South Carolina Commerce 2010

South Carolina southcarolinaeconomicdevelopment.com

commerce

Fasten Your Seatbelts BMW opens new facility

Higher and Hire

Workforce programs excel

Rarified Air

Boeing project takes flight What’s Online  An extensive photo gallery shows you all that South Carolina offers.

Sponsored by the South Carolina Department of Commerce | sccommerce.com | 2011

If you are thinking about locating a facility in South Carolina, come see what’s growing in Florence County.

From manufacturing and distribution to financial services and health care, we’re home to business of all types.

Why? Because we provide a winning combination of a diverse workforce, superior logistics, a business-friendly community and a quality of life second to none.

We invite you to come to Florence County and enjoy what many worldclass businesses have already found: a fertile, proven and successful location for business and industry.

Come to a place where you can live happily and your business can prosper.

From certified building sites to large developable tracts, Florence offers a variety of land options with excellent access to utilities and transportation.

We offer a comprehensive set of economic development incentives and planning tools to assist you, and we’re ready to work with you to identify and secure the location that best suits the needs of your project.

Joe W. King, Executive Director If you are interested in expanding or relocating to a proven successful place for business and industry, please contact:

Florence County Economic Development Partnership

Post Office Box 100549 • Florence, SC 29502 On the campus of Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (843) 676-8796 • Fax: (843) 676-8799 • www.fcedp.com

A world of opportunity Join Progress Today!

Intense networking since 1983 (843) 676-8796 www.fcprogress.com

South Carolina commerce

40 Workstyle Fasten Your Seatbelts

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BMW’s massive expansion underscores South Carolina’s stature as an auto giant.

In Rarified Air

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The Boeing Co.’s Dreamliner project propels South Carolina’s aerospace industry to new heights.

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Higher and Hire

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The state’s standout workforce programs boost corporate investment and prepare workers for jobs.

Anchoring the Economy

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South Carolina’s deep-water port is ‘big-ship ready,’ and expansions are attracting new users.

Table of Contents Continued

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On the Cover BMW has expanded dramatically in South Carolina.

Photo by Todd Bennett

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South Carolina commerce

201 1 Edition , volum e 1 Content Director Bill McMeekin

Insight Overview

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Copy Editors Lisa Battles, Joyce Caruthers, Jill Wyatt

Business Almanac

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Contributing writers melanie hill, Heather Johnston Johnson, Katie Kuehner-Hebert, bill lewis, Joe Morris, Claire Ratliff

Business Climate

18

Site Guide

54

Transportation

56

Energy/Technology

62

Economic Profile

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Proofreading Manager Raven Petty Content Coordinator Jessica Walker Staff Writer Kevin Litwin

Media Technology Director Christina Carden Senior Graphic Designers Laura Gallagher, Jessica Manner, Janine Maryland, Kris Sexton, Candice Sweet, Vikki Williams Media Technology Analysts Chandra Bradshaw, Lance conzett, Michele Niccore, Marcus Snyder Photography Director Jeffrey S. Otto Senior Photographers Jeff Adkins, Brian McCord Staff Photographers Todd Bennett, Antony Boshier Web Content Managers John Hood, Kim Madlom Web Design Director Franco Scaramuzza Web Designer Leigh Guarin Web Developer i Yamel Hall Ad Production Manager Katie Middendorf Ad Traffic Assistants Krystin Lemmon, Patricia Moisan I.T. Director Yancey Bond Regional Sales Manager Charles Sweeney Sales Support/Community, Business, Custom Rachael Goldsberry Senior Accountant Lisa Owens Accounts Payable Coordinator Maria McFarland Accounts Receivable Coordinator Diana Guzman Office Manager/Accounts Receivable Coordinator Shelly Miller Integrated Media Manager Clay Perry Sales Support Manager Cindy Hall color imaging technician Alison Hunter Chairman Greg Thurman President/Publisher Bob Schwartzman

Livability Image Gallery

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Health Care & Biotechnology

70

Education & Research

74

Coastal Communities, Tranquil Foothills and Heartland Regions

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Executive Vice President Ray Langen Senior V.P./Sales Todd Potter, Carla Thurman Senior V.P./Operations Casey Hester Senior V.P./Client Development Jeff Heefner V.P./Content Development Teree Caruthers V.P./Custom Publishing Kim Newsom

All or part of this magazine is printed with soy ink on recycled paper containing 10% post-consumer waste.

V.P./Visual Content Mark Forester V.P./Content Operations Natasha Lorens V.P. Sales Charles Fitzgibbon, Herb Harper, Jarek Swekosky

Please recycle this magazine

Controller Chris Dudley Content Director/Travel Publications Susan Chappell Marketing Creative Director Keith Harris Distribution Director Gary Smith Executive Secretary Kristy Duncan Human Resources Manager Peggy Blake Receptionist Linda Bishop

South Carolina Commerce is published semi-annually

by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through the South Carolina Department of Commerce.

For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by e-mail at info@jnlcom.com.

For more information, contact: South Carolina Department of Commerce 1201 Main Street, Suite 1600 • Columbia, SC 29201-3200 Phone: (803) 737-0400 • Fax: (803) 737-0894 sccommerce.com

Visit South Carolina Commerce online at southcarolinaeconomicdevelopment.com ©Copyright 2010 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.

Produced in conjunction with the South Carolina Department of Commerce. Content developed in collaboration with Joe E. Taylor Jr., Secretary of Commerce, and Kara Borie, Marketing and Communications Manager.

Member Member

The Association of Magazine Media Custom Content Council

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South Carolina commerce

CONNECTIONS

ONLINE An online resource at southcarolinaeconomicdevelopment.com

digital Magazine >>

South Carolina southcarolinaeconomicdevelopment.com

COmmeRCe

Fasten Your Seatbelts BMW opens new facility

Higher and Hire

Workforce programs excel

Rarified Air

Boeing project takes flight What’s Online An extensive photo gallery shows you all that South Carolina offers.

Lifestyle Find out what it’s like to live here and what makes the state such a special place to be.

SpOnSORed bY tHe SOutH CAROlinA depARtment OF COmmeRCe | SCCOmmeRe.COm | 2011

Read the magazine on your computer, zoom in on articles and link to advertiser Web sites.

Ready to Work.

Ready to Build.

Ready for

Business.

News and Notes >> Our editors give you the inside scoop on the latest development and trends across the state.

Workstyle A spotlight on innovative companies that call the state home.

success breeds success >> Meet the people who set the pace for business innovation.

Dig Deeper >> Plug into the state with links to local Web sites and resources to give you a big picture of the region.

Data Central >> A wealth of demographic and

Certified Workforce.

Certified Sites.

Certified Assistance.

Find it all in South Carolina’s Certified Business Ready® Region.

statistical information puts the entire state at your fingertips.

See the Video Our award-winning photographers give you a virtual tour of unique spaces, places and faces.

guide to services >> Links to a cross section of goods and services special to the state.

go online

southcarolinaeconomicdevelopment.com

www.SouthernCarolina.org 803.541.0023 Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell and Hampton Counties of South Carolina, USA

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Simply the Best in the Business the state ranks second in the nation in employment concentration of industrial engineers, third for industrial engineering technicians and fourth for environmental engineering technicians.

A sophisticated and integrated transportation network includes five commercial airports, easy access to major interstates, more than 41,000 miles of state-maintained highways and the deep-water Port of Charleston, one of the busiest ports along the East and Gulf coasts.

Efforts by the South Carolina Department of Commerce to aggressively recruit new business investment and the state’s efforts to create highly favorable business conditions have caused an impressive roster of household names across a spectrum of industries to put down roots in the Palmetto State, from Monster.com® to Roche, Starbucks to adidas, and Google to General Electric.

“Our project managers are simply the best in the business. They are smart, professional and take great pride in their work. Most importantly, they take the time to truly understand the objectives of the companies recruited to South Carolina,” says Joe Taylor, South Carolina Secretary of Commerce.

With its highly skilled workforce, business-friendly environment, highly competitive cost structure and superb quality of life, South Carolina is a magnet for new jobs, investment and growth.

From the Lowcountry to the Upstate, activity is abundant.

The Boeing Co., for example, is building its second final assembly facility for the 787 Dreamliner program in North GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG CHEROKEE Charleston, creating more Rock Hill PICKEN S YORK Spartanburg Greenville than 4,000 jobs. BMW OCONEE Manufacturing Co. has MARLBORO LANCASTE R UNION CHESTER invested $750 million in Cheraw CHESTERFIELD a 1.5 million-square-foot Kershaw Anderson DILLON expansion of its Spartanburg FAIRFIELD LAURENS ANDERSON KERSHAW NEWBERRY DARLINGTO N County operations, where it employs more than 7,000 people.

LEE ABBEVILLE Florence Marion South Carolina has been ranked RICHLAND GREENWOOD SALUDA FLORENCE MARION among the top five most pro-business Columbia Sumter H O R RY McCORMICK states for the past six years by Pollina SUMTE R LEXINGTON Conway Corporate Real Estate. Site Selection CLARENDON CALHOUN EDGEFIELD magazine consistently names South Carolina Myrtle Beach Kingstree WILLIAMSBURG in the top 10 in its Top State Business Climates Aiken and in its survey based on business executives’ ORANGEBURG AIKEN GEORGETOWN opinions. And Area Development named South Georgetown Carolina a 2010 Silver Shovel Award winner in BARNWELL BAMBERG recognition of economic development efforts in 2009.

BERKELE Y DORCHESTER CHARLESTON Workforce development programs such as readySC™, Goose Creek Summerville ALLENDALE which offers coordinated training through the state’s COLLETON North Charleston 16 technical colleges at little or no cost for eligible Mount Pleasant HAMPTON Charleston new or expanding companies, consistently rank CHARLESTON among the nation’s best.

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Above: Members of the South Carolina Department of Commerce Global Business Development Sales Team

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Cable Ready One of the world’s leading producers of power and telecommunication cables and systems has expanded its presence in South Carolina in a very big way.

Prysmian Power Cables and Systems USA has invested $46 million to build the first extra-high voltage, vertical continuous vulcanization (VCV) power cable factory in North America at its manufacturing operations in Abbeville County.

The expansion, located next to the company’s existing medium- and low-voltage power cable manufacturing operation, created 32 jobs. The company says the new operation reduces the need for North American imports of extruded extra high-voltage technology, paper oil impregnated cable types and overhead power lines, which will be needed for expected upgrades to the nation’s power grid. A 373-foot tower that is part of the VCV manufacturing process is the tallest structure in South Carolina.

Company executives say the new operation combines state-of-the-art vertical extrusion manufacturing technology and a highly skilled workforce in Abbeville County.

A Powerful New Opportunity Pure Power Technologies LLC has launched a research and development operation in the Columbia Technical Center. Pure Power, a Navistar company, produces diesel power systems and advanced emissions control systems for commercial and defense markets.

A Jolt of Good News in Greenville South Carolina’s workforce capabilities and proven strength in advanced manufacturing helped draw Proterra Inc. to South Carolina.

In addition to the Columbia research facility, the company also operates a manufacturing plant in nearby Blythewood. In announcing its decision, Pure Power noted the community’s highly skilled workforce and leadingedge research capabilities.

The company, which develops and assembles drive and energy storage systems for heavy-duty vehicles, is setting up shop in Greenville County.

Proterra and its partners design, develop and assemble all-electric and battery-dominant hybrid drive solutions and complete vehicles for use as transit, school and commercial buses, and parcel delivery vehicles.

The company expects to invest $68 million and create more than 1,300 new jobs over the next seven years. The company produced its first all-electric bus in South Carolina in July 2010 at its temporary facilities.

Proterra plans to establish its permanent operations at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research.

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Almanac A Pet- and People-Friendly Investment Nutramax Laboratories Inc. and Nutramax Manufacturing Inc. will invest approximately $12.5 million in South Carolina, where it will acquire, update and expand existing facilities in Lancaster County.

The company plans to create at least 203 new jobs over the next five years. Nutramax Laboratories develops, manufactures and markets premium products to support the active lifestyles of people and animals. Its product roster includes Dasuquin® and Cosequin®, joint-health supplements for dogs, cats and horses; Denamarin® and Denosyl®, liver-health supplements for dogs and cats; and Cosamin®, a joint-health supplement line for people.

The company decided to locate in South Carolina after a three-year search because Lancaster County offered “the perfect setting” for the company to grow and employees and their families to live in an area with affordable housing, plentiful recreational opportunities and a good quality of life.

Adidas Laces Up in Spartanburg You’ll need a good pair of sneakers to get around the adidas Distribution Center in Spartanburg County.

The 1.9 million-square-foot distribution center, which opened in May 2010, employs more than 1,500 people.

It is adidas’ largest in the world and serves North America. From the facility, adidas can deliver 80 percent of all products in three days or less in the United States.

The distribution centers hold more than 700,000 products, including items for the Reebok brand that adidas acquired in 2006.

They’re Calling on Blythewood Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) chose Richland County for its OnShore Delivery initiative, which aims to provide an alternative to offshore information technology outsourcing services.

The company offers a broad range of IT services to its aerospace, defense and public sector clients.

The launch of the onshore delivery center in Blythewood expanded CSC’s existing operations in the community, which support the company’s financial-services sector clients, and added 300 jobs.

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A Giant Invests in Florence Florence County doesn’t mind having this monster in its backyard. Monster.com®, the online career and recruitment behemoth, opened its new customer service facility in Florence in late fall 2009. The 75,000-squarefoot center currently houses 150 full-time employees and can accommodate an increase of up to 750 employees, the number of jobs the company has committed to create. The company says it selected Florence because of its workforce talent, standard of living and educational resources required to ensure Monster.com® leads the online recruitment industry in proactive services for its customers.

Art O’Donnell, the company’s executive vice president of global customer service, said at the project announcement that Florence “is the ideal choice for us because it’s a rapidly developing labor market with the talent we’ll need to bring best-in-class service to our customers.”

Geared Up for Production in Aiken South Carolina has been extremely successful in capturing foreign direct investment. Another example of that success came in March 2010 with the news that MTU Detroit Diesel Inc. had selected Aiken County for a new manufacturing facility where it will make Series 2000 and Series 4000 engines.

Engineering an Expansion in Charleston Scientific Research Corp. (SRC), an advanced engineering company that provides technology solutions to customers in the government, private industry and international markets, is expanding operations at its Charleston County facility. SRC’s business activities are focused on a broad range of information, communications, security and intelligence, simulation, training and instrumentation systems.

SRC is investing $4 million and adding 300 new jobs over the next five years, bringing its workforce total in Charleston to 1,000. The latest expansion follows a May 2009 expansion that added 100 jobs and 20,000 square feet to its state-of-the-art, 65,000-square-foot operations in North Charleston.

The Tognum Group, MTU’s Germanbased parent company, will invest $45 million in a 270,000-square-foot facility that is expected to create 250 jobs over the next four years.

MTU is a major provider of diesel engines and drive and propulsion systems for ships, heavy-duty land and rail vehicles, and distributed energy. The company says the Aiken County investment is part of its strategy to increase manufacturing in the markets where its products are sold.

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Business Climate

Low Taxes

Business Recruitment

Workforce

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Business Is Pleasure South Carolina recruiting efforts pay big dividends Story by Kevin Litwin

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ousehold names such as Google, Boeing, BMW, Michelin, General Electric and Roche have invested in South Carolina over the last few years, and the momentum continues today with even more new business investments, relocations and expansions.

South Carolina’s proactive steps to create a business-friendly environment are paying major dividends. The state boasts low tax rates, business-friendly tort and workers’ compensation systems, world-class transportation assets, major research facilities and a commitment to a skilled workforce.

“South Carolina’s success in recruiting new investment and jobs is a strong reflection on our state’s skilled workforce, unmatched market access and, most importantly, our understanding that businesses locate where they can be successful, and that means low regulatory burdens and low tax rates,” says Joe Taylor, South Carolina Secretary of Commerce.

The department’s initiatives span everything from business recruitment to attracting foreign investment through offices in Europe and Asia to promoting export activities and helping businesses break into foreign markets. The department assists with building and site location, links

companies to a suite of financing resources, provides grants for community development and infrastructure improvements, and offers a range of workforce development programs.

That business-friendly environment has gained notice. South Carolina ranked fourth on the Pollina Corporate Real Estate’s Top 10 Pro-Business States for 2010, the sixth consecutive year it ranked in the top 10. Site Selection magazine

consistently names South Carolina in the top 10 in its Top State Business Climates and also in its survey based on business executives’ opinions.

And Area Development named South Carolina a 2010 Silver Shovel Award winner in recognition of economic development projects in 2009.

The momentum has led to a string of major investment and expansion announcements. In May 2010, First Quality Tissue unveiled a $1 billion plan for a new tissue and paper towel

Top 10 Job Announcements (2009 to October 2010) The Boeing Co., Charleston County

3,800*

Proterra Inc., Greenville County

1,300

Crane Co., Barnwell County

1,000

Red Ventures, Lancaster County

1,000

First Quality Enterprises Inc., Anderson County

1,000

ZF Group, Laurens County

900

Moulton Logistics Management, Berkeley County

500

Caterpillar Inc., Newberry County

500

DHL Global Forwarding, Lexington County

400

Scientific Research Corp., Charleston County

300

*Minimum performance required by law

more at southcarolinaeconomicdevelopment.com so u t hcaro l i n a e co n o m i c d e v e l o p m e n t . co m

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P h o t o C o u rt e s y o f Fr e d R o l l i s o n , P h o t o gr a p h e r © 2 010 B M W M a n u fa ct u r i n g C o .

BMW is helping power South Carolina’s growth. Since 1992, the automaker’s impact on the overall state economy is estimated at some $8.8 billion. Overall, BMW’s complex supports 23,050 jobs in the state, generating $1.2 billion annually in wages and salaries.

manufacturing facility in Anderson County. More than 550 construction workers are currently building the plant, scheduled to open in 2011.

First Quality Tissue will ultimately create 1,000 new jobs at the facility.

“Among the factors that attracted First Quality to Anderson County are the pool of skilled labor, a positive work ethic and the availability of the infrastructure necessary to sustain our facility,” says Frank Ludovina, company representative for First Quality. “Just as important, however, is the pro-business environment.”

In July 2010, German manufacturer ZF Group announced plans to invest $350 million in a new manufacturing plant in Laurens County to produce fuel-efficient automatic transmissions for the passenger car and light-truck

TOP 10 CAPITAL INVESTMENTS (2009 to October 2010) First Quality Enterprises Inc., Anderson County

$1 billion

The Boeing Co., Charleston County

$750 million*

ZF Group, Laurens County

$350 million

Peregrine Energy Corp., Darlington County

$135 million

Johnson Controls, Florence County

$100 million

Boeing Fabrication Interiors South Carolina, Charleston County $100 million Proterra Inc., Greenville County

$68 million

Mohawk Industries Inc., Marlboro County

$60 million

TBC Corp. (Tire Kingdom), Berkeley County

$52 million

Defense Venture Group, Lancaster County

$50 million

*Minimum performance required by law

more at southcarolinaeconomicdevelopment.com so u t hcaro l i n a e co n o m i c d e v e l o p m e n t . co m

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market, a move expected to create 900 jobs. ZF, which already has a strong presence in the state, cited South Carolina’s proximity to major transportation hubs, competitive business environment and skilled workforce as major advantages that factored into its growth plans.

Between 2007 and 2009 alone, South Carolina recruitment efforts led to more than $10.5 billion in capital investment and the creation of 52,663 new jobs.

Here are just a few examples: Google established a $600 million data center in Berkeley County, while DuPont is investing $500 million in Berkeley County for a Kevlar fiber production facility. The state also welcomed an expansion by online employment giant Monster.com® and a frozen food production operation by H.J. Heinz, both in Florence County.

Proterra Inc., a company specializing in design, development and assembly of all-electric and battery-dominant hybrid-drive solutions and complete vehicles for commercial applications, is investing $68 million and will create more than 1,300 new jobs in Greenville County.

Freight distribution company Moulton Logistics Management is putting a new distribution and logistics facility in Berkeley County, a $25 million investment that is expected to generate 500 new jobs in the next five years. Additionally, global specialty chemicals and materials manufacturer Cytec Industries expanded its carbon fiber manufacturing plant in Greenville County.

Electric vehicle manufacturer CT&T (a joint venture with 2AM Group) picked a site in Duncan for its first North American assembly operation.

Caterpillar’s Electric Power Division, which makes diesel- and gas-powered generators, announced an expansion that will add 500 jobs at its Newberry County plant.

Starbucks opened a roasting plant in Calhoun County in 2009 that created 160 new jobs. Company

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officials chose South Carolina based on several factors, including workforce availability, transportation access, quality of life and strong support from local and state leaders.

“Our new facility helps us meet increasing demand for our premium coffees and allows us to support our growth in the Southeast,” says Peter Gibbons, Starbucks senior vice president of manufacturing. “Starbucks is pleased to strengthen ties with the South Carolina business community.”

And it’s not just individual companies that are trumpeting South Carolina’s business advantages. CNBC ranked South Carolina’s workforce fifth best in the nation and ranked the state sixth best in the nation for cost of doing business.

“Our state’s business-friendly climate, access to markets, quality workforce and excellent infrastructure are attracting high-tech, high-growth companies offering exceptional job opportunities,” Taylor says.

NATIONAL NOTICE Recent national accolades for South Carolina’s business environment: Business Facilities: South Carolina ranks first for Economic Growth Potential, third for Automotive Manufacturing Strength and fourth for Best Business Climate in the magazine’s 2010 rankings. The South Carolina Department of Commerce received the 2009 Deal of the Year award from Business Facilities. South Carolina took the magazine’s Gold Award for the selection of North Charleston as the site of The Boeing Co.’s second final assembly plant for the 787 Dreamliner commercial airplane.

Chief Executive: South Carolina ranks as one of the 10 best states in which to do business in the magazine’s annual poll of CEOs. CNBC: Ranks South Carolina’s workforce fifth best in the nation; ranks the state eighth for access to transportation in all its modes; and ranks the state sixth best in the nation for cost of doing business. development counsellors international: South Carolina has the sixth-most favorable business climate in the United States, according to a survey of senior-level U.S. corporate executives and site selection consultants. forbes: Ranked South Carolina sixth best in 2009 for its pro-business regulatory environment. Forbes considered the state’s regulatory and tort climate, incentives, transportation and bond ratings. pollina corporate real estate: Ranked South Carolina fourth on its Top 10 Pro-Business States for 2010, the sixth consecutive year the state has ranked in the top 10. the small business & entrepreneurship council: The nonprofit advocacy group ranks South Carolina as the seventh-most entrepreneur-friendly state in the nation.

U.S. Census bureau: South Carolina was the nation’s 11th-fastest-growing state, with a population growth rate of 1.3 percent from July 1, 2008, to July 1, 2009, according to Census Bureau estimates.

Making Big Deals South Carolina lands substantial job-generating projects South Carolina’s economic engines have been in overdrive for the last several years. The state recruited nearly 37,000 jobs in 2008 and 2009 alone, and capital investment in the billions of dollars. A number of high-profile location or expansion projects, each creating thousands of jobs, have been announced in the state.

Here are just a few examples: • The Boeing Co. selected North Charleston as the location for a second final assembly site for the 787 Dreamliner program, bringing hundreds of millions of dollars in capital investment and more than 4,000 new permanent jobs.

$1 billion and create 1,000 new jobs.

• ZF Group announced plans to invest $350 million in a new manufacturing facility in Laurens County to produce fuel-efficient automatic transmissions for the passenger car and light-truck market, a move expected to create 900 jobs.

• Proterra Inc., which designs, develops and assembles allelectric and battery-dominant hybrid-drive solutions and complete vehicles for commercial applications, including transit, school

and commercial buses, and parcel delivery vehicles, is locating a facility at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research.

Proterra expects it will invest $68 million and create more than 1,300 new jobs over the next seven years in Greenville County.

• Crane Co. is consolidating its North American vending operations into its Dixie-Narco facility in Williston in Barnwell County, a $20 million investment expected to create 1,000 jobs in a five-year span.

• First Quality Tissue is building a manufacturing facility in Anderson County utilizing a state-of-the-art Thru-Air-Dried technology and a complete line of converting equipment.

The company plans to invest

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What’s Online Learn more about South Carolina’s advantages online at southcarolinaeconomicdevelopment.com.

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In the Fast Lane BMW’s expansion underscores state’s place as an auto giant

Story by Katie Kuehner-Hebert

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n 2008, BMW Manufacturing Co. announced plans to invest an additional $750 million in its Upstate South Carolina factory, adding 500 new jobs. The expansion – BMW’s largest single investment in a state where it has had a manufacturing presence since 1993 – will allow the automaker to produce three models and increase production capacity to 240,000 units by 2012.

The Spartanburg County facilities are BMW’s only assembly operations in North America. BMW’s massive expansion underscores the Palmetto State’s stature as a major center of the automotive industry. The project adds a new 1.5 million-square-foot plant to the company’s existing 2.5 millionsquare-foot Spartanburg County campus, including a 300,000-squarefoot expansion of the paint shop.

The new facilities, which opened in October 2010, increased BMW’s overall investment to $4.6 billion in Spartanburg County, where more than 7,000 people work for the company.

The opening came as the company launched the next-generation BMW X3 Sports Activity Vehicle, which will be made exclusively in South Carolina and sold around the globe.

BMW’s expansion of its Spartanburg County site is larger than its first facility, enabling the company to increase production capacity from 160,000 to 240,000 units by 2012, says Max Metcalf, manager of communications for BMW Manufacturing. The German company initially chose South Carolina because of its superior transportation infrastructure, which includes an interstate highway system with close proximity to international airports and the Port of Charleston.

The availability of a deep-water port was a huge benefit for BMW, as was the state’s skilled workforce.

“The boost in the production capacity at BMW Manufacturing will positively impact the logistics, supplier and distribution networks that support the manufacturing processes,”

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South Carolina economic development leaders see the BMW expansion as a job-generating machine that will draw new automotive-related suppliers to the state. said Josef Kerscher, president of BMW Manufacturing.

Kerscher says existing supplier companies will ramp up operations to provide automotive parts for the higher production levels, doubling parts container traffic and significantly increasing exports through the Port of Charleston.

With the opening of its new facility,

p h o t o b y T o d d Be n n e t t

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BMW will export the X3, X5 and X6 worldwide from South Carolina. In 2009, South Carolina exports of motor cars and vehicles worldwide totaled more than $4 billion.

South Carolina economic development leaders see the BMW expansion as a job-generating machine that will draw new automotive-­ related suppliers to the state and spur

expansions at existing suppliers.

“BMW’s expansion in South Carolina will have a tremendous impact on the region and the entire state. We expect to see new suppliers come to the state and existing suppliers grow as a result of this announcement, and that means new jobs and lots of new supplier jobs all over South Carolina,” says

Joe Taylor, South Carolina Secretary of Commerce.

creating programs that provide the necessary skills for the best and brightest to succeed and grow with BMW,” says Robert Hitt, department manager, corporate affairs for BMW Manufacturing.

Automotive-related manufacturing employs more than 30,000 people in South Carolina, a state that includes operations for companies such as Michelin North America, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, Robert Bosch, Daimler AG, American LaFrance, Honda South Carolina and Caterpillar. These investments have increased the proliferation of hundreds of component

Workforce Lures Business Laying the groundwork for that expansion were state efforts to further enhance a business-friendly climate, commit the resources to develop a deep pool of highly skilled workers and maximize the state’s world-class port and other transportation assets.

“The automotive industry is constantly evolving, so BMW always needs a well-educated and talented labor pool from which to draw. South Carolina has shown an exceptional commitment to working with us on

manufacturers and suppliers in the state to serve them.

“BMW really put us on the map, and today we have nine original equipment manufacturers (OEMs),” says Jack Ellenberg, deputy secretary for new investment at the Department of Commerce. “We also have well over 250 companies in the state supporting the automotive industry – with at least one supplier in 38 of our 46 counties. They don’t just serve the OEMs in South Carolina, but their presence has also helped attract Mercedes and Volkswagen to the Southeast.”

In 2009 alone, South Carolina

P h o t o C o u rt e s y o f © 2 010 B M W M a n u fa ct u r i n g C o .

P h o t o C o u rt e s y o f © 2 01 0 B M W M a n u fa ct u r i n g C o .

Clockwise from left: The BMW Zentrum is a museum and visitor center at the company’s Spartanburg County operations; an expansion at the BMW operations in South Carolina will allow production capacity to increase to 240,000 units by 2012; the BMW Analysis Center

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companies announced more than $286 million in new capital investment and 1,852 new jobs from automotive industry projects.

Michelin North America, which has had manufacturing operations in the state since 1973 and its headquarters in Greenville since 1984, produces tires in six of its 12 facilities throughout the state, employing about 7,800 people, says Steve Evered, Michelin’s director of government affairs.

Like BMW, one of the factors that attracted Michelin to South Carolina was the Port of Charleston, where Michelin ships its tires made in the state to customers around the world.

“It remains a key ingredient to our continued development and growth within the state,” Evered says.

Moreover, South Carolina has a strong technical college system, providing Michelin with a proficient workforce, and it is a Right to Work state that enables the company to pay competitive wages, Evered says.

“We also have strong relationships with the local and state governments, which have been very supportive to businesses over the years,” Evered says. “That enables us to continue investing in the state.”

Michelin North America

Accelerated Growth Study says BMW’s presence delivers $8.8B economic impact for South Carolina The economic impact of BMW Manufacturing Co.’s investment in South Carolina just keeps accelerating, according to a study by the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business.

The German-based auto giant initially promised it would create 2,000 jobs by investing $500 million to build an auto manufacturing plant in Spartanburg County – BMW’s first and only full manufacturing plant outside of Germany.

However, the company now employs more than 7,000 people after investing $4.6 billion, and those numbers have risen even further with the latest $750 million investment that added a 1.2 million-square-foot new plant to the company’s 2.5-million-square-foot operation.

“We are pleased to report that the BMW X5 and X6 vehicles produced in our Spartanburg plant are selling very well around the world, so we are adjusting our

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staffing levels to accommodate the increased global market demand, as well as prepare for the upcoming launch of the all new X3 Sports Activity Vehicle,” said Josef Kerscher, BMW Manufacturing Co. president.

“We are committed to developing and maintaining a talented manufacturing workforce in the Southeast U.S. and South Carolina in particular,” he said.

The Moore study found that the employment multiplier effect of BMW’s factory is 4.3, far above the typical multiplier of about 2.0 for South Carolina’s other industries and services. Overall, BMW’s complex supports 23,050 jobs in the state, generating $1.2 billion annually in wages and salaries. Total economic impact on the state of BMW’s activities is more than $8.8 billion, including sales of goods and services to both the company and its employees from in-state vendors.

– Katie Kuehner-Hebert

Scorecard

290 Automotive and automotiverelated companies in South Carolina

No. 3 Rank among states in automotive manufacturing strength by Business Facilities magazine, July 2010

38 Number of South Carolina counties, out of 46, with at least one automotive-related manufacturing business

BMW’s only North American production facility opened in South Carolina in 1993 and produces the X3, X5 and X6. BMW invested $750 million on a 1.5 million-squarefoot expansion. Photo by Todd Bennett

$8.8B Impact on South Carolina economy from presence of BMW assembly operations

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In Rarified Air Boeing’s Dreamliner project takes South Carolina aerospace industry to new heights

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Story by Katie Kuehner-Hebert

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competitiveness, for our customers and for our country. And it will create jobs in both South Carolina and Washington State,” says Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Marco Cavazzoni, vice president and general manager of final assembly and delivery at Boeing Charleston, says the state’s skilled workforce, business environment and logistical infrastructure were important components in the Chicago-based company’s decision to expand in South Carolina.

“It’s important that we have people who have the ability to perform high-technology work and who are willing to continue to learn,” Cavazzoni says. “I also think this is an environment where everyone rallies for a common cause, and

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n 2009, The Boeing Co. announced that it had selected North Charleston as the location for its second final assembly facility and delivery center to support its 787 Dreamliner program.

The company is expected to invest upward of $870 million in the project, which will create more than 4,000 new direct jobs. When fully operational in mid-2011, the new South Carolina facility will be one of only three locations in the world for final assembly of wide-body jets.

Boeing’s investment will help the state’s aerospace industry soar to even greater heights. More than 160 aerospace-related firms operate in the state, employing more than 18,000 people.

“Our decision to come to South Carolina will be good for our

Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, speaks at the Boeing groundbreaking ceremony in November 2009. Ten months and three days after the project was announced, the final beams of Boeing’s second new final assembly facility in North Charleston were installed. Left: The Boeing Co. is investing $870 million for a final assembly facility in North Charleston for its 787 Dreamliner aircraft. so u t hcaro l i n a e co n o m i c d e v e l o p m e n t . co m

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P h o t o C o u rt e s y o f a e r i a l p h o t o s e l i t e ( www. a e r i a l p h o t o s e l i t e . c o m )

CLEAR FOR TAKEOFF

160+ Number of aerospace-related companies operating in South Carolina

18,000+ Aerospace-related employment in the state

$870M+ The Boeing Co.’s investment in its final assembly plant in North Charleston, which will create at least 4,000 new direct jobs

$6.1B Estimated direct annual output in the state from Dreamliner facility construction

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people here are aligned with the very high goals we have set for this facility.”

Thousands of New Jobs In addition to the more than 4,000 direct new jobs, a 2010 study for the Alliance for South Carolina’s Future estimated that the the project will create a $6.14 billion increase in direct annual output in South Carolina and spur creation of more than 15,000 jobs tied directly and indirectly to the project. Construction of Boeing’s new facility is under way and has generated some 2,000 construction jobs.

The BE&K Building Group and Turner Construction, with design partner BRPH, were awarded the design-build contract for the project.

The BE&K Building Group’s South Carolina regional office in Greenville serves as headquarters for the design-build team. Additionally, Greenville-based Global Performance LLC was awarded the project and construction management contract.

“We’re very fortunate to have a very good group of construction suppliers – over 90 percent are based in South Carolina,” Cavazzoni says.

Boeing has had a defense-related presence in South Carolina since 1992, providing engineering, supply and maintenance support to the U.S. Air Force’s C-17 program in Charleston.

South Carolina is home to several major military installations, including Joint Base Charleston, Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, the Marine Corps Air

Clockwise from top left: A rendering of The Boeing Co.’s new North Charleston plant, where it will assemble the 787 Dreamliner; Sen. Lindsey Graham, Boeing CEO Jim McNerney and Gov. Mark Sanford at the 2010 Farnborough International Airshow; Final assembly site in North Charleston where Boeing’s Dreamlifter aircraft will be constructed.

Station in Beaufort and McEntire Joint National Guard Base in Eastover, that dovetail with the state’s aerospace and defense industry.

The former Air Force Base at Donaldson Center in Greenville is now the South Carolina Aviation and Technology Center, where more than 80 companies including Lockheed Martin, 3M and Michelin employ more than 4,000 people.

At the groundbreaking for Boeing’s Dreamliner project, Albaugh noted the long connection between the company and the Palmetto State. “Today’s event marks the beginning of an expansion plan that will strengthen the 787 program and allow us to continue building on the footprint we have established in South Carolina,” he said.

Boeing’s decision is the culmination of years of work by the South Carolina officials that created the favorable conditions and played on the successes of the state’s aerospace and aviation industry sector.

Jack Ellenberg, deputy secretary for new investment at the South Carolina Department of Commerce, was part of a team of state and local officials making the case to Boeing executives on the state’s attributes as far back as 2003.

From those early efforts, the state landed two major projects connected to the 787 – a Vought Aircraft Industries facility that would make the aft fuselage for the Dreamliner, and Global Aeronautica, at the time a joint venture between Vought and Alenia North America, a Finmeccanica company, that would integrate the center section with the aft fuselage and load them on Boeing’s Large Cargo Freighter (LCF), which transports the sections to the company’s Everett assembly complex.

Boeing has since acquired Texas-based Vought’s South Carolina operations and bought Alenia’s share in the Global Aeronautica joint venture.

The Commerce Department’s work with Vought and Alenia in permitting the entire North Charleston site in 2004 helped Boeing’s decision in selecting a site for a new final assembly facility, Ellenberg says.

“When Boeing approached us about a final assembly facility they had to know they could get moving as quickly

Material Strength skilled workforce builds an industry cluster South Carolina has become a magnet for companies that supply advanced manufacturing materials to the automotive, aerospace and defense industries.

The state’s advantageous business climate, low operating costs and highly skilled workforce have helped create a string of recent successes that includes: Cytec Industries Inc., which is investing upward of $150 million to build a carbon fiber manufacturing plant in Greenville that will produce high volumes of Cytec carbon fibers used in a variety of commercial aerospace and military applications.

American Titanium Works, which has announced plans to invest $422 million to construct a one-of-a-kind titanium mini-mill facility in Laurens County that will produce melted and rolled titanium products through innovative processes. The company will also establish its applications development and engineering technical center at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) campus.

DuPont Co., which has invested an estimated $500 million in its Cooper River site in Berkeley County to expand production of its advanced Kevlar® fiber material used in military and industrial applications.

Helping boost the sector is a high concentration of skilled workers.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state ranks second in the nation in employment concentration of industrial engineers, third for industrial engineering technicians and fourth for environmental engineering technicians, and is in the top three among states nationally for concentration of engine and other machine assemblers (it ranked No. 2 in 2009), chemical equipment operators (it ranked No. 3 in 2009) and tenders and computer-controlled machine tool operators (it ranked No. 3 in 2009).

Companies locating their manufacturing facilities in South Carolina can also tap into a network of R&D resources: South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA): A recognized leader in applied research and commercialization markets worldwide, SCRA focuses its research in areas such as alternative and renewable energy, composite application, nanotechnology and metals technology. www.scra.org Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR): The center, which includes state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, development capabilities and testing facilities, conducts research in such areas as automotive design and development, manufacturing, systems integration and vehicular electronic systems integration. www.clemson.edu/centers-institutes/cu-icar Clemson University Advanced Materials Center: The center boasts some of the world’s brightest science and engineering faculty and graduate students who utilize state-of-the-art equipment and material to conduct leading-edge research and is home to the highest resolution electron microscope possessed by any university in the nation. www.clemson.edu/centers-institutes/cuadvancedmaterialscenter University of South Carolina’s NanoCenter: Research areas include nanoelectronics, polymer nano-composites and nano-imaging. www.nano.sc.edu – Katie Kuehner-Hebert so u t hcaro l i n a e co n o m i c d e v e l o p m e n t . co m

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as possible... We knew we could get Boeing up and running very quickly, which was a key factor,” he says.

In July 2010, Boeing announced that it would also locate its new 787 Dreamliner interiors fabrication facility in North Charleston. The facility will support fabrication and assembly of airplane interior parts to supply the 787 Dreamliner final assembly and delivery site under construction in North Charleston.

“Workers in the state will also paint and do the finishing touches on the interiors for airlines,” Ellenberg says.

“Moreover, since North Charleston will be a delivery center for airlines, a lot of executives with international companies will be coming to Charleston to select the specifications of their aircraft, which is great exposure for South Carolina.”

“The welcoming from the state has been wonderful – everybody in the state and the people at the Department of Commerce. Every day we feel better and better about the decision we made to come to South Carolina,” Cavazzoni says.

GE Aviation in Greenville is investing $30 million at its 150,000-square-foot facility.

propelling Expansion Other major industry players with substantial operations in South Carolina include Honeywell, ATI Allvac, BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman.

GE Aviation is adding 100 jobs and investing $30 million by 2013 to expand its operations into a larger 150,000-square-foot facility in Greenville. The company will use the site to build high-pressure turbine blades that are used in commercial aircraft engines, as well as new coating technologies used by airlines.

Like Boeing, GE Aviation is impressed with the state’s skilled workforce, says Brad Brougher, plant manager. “The technical schools have enhanced aviation programs, and we see a lot of proactive efforts by the state to help students get in line for aerospace jobs,” he says.

In February 2010, ACAS Landing Gear Services announced that it was investing $5 million to open new operations in Marion County to re-manufacture landing gear and related components. The investment is expected to generate 300 new jobs over the next five years.

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Higher and Hire South Carolina workforce programs boost corporate investment

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or businesses with expansion or relocation plans, South Carolina has an offer many industries find hard to refuse: Do business here, and we will train your workforce.

Not only does the state offer a wealth of highly skilled workers and agencies devoted to workforce development, its network of technical colleges is committed to helping new and existing businesses succeed through workforce training programs designed specifically to meet their needs. In most states, technical colleges aid in training employees, but in South Carolina, the 16-technicalcollege system works hand in hand with businesses to develop customized programs to help them thrive.

“The system’s goal is to help businesses become globally competitive,” says Darrel Staat, president of the SC Technical College System. “To compete, businesses need the best employees with the best

training, and we work to provide that.

Instead of offering a menu of generic training programs, we start with the businesses themselves – and when you do that, you end up with programs that work and programs the organizations appreciate.”

The flagship, nationally recognized readySC™ program, works directly with eligible new or expanding companies to identify needed employee skill sets, develop curriculum, and recruit and train workers. Consistently ranked among the nation’s top workforce training programs, state-funded readySC™ is provided at little or no cost to companies creating new jobs with competitive wages and benefits.

Throughout the state, some 2,000 companies, including such heavyweights as The Boeing Co., BMW Manufacturing Co., Michelin North America and Lockheed Martin, have tapped into the readySC™ program,

The Boeing Training Center, located at Trident Technical College in North Charleston, is part of the state’s readySC™ program, which offers coordinated workforce training through South Carolina’s 16 technical colleges.

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P h o t o C o u rt e s y o f G a r y C o l e m a n , C o l e m a n P h o t o gr a p h y

Story by Joe Morris

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which has provided training for more than 256,000 workers.

Tri Tech Inc., a custom manufacturing and advanced commercial metalworking provider that relocated from Vermont, has flourished thanks to the customized training offered through readySC™.

“They worked with us to understand the type of work environment we wanted to create in South Carolina, from the skills we needed our technicians to have to the culture we wanted to instill,” says Joe Bacigalupo, Tri Tech president. “They’ve worked closely with our group to make sure that we have the right people in place at the right time with the right skills and motivation.”

The technical college system offers other workforce development programs to help companies grow

and prosper, including QuickJobs Carolina™, a program to equip the workforce with entry-level skills for the state’s high-demand jobs, and Apprenticeship Carolina™, which helps South Carolina employers access the information and technical assistance they need to create demand-driven registered internship programs.

QuickJobs Carolina™, offered at technical colleges across the state, has helped create a skilled and ready labor pool for businesses by training workers in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, construction trades, energy, health care, transportation and logistics. Apprenticeship Carolina™, nationally recognized as one of 10 innovative workforce development best practices, has been successful in showing businesses the value of apprenticeships: Since 2007,

the number of registered programs has grown from 90 to 271, with an average of one new employersponsored program each week. In addition to programs on the ground, new and existing employers also benefit from the state’s recently reorganized workforce agency, the Department of Employment and Workforce.

The cabinet-level department’s main goal is to connect workers with jobs across the state. The legislation which created it built in safeguards for state taxpayers and businesses, while also putting into place the policies and procedures to help it carry out its mission. South Carolina’s abundance of reliable, well-qualified workers and its investment in workforce development training has helped it beat out the competition for such major employers

Companies such as Red Ventures in Fort Mill and Monster.com® in Florence have utilized South Carolina’s readySC™ program.

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p h o t o s b y T o dd B e n n e tt

readySCTM, Workforce Helper

as BAE Systems, Scientific Research Corp. and Monster.com®.

The state’s workforce was recently ranked fifth in the nation by CNBC for its quality and availability of workers, low union membership and the success of its worker training programs in placing participants in jobs. South Carolina is also a Right to Work state, ranking third lowest for union membership among states at 4.5 percent, according the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of National Affairs. readySC™ has helped recruit and train hundreds of workers for The Boeing Co., which selected North Charleston as a final assembly and delivery site for the manufacture of its 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

In a specially designed 22,000square-foot training center at Trident Technical College, Boeing workers are being trained on everything from reading blueprints to sealing together

composite plates of the aircraft’s exterior. The state is investing a projected $33 million over the next 15 years on training for the Dreamliner project, part of its commitment to ensure a highly skilled labor force.

“In today’s economic climate, jobs are at the top of everyone’s priority list.

We are no exception. readySC™ understands the important role we play in preparing South Carolina’s workforce for today’s industries as well as tomorrow’s economic development opportunities,” says Ann Marie Stieritz, director of readySC™ and vice president of economic development and workforce competitiveness for the South Carolina Technical College System. “Our system provides the workforce education and training infrastructure for the state and is dedicated to increasing the employability of all South Carolinians.

We are always thinking jobs.”

When Red Ventures, an online marketing and sales company, decided to locate its corporate headquarters in South Carolina last year, it turned to readySC™ for help with the transition.

“The training that South Carolina could offer drove our decision [to relocate] in large part,” says Mark Brodsky, Red Ventures chief financial officer. “We were able to work with the local technical college on programs for our sales agents.”

In a year, the company has grown so quickly that it has already maxed out its current facility. A new, 91,000-square-foot building is going up on its property now, and when that opens, the company plans to grow to more than 1,000 employees.

Red Venture’s success story is just one of many from readySC™, which leverages its partnerships across the state to develop training curricula tailored to meet the specific workforce requirements of companies. Established in 1961, the program was started as a way to bring in industry to keep young people from leaving the state. Since its inception, it has trained more than a quarter million workers for nearly 2,000 companies.

South Carolina’s readySC™ program works with the state’s 16 technical colleges to develop training curricula tailored to meet a company’s specific workforce requirements.

The 2008-2009 Program Year: • Trained 5,116 employees • Served 83 companies

• Since its inception, the program has trained 256,347 employees and served 1,962 companies.

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Anchoring the Economy Deep-water port can handle the biggest ships

Story by Heather Johnston Johnson

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ith the deep-water Port of Charleston that can already handle the world’s biggest ships, South Carolina has become the destination of choice for numerous companies that need access to markets around the globe.

The port’s importance on the world map grows daily as new distribution centers open and manufacturers expand their global reach. A better route to Asia is a few years away through the widening of the Panama Canal, which will allow the “postpanamax” huge container ships easier access to the port and promises even more distribution facilities and business.

The Port of Charleston, already

“big-ship ready,” regularly handles container vessels drawing up to 48 feet of water. In February 2010, one of the world’s largest shipping vessels, the MSC Rita, steamed into the port with a nearly 48-foot draft and carrying about 8,100 20-foot-long shipping containers. business-friendly attitude As global business opportunities grow, the Port of Charleston’s deep channels attract more companies looking for shipping capabilities on the Eastern Seaboard. Two years ago, the South Carolina State Ports Authority renewed its alliance with the Panama Canal Authority. Through the arrangement, Charleston and

A cargo ship is off-loaded at Port of Charleston’s Wando Welch terminal in Mt. Pleasant.

foreign-trade zones South Carolina has three FTZs with more than 30 sites located strategically throughout the state.

FTZ 21 Includes Orangeburg, Summerville, Jedburg, Goose Creek, North Charleston, Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, Daniel Island, Walterboro, Loris and Myrtle Beach

FTZ 38 Includes Wellford, Greer, Duncan, Fountain Inn, Liberty, Greenville, Laurens, Spartanburg, Greenwood and Fort Mill

FTZ 127 Includes Columbia

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and to handle the future growth of our customers, we are in the process of constructing a new, 280-acre container terminal at a former Navy base.”

Work is well under way on the terminal, including construction of a $55 million containment wall.

The container terminal’s first phase is expected to be completed in late 2016, and once at full capacity it will increase Charleston’s container capacity by 50 percent, or 1.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a measure used for capacity in container transportation.

The expansions are good news for the port’s heavy users, which include major South Carolina employers such

Panama share research information and market the “All-Water Route,” a path from Asia to the U.S. East Coast that travels through Panama.

Jim Newsome, South Carolina State Ports Authority president and CEO, promotes the port’s growth opportunities. Those efforts include a more than $217 million capital plan for fiscal years 2010 and 2011.

Port of Charleston expands “We have both short-term and longterm improvement and expansion plans,” Newsome says. “Looking at the short term, we have budgeted $35 million for terminal improvements in this fiscal year, July 2010-June 2011.

For the long-term success of our port

The Wando Welch Terminal at the Port of Charleston is one of five marine facilities the port operates in the Charleston harbor area. It is the port’s largest in volume and physical size.

Port draft depth comparisons Hours/day available for inbound transit Port of Charleston

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“The Port of Charleston is a fundamental driver in advancing economic development in South Carolina …”

as BMW, GE Energy and Michelin.

“The Port of Charleston is a fundamental driver in advancing economic development in South Carolina,” says Joe Taylor, South Carolina Secretary of Commerce.

“The port, along with our exceptional market access, business-friendly climate and reliable workforce, is working to attract new jobs and investments everyday.”

The port capitalizes on its geographical convenience, halfway

between New York and Miami, and deep channels. Charleston’s maximum channel draft of 48 feet at high tide can accommodate 90 percent of all container vessels of 9,000 TEUs. Port Drives Distribution Ahead of the all-water route, local and international companies continue to build distribution facilities in the state and move more of their shipping dollars to the area. In the past year, several com­ panies have flocked to the port region.

Moulton Logistics Management, an order fulfillment company for many online businesses, announced in early 2010 that it would locate its new distribution and logistics facility in Berkeley County.

Patrick Moulton, the company’s director of new business development, says the move brings Moulton’s clients closer to the vast majority of its customers in the large population centers on the East Coast.

Of the three Eastern ports Moulton

Left: South Carolina’s ports offer major shipping advantages and generate economic output of $45 billion across the state each year.

SOUTH CAROLINA PORTS: FACTS AND FIGURES South Carolina State Ports Authority Facilities $45 billion in total economic output each year across the state 260,000 jobs, representing about 11% of all jobs in South Carolina $11.8 billion in labor income – 13.6% of the state’s total income $1.5 billion generated in state and local taxes from port activities and users $18.5 billion in value-added impact, representing 12.1% of the total gross state product Port of Charleston Annually, sees ships and barges representing more than 30 different shipping lines One of the busiest container ports on the East and Gulf coasts Average truck turn time: 22 minutes Vessel transit time, open sea to dockside: 1 to 2 hours Dockside crane production: 41 moves per hour Named most productive port in the world by Maersk Sealand, one of the world’s largest liner shipping companies Cited No. 1 in customer satisfaction by World Trade magazine Five major lines of business: container, breakbulk, roll-on/roll-off (RoRo), bulk and cruise Sources: South Carolina Department of Commerce; Office of the Governor; South Carolina State Ports Authority more at southcarolinaeconomicdevelopment.com

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The Port of Charleston is one of the nation’s busiest container ports and has excellent highway and rail access to the Southeast.

considered, Charleston won out because of South Carolina’s infrastructure, tax structure and ready labor pool. Moulton says the company expects to see the majority of its business ship through Charleston in the coming years.

“Ultimately, of our clients shipping out of both of our locations (Los Angeles and Charleston), the numbers we’re running show Charleston receiving 60 percent to 75 percent of the total business that operates throughout the company,” he says. Moulton Logistics expects to spend $25 million on the facility and hire 500 new employees in the next five years.

Other companies that have announced plans for distribution operations and will ship from Charleston include Montreal-based Gildan Activewear and Florida.-based TBC Corp. (Tire Kingdom).

Port of Charleston draft depths Channel Depth (mean low water): Entrance Channel: 47 feet (14.3m) Harbor channel and dockside: 45 feet (13.7m), soft mud bottom Maxium channel draft: 48 feet at high tide Channel Width: Minimum: 500 feet (152m) Maximum: 1,000 feet (304.8m) Bridges: Lower Cooper River Bridge: Air draft 186 feet (56.6m) Mean High Water Upper Cooper River Bridge (North Charleston Terminal Only): Air draft 150 feet (45.7m) Mean High Water Source: South Carolina State Ports Authority

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P hoto C o u r tes y o f S C S tate P o r ts A u tho r it y

As president and CEO of the South Carolina State Ports Authority, Jim Newsome oversees port operations in South Carolina that served more than 1,800 ships and barges and 1.37 million shipping containers in fiscal 2009.

In Deep Water

What economic impact does the port generate?

Thousands of our neighbors go to work every day in a job with ties to our state’s ports and international trade.

In fact, more than 260,000 jobs in South Carolina, or about 11 percent of all jobs in the state, are here because we have a port system.

What further advantages will the port bring when the Panama Canal widening project is completed?

Port of Charleston CEO touts ‘world-class’ facilities Jim Newsome was named president and CEO of the South Carolina State Ports Authority in September 2009. A long-time shipping company executive, Newsome came to the ports authority from Hapag-Lloyd (America) Inc., where he was president. HapagLloyd (America) is part of the world’s fifth-largest ocean shipping company.

The Savannah native now oversees port operations in South Carolina that served more than 1,800 ships and barges and 1.37 million shipping containers in fiscal 2009.

most notable of which is our deep water. At 45 feet at low tide, Charleston has the deepest shipping channels in the Southeast. This translates into bringing larger ships carrying more cargo to our docks.

Couple that with our best-in-the-nation productivity reputation and customer focus, and the Port of Charleston is truly a world-class port.

What is special about the Port of Charleston? What makes it attractive to prospective shippers and businesses?

South Carolina is a place where people want to do business. It’s an excellent launching pad for accessing the region across many industries.

The Southeast is a desirable and growing marketplace, so companies look to locate and grow here. South Carolina is pro-business and has attractive incentives to offer. There is a capable workforce here. The Port of Charleston has many advantages,

The Panama Canal project is a gamechanger. While we’re already seeing ships carrying more than 8,000 containers on board at our port, the multi-billion-dollar improvements to the canal will route even more large ships direct to the East Coast.

Charleston, since we have the deepest water south of Norfolk, is in a position to be a big beneficiary of this in 2014. Ocean carriers and shippers are already looking at where they can place their business to be ready for the opening of the new locks.

– Heather Johnston Johnson

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Gallery

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Racers compete in horse races at the annual Aiken Steeplechase — a fall tradition in Aiken since 1930.

Photo Courtesy of Larry Gleason

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Victor’s Bistro and Garden Room in Florence serves seafood dish the Surf Squared. Staff photo

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History is alive on Chalmers Street in downtown Charleston, where traffic travels down cobblestone roads.

Photo Courtesy of Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

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Exhibits at the BMW Zentrum visitor center in Spartanburg County showcase the storied company’s rich history in aircraft, motorcycles and automobiles.

Photo by Todd Bennett

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Created by nationally known sculptor Rodney Carroll, the Keenan Fountain welcomes visitors to the Columbia Museum of Art with a vibrant fusion of water and sculpture reflective of the vitality and quality of life in downtown Columbia.

Photo by Todd Bennett

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Site Guide

South Carolina has a land area of more than 30,000 square miles, with available acreage and spec buildings in practically every county carefully catalogued in a user-friendly online database.

The extensive database allows users to search by specific criteria, and the GIS Locator provides an interactive map feature showing the location of the buildings and sites. Visit SCcommerce.com/gislocator to search available buildings and sites in the state.

Buildings

Colleton County Spec Building (Colleton) Size/Acreage: 100,000 square feet/12 acres Ceiling Height: 34 feet Additional Info: FTZ Zone; I-95 Proximity

Disney Distribution Facility (Union) Size/Acreage: 515,279 square feet/ 54.2 acres Ceiling Height: 35 feet Additional info: Racking with wire guidance; excellent distribution center opportunity

South Carolina has the tools to help any business find the perfect building or site – and help get them up-and-running quickly. The following are just a few of the buildings and sites available throughout the state.

For additional information, contact Seth Peterson, Buildings & Sites Coordinator: (803) 737-0597 SPeterson@SCcommerce.com SCcommerce.com/gislocator

Note: These listings were provided by the South Carolina Department of Commerce and were considered correct at the time of publication. However, due to the nature of real estate, the information and availability may change during the lifetime of this publication, and accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

Go to SCcommerce.com for the most up-to-date information.

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Miller Valentine Spec Building (Orangeburg) Size/Acreage: 105,183 square feet/22 acres Ceiling Height: 33.1 feet Additional Info: Expandable to 300,000 square feet

Kirco Spec Building (Richland) Size/Acreage: 184,000 square feet/12 acres Ceiling Height: 35.16 feet Additional info: LEED Certified; Rail Access/Spur Extension Available

North Pointe Building IV (Berkeley) Size/Acreage: 390,180 square feet/ 20 acres Ceiling Height: 34 feet Additional info: Dual-fed power; 15 miles to Port of Charleston

Carolina Place (York) Size/Acreage: 318,362 square feet/ 45.8 acres Ceiling Height: 25 feet Additional info: I-77 Frontage

so

SITES

Rockefeller Group FTZ (Berkeley) Acreage: 400 acres Sewer/Water Access: Yes/On-site Additional Info: 2.7 million-square-foot build-to-suit master plan; 25 miles to Port of Charleston

Tyger River Industrial Site (Spartanburg) Acreage: 1,140 acres Sewer/Water Access: Yes Additional info: Undergoing SC Site Certification; I-26 Frontage; Rail Access

Saxe Gotha Industrial Park (Lexington) Acreage: 414 acres Sewer/Water Access: Yes/On-site Additional info: SC Certified Site; I-26 Frontage; Rail Access

SC Advanced Technology Park (Barnwell) Acreage: 1,576 acres Sewer/Water Access: Yes/On-site Additional Info: SC Certified Site; Rail Access

Pee Dee Commerce City Park (Florence) Acreage: 705 acres Sewer/Water Access: Yes/On-site Additional info: SC Certified Site; I-95 Frontage

Hunter Industrial Park (Laurens) Acreage: 815 acres Sewer/Water Access: Yes/On-site Additional info: SC Certified Site; Hwy 385 Frontage; Rail Access

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Transportation

A Well-Connected Place Roads, ports, rail, air move the goods in South Carolina

Story by Kevin Litwin

W

ith its network of interstate highways, access to a deep-water port and commercial airports, and proximity to major markets, South Carolina has built an impressive transportation infrastructure that makes it a prime locale for distribution and logistics operations.

For reasons of convenience and accessibility, companies such as Target, Walgreens, Dollar General, adidas and Home Depot are among the household names with significant distribution operations in the Palmetto State. The strategic advantages of being in South Carolina have also been recognized by such manufacturers as Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, General Electric, Michelin North America and Robert Bosch.

Since 2006, the state has seen capital investment of more than $787 million and more than 6,300 jobs created from distribution and logistics companies. points of access South Carolina’s transportation system includes five major interstates (I-20, 26, 77, 85 and 95) along with 41,000 miles of state roads.

South Carolina is centered about halfway between New York and Miami, and the highways allow truckers to be within a day’s drive of 75 percent of the nation’s population.

The cost for gasoline and diesel fuel in South Carolina is among the lowest in the nation, due, in part, to lower tax levels.

Retail buyers, when compared to the national average, pay around 12 cents less per gallon in taxes for gasoline in South Carolina, and diesel purchasers pay around 10 cents less per gallon.

“South Carolina’s central location between New York and Miami offers access to some of the fastest growing markets in the country, and we are confident that the state has the resources to help businesses that need to get their products moving quickly compete and succeed,” says Joe Taylor, South Carolina Secretary of Commerce.

DISTANCE FROM COLUMBIA, S.C.

starbucks brews success in s.c.

In 2007, Starbucks chose Calhoun County in central South Carolina to open a state-ofthe-art roasting plant to supply coffee to its southeastern U.S. stores, bringing 160 jobs to the region. Transportation, market access and infrastructure played a key role in Starbucks’

• Orlando, 431

• Atlanta, 213 • Birmingham, 361 • Boston, 930 • Charleston, S.C., 113 • Charlotte, 113 • Chicago, 802 • Cleveland, 605 • Indianapolis, 621 • Louisville, 507 • Miami, 630 • Nashville, 439 • New Orleans, 676 • New York, 711 • Norfolk, 380 • Philadelphia, 628 • Pittsburgh, 538 • St. Louis, 753 • Washington, D.C., 474

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Direct Flight Maps of Major South Carolina Airports Minneapolis Northwest

Detroit Chicago O’Hare

New York

Delta

Delta (LGA)

Boston

Chicago O’Hare

Pittsburgh Philadelphia

US Airways

Philadelphia US Airways

Washington D.C.

Newark

Continental

United

United

US Airways Spirit

Detroit

Northwest

US Airways

Spirit US Airways

Atlantic City Spirit

Cincinnati Comair

New York (LGA)

Washington D.C.

United (Dulles) US Airways (National)

United (Dulles) US Airways (National)

Charlotte US Airways

Charlotte US Airways

Columbia Atlanta Delta

Dallas/ Fort Worth

Atlanta AirTran ASA Delta

Myrtle Beach

American Eagle

Houston

Continental

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decision to add South Carolina to its coveted roster of five roasting plants worldwide.

The international coffee conglomerate relies on the proximity of the Port of Charleston to import beans from around the world and distributes coffee across the Southeast from its 120,000-square-foot, LEEDcertified facility, located next to I-26.

FedEx has located several of its southeastern hubs in South Carolina, including a 120,000-square-foot air cargo processing center at the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport and a ground regional distribution facility in Fort Mill. One of UPS’ seven U.S. air cargo hubs is located at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport, and UPS also operates a ground-shipping hub in West Columbia.

Trains of Thought South Carolina is currently served by Class I railroads CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern, as well as eight affiliated and independent lines. Close to 80 million

tons of freight are moved over South Carolina railroads each year, with the availability to handle much more whenever demand increases.

The state is home to five primary commercial airports. The busiest by passenger volume is Charleston International Airport; the other four are Columbia Metropolitan Airport, Florence Regional Airport, GreenvilleSpartanburg International Airport and Myrtle Beach International Airport.

In May 2010, Southwest Airlines announced it would begin service to Charleston and GreenvilleSpartanburg in 2011.

In addition, nearly 70 generalaviation and public-use airports are available for private air service.

Meanwhile, just across the South Carolina border is Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, while the busiest passenger airport in the world – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in central Georgia – is within a few hours’ drive of most South Carolina locations.

South Carolina Public Railways’ three operating railroads connect people and businesses all over the world.

Service coming to Charleston and Greenville-Spartanburg in 2011

New York

Detroit Chicago O’Hare

Delta

Newark

Continental

United Express

Detroit

Delta (LGA) US Airways (LGA)

Chicago O’Hare

Delta

Philadelphia US Airways

Cincinnati Delta

Washington D.C.

US Airways (LGA)

Cleveland

Continental

Philadelphia US Airways

New York

Newark

Continental

United

Washington D.C.

United (Dulles) US Airways (National)

United Express (Dulles) US Airways (National)

Charlotte

Charlotte

US Airways

US Airways

GreenvilleSpartanburg Atlanta Delta

Delta

Dallas/ Fort Worth

Dallas/ Fort Worth

American Eagle

American Eagle

Orlando

Allegiant

Houston

Houston

Continental

Atlanta

Charleston

Miami

American Eagle

Continental

Tampa/St. Petersburg Allegiant

Ft. Lauderdale Allegiant

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Landing on Park Place Office-industrial growth signals state’s economic upside South Carolina’s numerous business advantages, including its superior network of road, rail, air and port facilities, are helping to generate development in every corner of the state.

Those advantages have attracted major players such as MeadWestvaco, a global leader in packaging and packaging solutions, with annual revenue topping $6 billion. The company’s Community Development and Land Management division has some 375,000 acres in its portfolio in South Carolina, where it is developing two masterplanned communities and eight commerce parks.

In Dorchester and Charleston counties, the company’s 78,600acre East Edisto master-planned development will include two commerce parks – Pine Hill Commerce Park in Dorchester County and Spring Grove Commerce Park in Charleston County.

Pine Hill is an 1,100-acre development targeted to biosciences, medical and data center enterprises. Spring Grove is a 1,000-acre development that adjoins more than one mile of a CSX rail line and is suited for heavy industrial and distribution uses with a focus on aerospace and energy enterprises.

County targeted to large-scale aerospace and auto enterprises.

• Southern Carolina Commerce Park, a 1,380-acre, CSX railserved site in Hampton County adjacent to an additional 3,780 acres available for expansion.

• Colleton County Commerce Center, a joint undertaking of the Colleton County Economic Development Commission and

MeadWestvaco that totals nearly 500 acres.

• Georgetown County Business Center, a joint undertaking of the Georgetown County Economic Development Commission and MeadWestvaco on 613 acres.

The center is designated a State Certified Industrial Site by the South Carolina Commerce Department.

Other company commerce park projects in South Carolina include: • The Rockefeller-MeadWestvaco Group Foreign Trade Zone/ Charleston, a 400-acre, 2.7 million-square-foot project in Berkeley County about 25 miles from the Port of Charleston.

A 1.1 million-square-foot distribution center for TBC Corp. is under construction.

• The 1,000-acre Ridgeville Commerce Park in Dorchester County, rail served by Norfolk Southern.

• Camp Hall Commerce Park, a 4,200-acre park in Berkeley

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Energy/Technology

High-Voltage Economy South Carolina’s low energy costs spark new opportunities, investment

Story by Bill Lewis • Photography by Todd Bennett

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hen it comes to providing reliable, affordable energy for industry, South Carolina is a powerhouse. With a number of large utilities covering every corner of the state, South Carolina boasts some of the most affordable power costs, not only in the Southeast, but also nationwide.

For each group of 10,000 people living in the Palmetto State, electric providers generate nearly 17 megawatt hours monthly, a ratio double the national average and the third highest among states with more than 1 million people. Industrial power costs average 5.74 cents per kilowatt hour – 18 percent less than the national average of 7.01 cents per kilowatt hour.

For new or expanding industries,

Progress Energy, which serves the northeast portion of the state and provides more than 22,000 megawatts of generation capacity for customers in the Carolinas and Florida, extends electric service to sites for free and offers cost reduction incentives that propel economic development.

Its aggressive energy-efficiency programs, renewable energy investments and state-of-the-art electricity system, which draws from nuclear, gas/oil and hydroelectric sources, has earned the utility national awards for customer service and operational excellence.

Industries in the northwest portion of the state can count on reliable electric and gas services from Duke Energy, which serves more than

GE Energy in Greenville manufactures wind turbine heads and gas turbines. GE Energy Engineering Infrastructure is also headquartered in Greenville.

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2 million customers throughout the Carolinas and has generating capability of approximately 19,000 megawatts. To help businesses reduce costs even more, the utility, which operates a diverse mix of nuclear, oil, natural gas and hydroelectric plants, offers energy assessments and incentive rebates for facilities.

In the central and southern portions of the state, South Carolina Electric & Gas, a subsidiary of SCANA Corp., generates and delivers electricity and natural gas for a 23,000-square-mile area. The utility operates 17 power plants, drawing its capacity from natural gas, biomass, nuclear and hydroelectric. South Carolina’s electric utilities have economic development teams that work with

companies to offer industry incentive rates to encourage job creation. With industrial electricity costs 20 to 30 percent lower than the national average, the South Carolina Power Team, an economic development alliance of the state-owned Santee Cooper electric utility and the state’s 20 electric cooperatives, has helped to attract billions of dollars in capital investment and generate thousands of jobs.

South Carolina also leads the Southeast and the country as the third-largest net generator of nuclear power, with seven licensed commercial nuclear reactors producing more than 3.8 million megawatt hours of energy.

Plans are under way to construct more to enhance the state’s capacity to produce

Low-cost Leader Electricity costs less in South Carolina than in nearby states, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Average cents per kilowatt hour for industrial customers in 2010: • South Carolina 5.45 • Alabama 5.75 • North Carolina 5.92 • Texas 6.55 • Virginia 6.66 • U.S. Average 7.01

Left: GE Energy’s Greenville operations opened in 1968. Today, the plant manufactures a diverse range of energy and infrastructure products on a campus spanning 413 acres with more than 3,000 employees.

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affordable, clean, efficient energy.

Duke Energy, which hopes to use nuclear power to reduce its carbon footprint and retire less efficient, high-emitting plants, plans to build a 2,234-megawatt reactor in Cherokee County and another one in Oconee County.

Thanks to major private investments in nuclear energy, biogas and biomass, South Carolina ranks sixth in the nation for alternative energy use and ninth nationally in the fastest-growing percentage of clean energy jobs, according to the State New Economy Index. Recently, Rollcast Energy Inc. established Loblolly Green Power LLC, a new biomass facility in Newberry County that will produce 50 megawatts of renewable power.

The $170 million facility will use logging residue and urban wood debris to produce sustainable green power for South Carolina, says Penn Cox, president and CEO of Rollcast.

“This area of the state offers very skilled forestry management, forestry operations and recycling companies, and we are excited to play a role in the sustainable growth of these companies,” he says.

A few South Carolina companies are also finding sustainable ways to power their operations. BMW uses methane gas from a nearby landfill to supply one-third of the power for its original Spartanburg County plant. Carolina Ingredients, a food manufacturer and distributor, recently installed a solarpowered electric and water-heating system in its Rock Hill manufacturing facility – a move that has already decreased the company’s carbon footprint by more than 23 tons of carbon dioxide annually.

GE Energy in Greenville is the world’s largest gas turbine manufacturing plant.

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S.C. Energy Facts • There are seven licensed commercial nuclear reactors in South Carolina.

• They operate at four power stations: Catawba, H.B. Robinson, Oconee and Virgil C. Summer.

• They produce about half of the 24.01 gigawatts of electricity that the state’s utilities are capable of generating.

• The state ranks third among 31 states for nuclear generating capacity.

S ta f f P h o t o

Coming Clean Clean energy generates new investment in South carolina In states where wind turbines are already turning the air into electric power, odds are good that some of the equipment was made in South Carolina.

GE Energy, which makes half of all the wind turbines used to produce electricity in the United States, manufactures major components for them at its facility in Greenville.

Other companies are coming to South Carolina to create jobs and invest in renewable energy.

IMO USA Corp., which manufactures parts for wind turbines and other equipment, selected Dorchester County for its first U.S. manufacturing facility. The project, which represents a $47 million

investment, will employ 190 workers.

Other companies making wind turbine components include The Timken Co., Kaydon Corp., ILJIN America, Ahlstrom, AGY and Palmetto Technical Fabrics. The state even has a few companies active in the solar energy industry. Greenville-based KEMET makes capacitors for wind, tidal, geothermal and solar energy generation as well as electric vehicles. Stäubli’s North American headquarters in Duncan employs more than 100 people. The company manufactures electrical connector systems, connectors, cables and junction boxes for the solar power market. And Ulbrich Precision Flat

Wire in Westminster makes copper flat wire for solar cell tabbing.

At the Clemson University Restoration Institute near the Port of Charleston, construction of a large-scale facility to test the next generation of wind turbines and drive trains is under way.

Partnering with the university in this endeavor are the Charleston Naval Complex Redevelopment Authority, the South Carolina Department of Commerce, the State of South Carolina, South Carolina Public Railways, the South Carolina State Ports Authority and private partners.

The facility is expected to open in 2010.

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What’s Online  Read more about South Carolina businesses online at southcarolinaeconomicdevelopment.com.

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Health Care & Biotechnology

New Meaning to Life Sciences Biotech and health care businesses flourish in South Carolina

Story by Melanie Hill Photography by Todd Bennett

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cience is serious business in South Carolina. With its low cost of living, highly skilled workforce, business-friendly environment and top-flight universities, the Palmetto State has become a haven for biotechnology and health care business.

ArborGen and Martek Biosciences are examples of successful biotech companies prospering in the state, while the roster of pharmaceutical manufacturers includes Roche Carolina, Pfizer’s Capsugel, Bausch & Lomb, GlaxoSmithKline, The Rightdose Corp., IRIX Pharmaceuticals and Perrigo. The state is also home to ArborGen in Summerville has distinguished itself as the world’s largest grower of commercial-grade seedlings for wood, fiber and energy.

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medical technology leader GE Healthcare, which engineers and manufactures magnetic resonant imaging magnets at its Florence plant for GE’s MRI machines.

Dr. Frank Cox, Roche Carolina president and general manager, says access to interstates 95 and 20, regional airports and the Port of Charleston are attractive benefits to biotechnology and health care companies.

Established in 1992, Roche Carolina manufactures bulk active pharmaceutical ingredients and oversees a process development group that manufactures and tests processes

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for drug substances in clinical trials.

With an initial investment exceeding $650 million and an additional $150 million invested since, Roche Carolina has doubled manufacturing capacity at its operations in Florence County.

“Within the immediate area you will find companies such as IRIX Pharmaceuticals and Martek Biosciences,” Cox says. “These organizations employ a workforce similar to ours in that our hiring ranges from Ph.D.-level scientists and engineers to staff professionals and support specialists. Their proximity and similarity in operations make for a readily available resource to benchmark,

share practices and sometimes even collaborate when mutually beneficial.”

IRIX Pharmaceuticals’ Florence headquarters serves as its small-scale production facility and houses process development and research facilities.

Maryland-based Martek Biosciences oversees manufacturing and research and development at a site in Kingstree.

Companies in the sector can take advantage of the state’s deep pool of reliable and trained workers. Sixteen technical colleges located across the state help train workers, and the readySC™ program works with the technical colleges to develop training

Left to right: Laboratory technicians work with samples at IRIX Pharmaceuticals in Florence, which serves as the company’s small-scale production facility and houses process development and research facilities.

curricula tailored to meet a company’s workforce requirements. When GE Healthcare expanded its production recently to meet the growing demand in the global MRI market, it worked with readySC™ to train new employees in assembly production at FlorenceDarlington Technical College.

“We feel a great deal of our success is due to the highly skilled workforce and pro-business climate in Florence County,” says Mike Eggleston, general manager of GE Healthcare.

Capsugel, a leader in creating dosage forms for the pharmaceutical and dietary supplements industries, operates

a Greenwood County sales office and manufacturing plant. The company, a world leader in capsule manufacturing and liquid drug-delivery products and services, is making a $15 million investment to expand its office, lab and production space and add 50 jobs to its 700-person workforce there.

Health care, however, isn’t the only industry making a name for itself in the state’s thriving bioscience sector.

With research and nursery facilities worldwide, ArborGen calls South Carolina home–not only because of the state’s knowledgeable, highlyskilled and available workforce but

also because of its forestry heritage and progressive community.

“From the beginning, ArborGen has received great support from every level of government and from private-sector colleagues,” says Barbara Wells, president and CEO of ArborGen. “We credit this support with helping our biotech firm achieve steady growth and expansion since our founding in 2000. We are passionate about helping the forestry sector meet the world’s growing demand for wood, fiber and energy, and excited to do so from our home in South Carolina.”

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p h o t o b y T o dd B e n n e tt

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Education & Research

In With the Knew South Carolina colleges, universities build workforce muscle

Story by Kevin Litwin

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outh Carolina’s success in attracting new investment, promoting business expansion and creating jobs is in no small part owed to the quality of its labor force and the availability of skilled and knowledgeable workers.

The state is a national leader in attracting and keeping collegeeducated residents.

More than 240,000 students are enrolled in one of South Carolina’s 33 public institutions or 24 private schools, and the state is home to world-renowned research assets that include the Savannah River National Laboratory in Aiken, one of only 17 U.S. Department of Energy laboratory facilities in the United States.

The 16 technical colleges spread throughout the state, part of the SC Technical College System, offer degree, diploma, certificate and continuing education programs in more than 130 fields. From students earning college credit to those continuing their education, nearly one in every 18 state Students work on a prototype car at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research in Greenville, an advanced-technology research campus.

residents over age 18 is served by the member colleges of the system, which also works closely with employers to create programs designed to meet the specific needs of businesses and industries and expand the skill sets of the state’s workforce.

Not only is the state a leader in producing highly educated individuals, it also attracts them.

South Carolina ranked fourth among states for the net number of collegeeducated individuals entering or migrating to the state, and it ranked in the top 10 among states

for net in-migration from 2005 through 2008.

At Florence-Darlington Technical College, the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SiMT) provides leading-edge technology training for prospective and existing businesses, and is a major component of the region’s workforce training and economic development efforts. The institute opened in 2007 in a 177,000-squarefoot, state-of-the-art training facility that features a $34 million advanced manufacturing training center that

South Carolina Migration of All College-Educated Individuals, 2004-2008 Year In Migration

Out Migration Net Migration U.S. Ranking

2004

39,366

22,083

+17,283

3

2005

37,047

21,415

+15,632

5

2006

31,147

23,906

+7,241

9

2007

35,847

25,053

+10,794

6

2008

20,297

13,262

+7,035

4

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey more at southcarolinaeconomicdevelopment.com so u t hcaro l i n a e co n o m i c d e v e l o p m e n t . co m

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PUBLIC FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA

utilizes cutting-edge equipment.

The state is also home to the University of South Carolina, a premier academic and research institution and one of only 62 public institutions to earn the Carnegie Foundation’s top research designation.

The university has pioneering worldclass initiatives in nanotechnology and hydrogen research. USC’s College of Engineering and Computing also partners with industries to conduct groundbreaking research aimed at developing and commercializing the use of fuel cells as part of the National Science Foundation’s Industry and University Cooperative Research Program (NSF I-URC).

“Science is always evolving, and we take on initiatives in all disciplines, from the sciences and engineering to humanities and the arts,” says Stephen Kresovich, USC vice president of research and graduate education.

USC is in the midst of developing the $250 million Innovista research campus and community in Columbia, where researchers can live and work.

The development, USC officials say, will be a key driver of a new economy

built on a foundation of technology such as future fuels, health sciences, nanotech and environmental sciences.

Innovation abounds at Clemson University, ranked by U.S. News & World Report for its high-quality Environmental Engineering and Science programs. Its International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) in Greenville is home to some of the nation’s most advanced automotive, motorsports and transportation research, along with graduate auto engineering programs.

“This research often leads to hightechnology jobs that allow our graduates to stay in the state and thereby contribute to South Carolina’s economy,” says John Kelly, vice president of economic development at Clemson University.

Savannah River National Laboratory has 870 employees working in areas such as energy security and homeland security. For example, the lab works closely with the FBI to help protect the nation from crimes involving radiological material.

“We put science to work that gives the FBI more ability to conduct

The Citadel (www.citadel.edu) Clemson University (www.clemson.edu) Coastal Carolina University (www.coastal.edu) College of Charleston (www.cofc.edu) Francis Marion University (www.fmarion.edu) Lander University (www.lander.edu) Medical University of South Carolina (www.musc.edu) South Carolina State University (www.scsu.edu) University of South Carolina (www.sc.edu) University of South Carolina Aiken (web.usca.edu) University of South Carolina Beaufort (www.uscb.edu) University of South Carolina Upstate (www.uscupstate.edu) Winthrop University (www.winthrop.edu)

PRIVATE FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA Allen University (www.allenuniversity.edu) Anderson University (www.andersonuniversity.edu) Benedict College (www.benedict.edu) Bob Jones University (www.bju.edu) Charleston Southern University (www.csuniv.edu) Claflin University (www.claflin.edu) Coker College (www.coker.edu) Columbia College (www.columbiacollegesc.edu) Columbia International University (www.ciu.edu) Converse College (www.converse.edu) Erskine College (www.erskine.edu) Furman University (www.furman.edu) Limestone College (www.limestone.edu) Morris College (www.morris.edu) Newberry College (www.newberry.edu) North Greenville University (www.ngu.edu) Presbyterian College (www.presby.edu) South University (www.southuniversity.edu) Southern Methodist College (www.smcollege.edu) Southern Wesleyan University (www.swu.edu) Voorhees College (www.voorhees.edu) Wofford College (www.wofford.edu)

At Clemson University, student researchers work on developing cancer therapies and conducting other types of groundbreaking research.

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Innovation abounds at the University of South Carolina, which received the Carnegie Foundation’s top research designation.

P h o t o C o u rt e s y o f U S C p u b l i c at i o n s

investigations that help keep our nation safe from nuclear terrorism,” says Paul Deason, Savannah River National Laboratory director.

Research to advance technology and provide knowledge-based solutions to industry and government is conducted at the South Carolina Research Authority Innovation Centers (SCRA), located at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, Clemson University, the University of South Carolina in Columbia and the Greenwood Genetic Center. Through its SCLaunch® program, SCRA, a global leader in applied research and commercialization services, provides entrepreneurs with seed capital and services to help them build technology startups and create high wage-earning jobs for South Carolinians.

“We put companies in these innovation centers and provide them with the services to help them survive and thrive,” says Dave McNamara, SCLaunch® executive director.

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Centers Of Economic Excellence Created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 2002, the centers draw from the resources of the University of South Carolina, Clemson University and the Medical University of South Carolina to support research that enhances economic development across the state.

Using South Carolina Education Lottery funds, each center is awarded from $2 million to $5 million, which must be matched on a dollar-fordollar basis with non-state funding.

Current Research Efforts include: • Determining possible environmental causes of birth defects.

• Developing new therapies for inflammatory and fibrosing conditions.

• Conducting research on cell-based therapies and new drugs to help the immune system fight cancer.

• Discovering biological markers of tobacco-related malignancies, such as lung, head and neck, bladder and esophageal cancers.

• Creating new technologies that help to foster sustainable development, smart growth and better protection of natural resources in the state.

For more information, go to sccoee.org.

At the Head of the Class State’s investment in education pays back in jobs The Palmetto State’s investment in education is paying dividends with a skilled and knowledgeable workforce that is the backbone of the state’s economic development efforts.

A research report released in November 2009 by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Center for American Progress and American Enterprise Institute ranked South Carolina 17th among states in educational innovation and above average in four of the seven categories measured for the rankings. Sixteen schools in the state made the 2010 Newsweek magazine list of America’s Best High Schools, and South Carolina operates two Governor’s Schools, one focused on the arts and one focused on science and math.

Jobs for America’s GraduatesSouth Carolina (JAG-SC) is an award-winning high school dropout-prevention and workforcepreparation program funded through the State Workforce Investment Board.

An affiliate of Jobs for America’s Graduates Inc., a nonprofit program that helps at-risk youth graduate from high school and

transition to post-secondary education or meaningful employment, the JAG-SC program is currently in 24 schools across South Carolina and continues to post stellar achievements. In 2009, the program graduated its first class of students having been in the program for a full four years with a 95 percent graduation rate.

Four new schools were added to the

state program for the 2010-2011 school year, and six schools were added for the 2008-2009 school year. The state program was expanded through the support of the AT&T Foundation, the National Jobs for America’s Graduates, the South Carolina Department of Education, Verizon, the United Way, the Appalachian Regional Commission and local funds.

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Livability

From the Coast to the Foothills and Heartland Palmetto State is rich in history, culture, recreation and astounding natural beauty

Story by Claire Ratliff

T o dd B e n n e tt

S

ea, sand and sun combine for a global tourist draw, and South Carolina is uniquely blessed with hundreds of miles of these basic ingredients for fun.

From Hilton Head Island to Sassafras Mountain, coastal communities to foothill towns, South Carolina, with sporting events, famed festivals and historic landmarks, brims with ample

recreation opportunities. Breathe in the sea air while scouring pristine beaches for shells, hike foothill trails or drop a trout line in a clear stream.

From Hunting Island Lighthouse on the coast to Landsford Canal State Historic Site in the Piedmont to Oconee Station State Historic Site in the Upstate, rich elements of South Carolina’s history are intact and accessible throughout its plethora

A boardwalk meanders through one of the remaining large Carolina bays at Woods Bay State Natural Area in Olanta. Habitats include a marsh, sand hills and a shrub bog. so u t hcaro l i n a e co n o m i c d e v e l o p m e n t . co m

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Above: The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort will host the 2012 PGA Championship. Right: Charleston’s famous sweetgrass baskets a b o v e p h o t o C o u rt e s y o f K i awa h Is l a n d G o l f R e s o rt

of parks and preserved sites.

“Our 47 state and eight national parks add to the quality of life and to the economic vitality of communities across the state,” says Chad Prosser, director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. “They preserve and interpret what is best and most significant about our natural and cultural heritage.”

Prosser points to the rebirth of Charles Towne Landing, a National Historic Landmark in Charleston and

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the Park Service’s preeminent historic site, among his state’s gems.

Great Golf and Other Outdoor Experiences Golf is a tradition and a booming business in South Carolina. With more than 400 courses, including several on Golf Digest’s list of the 100 Greatest Courses, opportunities to enjoy the golfing lifestyle abound for vacationers and residents alike.

Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach and Kiawah Island are synonymous with

golf, but the state has high-quality courses from one end to the other.

Eleven of the state’s public courses are on Golf Digest’s list of the top 100 public courses in the nation.

Courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Pete Dye, Tom Fazio and Gary Player, coupled with with two of the Top 50 Women Friendly Courses in America, bolster the state’s claim as “Golf Capital of the South.”

For those who like to watch as well as play, the PGA Tour makes an annual stop at Harbour Town Golf

S.C. by the Numbers

4 200 Miles of coastline

47 State parks

8 National parks and historic sites

400+ Golf courses

P h o t o C o u rt e s y o f c h a r l e st o n a r e a c o n v e n t i o n a n d v i s i t o rs b u r e a u

Distinct seasons with mild winters

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P h o t o C o u rt e s y o f C l e ms o n U n i v e rs i t y

Football at Clemson University and the University of South Carolina draws a huge following. USC football coach Steve Spurrier celebrates after the university’s 2010 win over the No. 1 ranked University of Alabama. b o tt o m p h o t o C o u rt e s y o f A P/ W i d e W o r l d P h o t o s

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Right: Fans gather to watch a game at Carolina Stadium at the University of South Carolina — home of the Gamecocks, the 2010 NCAA Baseball National Champions.

P h o t o C o u rt e s y o f S o u t h C a r o l i n a At h l e t i cs

Links for the Heritage PGA tournament, and the 2012 PGA Championship, one of golf’s major tournaments, will be played at Kiawah Island Golf Resort.

The heartland of the state has a varied terrain with lakes, rivers, history and sports. The proximity to mountains and the ocean gives ease and joy to heartland living. Capital city Columbia enjoys an ideal location with arts, entertainment and delightful bistros in restored warehouses. The South Carolina Philharmonic, EdVenture Children’s Museum, the recently expanded

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Numerous festivals celebrate the state’s indigenous cuisine.

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, and the Columbia Museum of Art are among Columbia’s treasures.

Food, Festivals and Fun Food is more than mere sustenance in South Carolina. The fabled Lowcountry cuisine combines European, African, Caribbean and American frontier influences and takes advantage of the abundance of seafood available in the region. The state’s culinary menu is a celebration of fresh seafood from the coast, boiled peanuts, outdoor barbecues and fine restaurants.

Festivals throughout the state honor indigenous foods like catfish, collards, okra, peaches and watermelon. South Carolina’s oldest city, Charleston, is perhaps known as much for its cooking as for its charming beauty.

Plentiful saltwater means year-round fresh seafood and a continual welcome challenge for creative chefs.

For more than 30 years, the Spoleto Festival has brought music, dance, theater, opera and visual arts to Charleston. For 17 days and nights each spring, Spoleto Festival USA fills the city with more than 140 compelling performances by both world-renowned and emerging performers.

South Carolina is developing a reputation as a regional arts destination as well.

“I am especially excited about the new Gullah-Geechee Heritage Corridor,” Prosser says. “In years to come, the arts, cuisine and folkways associated with this special culture will attract visitors from all over the world.”

What’s Online Learn more about South Carolina culture at southcarolinaeconomicdevelopment.com.

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P h o t o C o u rt e s y o f S p o l e t o F e st i va l U S A

The Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra

Getting To Know Palmetto State Culture South Carolina offers history, arts, attractions and entertainment for all ages Culture, history, stunning natural assets and unrivaled outdoor recreation are part of South Carolina’s quality-of-life mosaic.

Here are just a few brief examples:

Fort Sumter The historic icon is the starting point for the Civil War, when Confederate artillery opened fire on the Federal fort in Charleston Harbor.

A visitor education center in Charleston includes extensive museum exhibits on the construction of the fort and island, the events leading to the 1861 battle, and the bombardment of the fort by artillery later in the war. The exhibits bring the history of the fort up to modern times. Nearby Fort Moultrie was a key fortress against the British in the Revolutionary War.

Spoleto Festival USA The 17-day spring festival takes place each year in Charleston, where theaters, places of worship and outdoor spaces host more than 140 performances by

world-renowned artists and emerging performers in opera, theater, music theater, dance, jazz and chamber, symphonic and choral music.

2010 events, which included performances at the newly renovated Dock Street Theatre, drew 70,000 patrons and nearly $2.8 million in ticket revenue.

Columbia City Ballet The ballet’s dancers have been gracing the stage for more than 50 years, growing from a community dance group staging two performances a year to a renowned troupe that performs more than 80 times a year.

In its 2010-11 season, the company will travel to 15 cities in three states and present 22 full-length performances at the Koger Center, including Dracula, The Nutcracker, Cinderella and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Newberry Opera House Named Outstanding Theatre of 2008 by the League of Historic American Theatres, the Newberry

Opera House hosts more than 200 events each year, from Broadway touring shows to country music to big band, gospel, opera and classical music concerts.

A fixture at the Newberry Opera House is the South Carolina Opera Company and Asheville Lyric Opera, which stage an opera there each season.

The Newberry Opera House, an 1881 French Gothic structure, underwent a major renovation and reopened in 1998. The venue draws 100,000 people a year to Newberry.

The Peace Center Located in the heart of Greenville’s vibrant downtown, the center is an architectural and acoustic standout that hosts nationally known music and entertainment acts, community events, youth performances and productions of Broadway stage works such as Dreamgirls, West Side Story and 9 to 5: The Musical. The center is also home to the Carolina Ballet Theatre, an internationally acclaimed dance company.

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economic profile Business snapshot

Population 2009: 4,561,242 2000: 4,012,012 Change: 13.7% Households: 1.7 million

Major MSA Population (2008)

From 2007 through the third quarter of 2010, South Carolina had recruited nearly 53,000 new jobs and more than $10.5 billion in capital investment.

The state is a hub for aerospace and aircraft manufacturing, automobile production, advanced materials manufacturing and distribution operations.

High-quality colleges and universities are bolstered by major research assets such as Savannah River National Laboratory in Aiken, one of only 17 U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory facilities in the nation.

Major Industries

Retail

(by percentage of total employment)

Sales: $65.43 billion Establishments: 400,570

Columbia: 744,730

Government: 17.7%

Greenville-Mauldin-Easley: 639,617

Professional and Business Services: 12%

Charleston-North Charleston:

Leisure & Hospitality: 12.2%

659,191

Retail Trade: 12.3%

Spartanburg: 286,822

Manufacturing: 11.6%

Charleston International Airport www.chs-airport.com

Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-

Education & Health Services: 11.4%

Columbia Metropolitan Airport www.columbiaairport.com

Construction: 4.5% Financial Insurance & Real Estate: 5.7%

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport www.gspairport.com

Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities: 3.2%

Myrtle Beach Airport www.myrtlebeachairport.org

All other: 5.8%

Florence Regional Airport www.florenceairport.com

Conway: 263,868 Florence: 200,653

Labor Force 2010: 2,147,400 2000: 1,988,159

MSA Labor Force (2010) Anderson: 83,759 Charleston-North CharlestonSummerville: 328,340 Columbia: 373,279 Florence: 96,285

income Per Capita Personal Income 2009: $32,338 Median Household Income 2009: $42,442

Transportation Commercial Service Airports

Highways The state is crisscrossed by five interstate highways: I-85, I-26, I-77, I-95 and I-20. South Carolina is halfway between New York City and Miami, about 650 miles to each metro area measured from

Housing Market

Greenville-Mauldin-

Median single-family home price

Easley: 310,175

Charleston MSA: $183,000

Myrtle Beach-North

Greater Columbia: $140,000

Myrtle Beach-Conway: 139,138

Greater Greenville: $140,000

Sumter: 43,561

Myrtle Beach Area: $150,000

What’s Online For more in-depth demographic, statistical and community information on South Carolina Commerce, go to southcarolinaeconomicdevelopment.com and click on Economic Profile.

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the centrally located capital city of Columbia. The state is within 1,000 miles of 35 states and roughly 75 percent of the total U.S. population.

Railroad (Class I) CSX Transportation www.csx.com Norfolk Southern www.nscorp.com

port The Port of Charleston is one of the busiest container ports on the East Coast and the 11th largest container port in the United States. Approximately 2,000 ships and barges, representing some 40 different shipping lines, use the services of the South Carolina ports each year. Additional port facilities can also be found at the Port of Georgetown.

For more on the ports, go to www.port-of-charleston.com.

Sources: www.nrf.com quickfacts.census.gov SCcommerce.com

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visit our

advertisers BE & K Building Group www.bekbuildinggroup.com

Lexington County Economic Development www.lexingtoncountyusa.com

SCANA www.scana.com

Central South Carolina Alliance www.centralsc.org

Lowcountry Economic Network www.lowcountrynet.org

South Carolina Department of Commerce www.sccommerce.com

Charleston Regional Development Alliance www.charlestoneconomicdevelopment.com

McNair Law Firm PA www.mcnair.net

Clemson University www.clemson.edu

MeadWestVaco www.mwv.com

South Carolina Economic Developers Association www.sceda.org

Darlington County Economic Development Partnership www.dcedp.biz

Michelin www.michelin.com

Dorchester County Economic Development www.dorchesterforbusiness.com Duke Energy Carolinas www.considerthecarolinas.com Economic Development Partnership www.edpsc.org Florence County Economic Development Partnership www.fcedp.com

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Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP www.nelsonmullins.com Newberry Country Economic Development South Carolina www.newberrycountysc.org Nexsen/Pruet www.nexsenpruet.com North Eastern Strategic Alliance www.nesasc.org

Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center www.ghs.org

Orangeburg County Development Commission www.ocdc.com

Laurens County Development Corporation www.laurenscounty.org/ed

Progress Energy www.progress-energy.com

S o u t h C aro l i n a C o m m e rc e

South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance www.myscma.com South Carolina Power Team www.scpowerteam.com South Carolina State Ports Authority www.scspa.com Southern Carolina Regional Development Alliance www.southerncarolina.org Sumter Economic Development www.sumteredge.com University of South Carolina www.sc.edu Upstate SC Alliance www.upstatealliance.com

Ad Index

10 BE & K Building Group

90 Central South Carolina Alliance

61 Charleston Regional Development Alliance

86 Lexington County Economic Development

55 Lowcountry Economic Network

20 Clemson University

46 Darlington County Economic Development Partnership

C3 Dorchester County Economic Development

90 Duke Energy Carolinas

6 Economic Development Partnership

12 McNair Law Firm PA 2 MeadWestVaco 76 Michelin

85 Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP

92 Newberry Country Economic Development South Carolina

1 Nexsen/Pruet

91 North Eastern

4 Florence County Economic Strategic Alliance Development Partnership

60 Orangeburg County

79 Greenville Hospital System Development Commission University Medical Center

65 Progress Energy

23 Laurens County 68 SCANA Development Corporation

Ad Index (cont.)

C4 South Carolina Department of Commerce

35 South Carolina Economic Developers Association

C2 South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance

8 South Carolina Power Team

88 South Carolina State Ports Authority

11 Southern Carolina Regional Development Alliance

34 Sumter Economic Development

16 University of South Carolina

67 Upstate SC Alliance