By Jessica Holdman
jholdman@postandcourier.com
âBelkâs distribution center has been a fantastic employer, and County Council is pleased to assist the company as it expands its operations,â Richland County Council Chairman Paul Livingston said.
The company reached its original requirements for the tax break, of creating a $9.5 million investment and 125 new jobs, by 2005.Â
Belk now operates three stores in the Columbia area:
 Columbiana Centre, Richland Mall and the
Village at Sandhill. The company has almost 300 stores across the Southeast from Maryland to Texas.
The long family-owned business was sold in 2015 to
Sycamore Partners, a private equity firm, for a reported $3 billion.