Partnerships with all the utilities, Spartanburg County, OneSpartanburg, and the state of South Carolina are essential. If you do not have everybody rowing in the same direction, you are never going to get anything accomplished.

Having proactive partnerships is key to economic growth. No city succeeds in a silo. It takes alignment across organizations and institutions, and that is something we understand clearly in Woodruff.

How is Woodruff tapping into talent development opportunities with local colleges, community colleges, universities, and school systems?

Spartanburg Community College offering free tuition has increased attendance in the area, and that means future employees for local employers. That is huge. It helps strengthen the pipeline of talent and gives people more opportunity to build skills that will benefit both them and the region.

Beyond that, all of our colleges in Spartanburg County help offer a diverse workforce for the future. That matters a great deal as we think about continuing to attract employers and support the companies already here.

What are your top priorities for the next two to three years, and how do you see Woodruff’s role evolving within the region?

In the next two years, I think you will see a lot more commercial growth in Woodruff. That will be driven by Riverbend Athletic Complex and by the homes that are being built here. As more residents come in and as more amenities are added, that will create additional momentum for retail and commercial activity.

I also think you will see a transformation downtown. If you have a tremendous downtown and you also have opportunities and offerings throughout Woodruff, it is going to make it a real commercial hot zone for Spartanburg County. That is a big part of where we see the city heading.