South Carolina has always charted its own course and possessed a remarkable spirit of innovation and individuality. The history books are filled with the Palmetto State’s firsts, including being home to the nation’s first public library, public museum and railroad junction. Also worth noting, innovator John Gary Anderson manufactured the nation’s first automobile in Rock Hill, South Carolina in 1916. While much has changed in South Carolina over the years, the belief in blending home grown Southern hospitality with growth and development remains firmly planted in the state’s business climate, which many say is “Just right”.

In the last four years, South Carolina has emerged as a south east magnet for new jobs, investment and growth, consistently ranking as one of the top states for doing business in the nation. The state also has been noted as having one of the fastest-growing economies and one of the fastest-growing manufacturing sectors in the region and nation.

BIG WINS FOR TEAM SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina’s economy continues to experience record results. Since 2011, the state has announced more than 57,000 jobs and funnelled $14 billion in capital investments into the Palmetto State. Moreover, South Carolina has experienced unprecedented growth in its manufacturing sector, producing a more than 18 per cent growth in output from 2010-2012. The state’s export totals have also shown a significant increase and reached record levels in 2013, with $26.1 billion in goods sold to more than 200 countries worldwide.

However, in June of 2014 South Carolina celebrated one of its biggest wins in the economic development arena. In one day, the state announced three major deals along the I-77 corridor: the first North American manufacturing facility for Singapore-based, top-10 tyre maker Giti Tire in Chester County; a healthcare company national headquarters for The Lash Group, and a financial services regional headquarters LPL Financial in York County. With a combined total of 7100 jobs and $800 million in capital investment, these three projects represent the biggest single day of jobs announcements in the Palmetto State’s history.

In addition to these major wins, Team South Carolina has also experienced other record announcements in the first half of 2014. For instance, Japanese aerospace supplier Toray Industries’s billion-dollar decision to build its first consolidated carbon fibre plant in the United States in South Carolina is one of the largest initial capital investments ever made in the state.

South Carolina’s growth shows that hard work and business-friendly policies are paying off. The state’s economic development reputation and manufacturing prowess has earned the moniker “Beast of South East”, and this success is due largely to a pro-active role in business development, the state’s top notch workforce training and the South Carolina Department of Commerce’s aggressive recruiting strategy. These combined efforts have created highly favourable business conditions in South Carolina, and the world has taken notice. As a result, an impressive roster of household names across a spectrum of industries has put down roots in South Carolina including world brands like: Boeing, FUJIFILM, BMW, Bridgestone Americas, GE, Google, Continental Tire, Daimler, Giti Tire, Honda, Michelin, TD Bank and Sonoco.

Looking at the resources South Carolina has to offer business prospects, it is not hard to see why they choose to establish operations in the Palmetto State. By supporting both existing industry and new companies, large businesses and small, Team South Carolina has focused on making sure the state is competitive globally and sustains a vital and thriving economy.

GOING GLOBAL
South Carolina is leading the nation’s manufacturing renaissance, building, assembling and creating quality products for markets all over the globe.

With the return to manufacturing, foreign investment has become a staple of South Carolina’s economic success. Over the past four years, the state has seen tremendous growth in the number of foreign-based companies putting down roots and investing in the state.

Demonstrating the state’s international reputation, South Carolina is leading the nation in per-capita jobs recruited through foreign direct investment – for two years in a row – according to IBM’s annual Global Location Trends report. Today, more than 700 international companies operate 1200 individual locations in the state and employ more than 100,000 South Carolinians.

Since 2011, global industry heavyweights including BMW, Michelin, Bridgestone Americas, Continental Tire, JN Fibers and ZF Transmissions have either expanded or established new operations in the state. E&I Engineering Ltd, a provider of switchgear and power distribution solutions based in the United Kingdom announced its plans to invest $17 million to establish its first US operation in Anderson County, South Carolina. The investment is expected to create 250 jobs over the next five years. Home of more than 650 employees across its European headquarters, the company posts annual sales in excess of $150 million with an extensive list of blue chip company clients across all sectors.

And with the state’s international projects pipeline up by 55 per cent since 2011, compared to the previous four years, the state’s global momentum shows no sign of slowing down.

SHIPPING IN, SHIPPING OUT
Since the days of the world’s first railroad junction being routed through the small town of Branchville, South Carolina in 1833, the Palmetto State has been focused on creating unparalleled access to markets worldwide.

South Carolina is strategically located midway between New York City and Miami, giving the state an exceptional transportation network that makes reaching markets an easy task. The state’s central US east coast location, coupled with an integrated transportation system of highways, airports, seaports and railways, ensures any company can easily reach every one of its destinations, efficiently sending and receiving shipments around the world.

South Carolina has an excellent railroad transportation system. CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern and seven other affiliated and independent railroad companies combine to provide rail service in every metro area, operating almost 2300 miles of rail that moves through each of South Carolina’s 46 counties.

One of South Carolina’s most attractive features for manufacturers and distribution and logistics operations is the Port of Charleston. The port is the eighth largest container port in the US and has been ranked first in customer satisfaction by top industry publications. Additionally, the South Carolina Inland Port in Greer is extending the Port of Charleston’s reach 212 miles inland and is positioned along the Interstate 85 corridor between Charlotte and Atlanta. From planes to trains to automobiles, South Carolina offers seamless connectivity. Each mode of transportation contributes to a vast network that can keep a business moving its products or raw materials smoothly.

STRONG AND DEPENDABLE WORKFORCE
Another draw for businesses, particularly manufacturers, to South Carolina is the state’s fast-growing labour force, which has consistently outpaced national growth levels. South Carolina is a right-to-work state, supporting the rights of employees to decide for themselves whether to join or financially support a union, which has in turn created a more stable labour market and environment for businesses in the state.

South Carolina also offers highly-skilled workers. Sixteen technical colleges located across the state help prepare workers for a wide range of jobs. One of South Carolina’s most successful initiatives is readySC™, which works with the state’s technical colleges to develop training curricula tailored to meet a company’s specific workforce requirements – at no cost to the company. Driven exclusively by a company’s needs and timeframes, readySC™ has trained more than a quarter million workers for almost 2000 companies since the programme’s inception.

JUST RIGHT FOR BUSINESS
South Carolina continues to offer businesses the competitive advantages they will find nowhere else. Whether it is a low tax and low regulatory business environment, a highly skilled workforce or the ability to reach markets across the nation and around the globe, the Palmetto State proves it is “Just right” for business. For more information about all that South Carolina has to offer businesses, please visit www.sccommerce.com.