The Upstate has become a business melting pot, with 545 international companies relocating to our region from 34 countries, according to John Lummus, president and CEO of the Upstate SC Alliance.
It’s through the efforts of groups like the Upstate SC Alliance that businesses are able to find their way to South Carolina, and they’re aggressively courting some of the world’s biggest companies.
Since Michelin located a factory in the Upstate in the mid-1970s, South Carolina has become a magnet for automotive companies and suppliers, having brought BMW, Bosch, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, ZF, and many more, courting them with the promise of lower costs. The Upstate SC Alliance said 10.1% of Upstate workers are employed by foreign businesses, which is twice the national average.
“We tell the story of these companies,” said Danielle Besser, public relations manager with the Upstate SC Alliance. The group aggressively markets the region to the world, telling them about the benefits of locating business to the region.
“They knew it was a good location to do business,” said Lummus.
He said a number of factors keep other countries coming to the Upstate:
- Success breeds success: The success that BMW, Bosch and Michelin have had speaks for itself and attracts other businesses to follow suit.
- Absence of Union labor: Since most countries don’t understand how American unions work, the fact that unions are practically nonexistent in the Upstate is a plus.
- Ease of permitting, good incentives: The relationship between government and business is a plus. Lummus said it’s easier to get permits here than in Europe and a lot of local governments are quick to offer incentives.
- Well-trained, skilled workforce and innovative educators: Companies see colleges and universities like Clemson, Tri-County Tech and Greenville Tech as constantly innovating for industry — for instance, Tri-County Tech opened a wing just to support Arthrex. Clemson has its International Center for Automotive Research campus, which has sent interns and graduates to the automakers and suppliers around the region.
- Proximity to major metro areas: Locating in the Upstate gives companies visibility to 100 million consumers that are within day’s drive of the area. Not to mention, the Port of Charleston offers a critical logistics component as does the Inland Port in Greer.
International businesses can join up with the Spark Center, which offers companies everything from office space to product warehousing to employee recruiting and training. The Spark Center offers a Soft Landings Program that can help companies adjust to the U.S. through translation services, cultural assistance, immigration and visa assistance, and legal services.
Foreign direct investment in the Upstate
| Capital Investment | Jobs | |
| Germany | $5,560,608,339 | 12,410 |
| Japan | $2,290,340,000 | 2,877 |
| France | $1,441,184,800 | 1,887 |
| China | $702,200,000 | 2,263 |
| Canada | $388,943,431 | 2,362 |
| Sweden | $377,400,000 | 187 |
| Brazil | $373,630,000 | 727 |
| Italy | $347,739,573 | 950 |
| Spain | $299,100,000 | 546 |
| Switzerland | $189,980,000 | 201 |
| United Kingdom | $188,750,000 | 428 |
| South Korea | $164,500,000 | 1,345 |
| Denmark | $83,350,000 | 178 |
| Belgium | $83,300,000 | 240 |
| Hong Kong | $78,800,000 | 542 |
| Ireland | $62,075,000 | 332 |
| Thailand | $55,000,000 | 40 |
| Netherlands | $53,500,000 | 323 |
| India | $48,000,000 | 140 |
| Austria | $44,160,000 | 76 |
| Turkey | $17,800,000 | 38 |
| Israel | $17,300,000 | 216 |
| International | $4,500,000 | 12 |
| Finland | $4,300,000 | 30 |
| Czech Republic | $2,500,000 | 50 |
| British Virgin Islands | $0 | 65 |
