In October, 2011, many in Kershaw County, including then County Council Chairman Gene Wise, anxiously awaited a telephone call that would bear exciting, important news: a major company, Continental Tire, would be coming to Kershaw County. The call came, but the news was not what was anticipated -- in fact, it was devastating: Continental Tire, along with more than 1,600 jobs and a half billion dollar investment, was instead going to Sumter County. Missing out on Continental Tire, especially during the painfully slow recovery from the 2008 economic recession, was a heavy blow to bear for Kershaw County.