Originally founded in 1957 by an act of the South Carolina General Assembly, the Sumter Development Board has taken on many forms and challenges throughout the years. The Development Board began operating independently in the mid-1990s as the lead economic development organization in the Sumter Community.

Funded by a three-way partnership of Sumter County Government, the City of Sumter and the Sumter Smarter Growth Initiative, the Development Board’s mission is to increase per capita income by creating jobs and luring capital investment to our community.