Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Michelin Opens Plant for new Tweel product

Local manufacturing giant Michelin is opening a new plant in Piedmont to produce a new wheel / tire design called the Tweel.  The Tweel made the cover of Time Magazine in 2005 and has been touted as a huge breakthrough in automotive technology. The airless design incorporates a molded tread band on a steel rim that is connected to the hub with a series of energy absorbing polyurethane spokes. Michelin has been working on a partnership with John Deer on this innovation and looks to have an impact on the commercial mowing market.  The plant is located near the current Michelin plant at the SCTAC airport, formerly known as the Donaldson Center.

Greenville County Schools and Greater Greenville Market Update


Greenville County Schools Improve / Report Card System to Change

 The SC state report cards are back in with Greenville County District logging in substantial improvement over last year.  Greenville has indeed shown an effort to collaborate and innovate their systems in order to prepare students for career and college readiness.  But the system of measuring progress in the schools will be changing, to merge the South Carolina and federal systems.  Since the federal program “No Child Left Behind” was implemented, the schools have been getting two report cards, which have led to differing results.  The new report cards will add weight to the federal tests, which are more rigorous and easier to interpret.  We can expect those new report cards in 2015.
From the recent SC report cards, Greenville County received the highest award in Absolute Rating with a score of Excellent.  It also showed improvement in Growth, with a score of Good, which is up from last year’s Average rating and indicates that local policies for change are working.  On-time graduation hit its highest score ever with 81.7%.  Overall, almost all (86 of 88) the districts received an Excellent, Good, or Average rating.

Market Update

The market in our area has continued to remain active, even though the Spring and Summer season is over.  Inventory of homes has been increasing a bit after Labor Day, but the strong demand is snapping up the good homes fairly quickly.  Through October, the number of closed transactions has risen 28% over last year, and the median price has increased to $161,900.If you would like to know what your home is worth, click here for an instant property value. 


HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM OUR FAMILIES TO YOURS!