A Good Neighbor

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A Good Neighbor

When it came time to write a Presentation paper for my Comm 235 course on a company's public relations program, I was able to write on the one I've played a key role in developing for my company. Needless to say, I liked the opportunity to brag a little.

U.S. Group, Inc. is a general contractor managing residential, commercial, and road construction projects across South Carolina. In a field not known for having good community relations, U.S. Group has developed a public relations program to keep the public informed about its five multi-million dollar road construction projects: State Route 802 in Beaufort, the interchange of U.S. Route 378 and I-26 in Columbia, College Park Road in Ladson, State Route 219 in Newberry, and the interchange of U.S. Route 17-A and I-26 in Summerville.

The company’s public relations program centers around three approaches: direct public communications, media communications, and the use of the Internet to supplement its public and media communications, and is overseen by an on-staff public relations specialist working out of the company’s Lowcountry regional office in Summerville. With a background in advertising, political, and Internet communication, Earl Capps, the company’s public relations specialist, manages the company’s public and media communications program. Greg Cook, the company’s Lowcountry Regional Manager, describes the program as part of the company’s “Good Neighbor” philosophy towards community relations, whose objective at to “keep the public more informed, reduce conflicts by being more pro-active in the release of information, and improve the image of U.S. Group (Cook).”

Direct public communications

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...ys Austin (Austin). While U.S. Group’s approach to public relations may not yet be the norm in the road construction industry, the motoring public can rest assured the company remains committed to its public relations program as part of its “Good Neighbor” philosophy.

SOURCES CITED

Austin, Robin. South Carolina Department of Transportation, Traffic Engineering office. Email interview on 20 June 2003.

Capps, Earl. Media Coordinator, U.S. Group, Inc. Personal narrative.

Cook, Greg, P.E. Regional Manager, U.S. Group, Inc. Email interviews on 19 June 2003, and follow-up in-person interview on 20 June 2003.

Hicks, Jim. Chairman, Beaufort County Planning Commission. Email interview on 17 June 2003.

RCIO: Road Construction Information Online. http://www.collegeparkroad.com, http://www.sc802.com, and other project websites. U.S. Group, Inc.

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