A host of contractors from Newberry to Hilton Head came in with lower-than-expected bids to construct the new industrial park, allowing the county to forgo borrowing money to build phase one of the facility.

Contractors from 37 companies requested bid packages to construct phase one of the new Mid-Carolina Commerce Park, according to Alliance Consulting Engineers President Deepal Eliatamby, who has been hired by the county.

Last week, 22 contractors submitted bids for the project which ranged from $1.77 million to $3.08 million.

Satterfield Construction Company, of Greenwood, submitted the low bid for infrastructure at the new industrial park located at Highway 773 and I-26. Less than $200,000 separated the top nine bidders.

Alliance and county officials had estimated the project to come in at $2.68 million.

In the running were local contractors Eagle Construction of Newberry, who bid $2.42 million and McClam & Associates of Little Mountain who bid $2.29 million. The high bidder was Richardson Construction Company of Columbia.

The work will include putting in roads and water and wastewater lines for the first phase of the commerce park.

The bids on the project were much lower than expected with Eliatamby stating the bids for the work will not be used by his company when formulating estimates.

County Council voted to borrow $1.2 million on the project, but with grants and gifts and the low construction bids, the county would not have to borrow any money on the project.

The project received a $1 million grant from the Economic Development Administration, $290,000 from an electric cooperative grant, $483,253 from an industrial water and sewer fund grant, $400,000 from the S.C. Department of Commerce and $25,000 from AT&T.

The extra money in the budget will be used for landscaping, signage and design work for Phase 2 of the project. If the county has the design work ready for Phase 2, it may be able to use it to apply for stimulus funds.

The next steps in the process will be to complete a checklist with the Economic Development Administration, for Satterfield to present bonds and a preconstruction conference.

Ground for the project should be broken by Satterfield Construction around mid-March.