INDUSTRY APPRECIATION: T&D Region part of SC record-breaking year

What that means is that we are working for you.

We want to offer choices to you, your friends, your children and your grandchildren, so they envision their future here at home.

We want to retain our talent even as we try to attract the best and brightest from everywhere to South Carolina. And we want our state to thrive in a way that lifts all boats and in a way that endures.

One way to do that is to attract new manufacturing, and we are focused on all parts of the state, including our rural areas.

With our prime geographic location, robust infrastructure assets and strong partnerships, South Carolina offers unparalleled opportunity for companies to invest, bringing jobs and opportunities to our communities, and we are working to get the word out.

A large part of South Carolina’s sustained economic success has been our ability to be nimble, to imagine success as a partnership between the businesses we recruit, the community where they will locate and the state.

We are relentless in those efforts, and we have never shied away from adjusting the throttle to push the boundaries of economic development. It’s remarkable to think about how far we’ve come, but we’re focused on the future.

2021 was a record-breaking year for our state.

Last year, South Carolina won 153 projects, accounting for $5.7 billion in capital investment and more than 18,000 new jobs.

To recruit more than $5 billion in capital investment – an accomplishment not seen in five years – takes a remarkable amount of teamwork and collaboration from the many partners and allies around the state.

Notably, 2021 also marks one of the largest years for investment in South Carolina’s rural communities in the last decade.

In Bamberg, Calhoun and Orangeburg counties, we are seeing sizable growth, particularly with new companies establishing operations in the region. Since last year, we’ve recruited $93 million in new capital investment and more than 600 new jobs in the region.

Notable announcements include Premium Peanut’s new operations in Orangeburg County, a $64.3 million investment creating 130 new jobs, and South Carolina Oak To Barrel LLC’s new operations in Bamberg County, a $6.8 million investment creating 122 new jobs. 

Manufacturing is and has been the backbone of South Carolina for over 100 years.

While the industry footprint looks somewhat different than it did several decades ago, our state has built the reputation for producing things – and producing them well. Yet, we find ourselves on the eve of great change – perhaps the most transformative since the Industrial Revolution.

We are ready to meet the challenge.

At the Department of Commerce, we are working hard to ensure that the investments succeed so our communities benefit.

To that end, our local governments, schools, universities and utilities partner with our companies – a collaborative approach to give our workforce the tools needed to be successful.

The Department of Commerce also has skin in the game. It is not just about recruiting companies. A major part of what we do is support our new investors at any point in the company’s lifecycle.

As I said at the beginning: Our focus is on creating economic choices and opportunities for all South Carolinians in a way that will endure. We will keep working to bring those opportunities to your communities.