Rick Farmer

Rick Farmer is the director of Newberry County Economic Development, a position he had held since 2015. Working directly for the county administrator, Rick is responsible for coordinating all economic development activities for Newberry County, including new project recruitment, existing industry programming, product development and marketing. He is in his 27th year of economic development and is a South Carolina Certified Economic Developer (SCCED).

Previous to his career in economic development, Rick graduated with honors from the University of South Carolina, earning a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. For a decade Rick served as a writer for several newspapers, including the Clinton Chronicle, the Greenwood Index-Journal and the Sumter Item.

Since moving to Newberry County, Rick has led local economic development efforts resulting in the successful landings of more than a dozen new projects, including MM Technics, Samsung, KRA, Daeyoung Electronics and Falcon Boats. Additionally, Rick has facilitated more than a dozen announced expansions at existing industries, from local companies like Komatsu, Kiswire, Trucast, West Fraser and Sea Pro Boats. Cumulatively, these new and expansion projects account for more than $800 million in new investments and the creation of more than 2,000 new jobs in Newberry County.

Rick has been active and involved in the S.C. Economic Developers Association (SCEDA) since the beginning of his career. In 2018, Rick received the statewide SCEDA Local Developer Award for his work promoting the economic development interests of Newberry County. In fiscal year 2024-25, Rick served as the organization’s president.

Rick is a resident of Newberry County and is married to Christy Farmer. Together, they have 15-year-old twins, both sophomores at Mid-Carolina High School in Newberry County.